Sports Information Department – 112 Dods Hall
Phone (716) 673-3100 / Fax (716) 673-3136
CONTACT: Jerry Reilly,
Sports Information Director
DATE: Mon., Nov. 5, 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Men's Soccer
Devils to meet Hobart in NCAA
FREDONIA, N.Y. -- Fredonia State will meet Hobart in the first round of the NCAA Division III men's soccer championship tournament.
The game will be played at the University of Rochester Edwin Fauver Stadium, Friday, Nov. 9, at 7:30 p.m..
The winner will face the winner of the other Friday first-round game in the Rochester four-team regional between the host Yellowjackets (13-2-2), champs of the University Athletic Association, and North Eastern Athletic Conference champion Keuka (10-6-1).
The deciding game at the Rochester regional is for 6 p.m. Saturday, with the winner advancing to the Sweet 16 the following weekend.
Fredonia State is making its second NCAA appearance in three years. The Blue Devils (12-6-2) earned a spot in the 57-team NCAA field by winning the SUNYAC title Saturday over Plattsburgh, 4-2, in a penalty-kick shootout following a scoreless tie in double overtime.
The loss proved costly to Plattsburgh. The Cardinals failed to land one of the 16 at-large Pool C berths, leaving the Blue Devils as the lone SUNYAC team in the national tournament.
Hobart received one of the at-large spots. The Statesmen (11-3-3) will be looking to bounce back from a loss in their most recent game, 1-0, to St. Lawrence in the semifinals of the Liberty League tournament Nov. 2.
Fredonia State and Hobart met once during the regular season. The Statesmen scored with 47 seconds left to claim a 2-1 home win Oct. 27.
NOTES: Blue Devil head coach P.J. Gondek was selected Monday as SUNYAC Coach of the Year. It's the first time he's received the award. Gondek has a 100-45-17 record in eight seasons at Fredonia State, with his 100th win coming last Friday, 1-0, over his alma mater, Cortland, in the SUNYAC semifinals. He guided the 2005 team to the quarterfinal round of the NCAA Tournament, while the 2006 team won the ECAC Upstate New York championship. This year's team was the No. 1 seed heading into the conference tournament ... Following his team's victory over Plattsburgh, senior goalkeeper Scott Bergen (Schenectady/Mohonasen) was selected Most Valuable Player of the SUNYAC Tournament. Bergen -- MVP of the ECAC Tournament last fall -- made one save in the title game while posting his fifth shutout of the season. He also stopped the final shot of the decisive shootout ... Joining Bergen on the all-tournament team were freshman forward Peter Dagel (Rochester/Gates Chili), sophomore forward Ryan O'Donnell (Orchard Park), and senior defender Jeff Morsch (Fairport) ... Six Blue Devils were selected to the regular-season all-conference team. Senior midfielders Rob Esposito (Dover Plains/Dover) and Trevor Ianni (Rochester/Gates-Chili), and senior defender Lee Wilson (Fairport) were picked First Team All Conference. Second Team picks were Dagel, O'Donnell, and Bergen. The selections were announced last Thursday at the conference banquet in Oneonta.
For more information:
NCAA Division III Men's Soccer Bracket
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