Nov. 22:  The St. Lawrence University men's soccer team is headed to Amherst, MA for the NCAA Championship Sectionals, squaring off with the Lord Jeffs on Nov. 23rd at 1:30pm.  This game, as well as the other sectional game between Brandeis and Williams at 11:00 am, will be broadcast.  The winners of Saturday's games will meet at 1:30 pm on Sunday, Nov. 24. 

St. Lawrence enters tomorrow's game riding a six-game winning streak.  After claiming their fifth Liberty League title since 2004 with a 3-1 win against Skidmore, the Saints rolled through its first and second round opponents in the NCAA Championships at Sandy MacAllaster Field last weekend.  In the first game against Thomas College, St. Lawrence netted four second half goals led by sophomore Dan Hunt's first career hat-trick as they handed the Terriers a 5-1 loss.

The following day, St. Lawrence shut out Wheaton (Mass.) in the second round with a decisive 8-0 victory.  The eight goals were a program-high in the NCAA tourney as the Saints received another hat-trick, this time from Ryan Grant who recorded his first-ever three-goal game.  Senior captain Andrew Bednarsky added two goals as well as the Saints rolled past the Lyons into the "Sweet 16". 

The Saints are appearing in the NCAA Championship for the 18th time in program history, and the 16th under the direction of head coach Bob Durocher.  Durocher, who earned his 300th victory this season, led the young Saints back to the NCAA Tournament for the fourth straight year despite losing 13 upperclassmen from last season.  St. Lawrence is 25-13-2 all-time in the tournament and captured the national championship in 1999 with a 22-0-0 record, as it was the first time a Div. III men's soccer team went unbeaten and untied en route to a national title. 

St. Lawrence is led by its stellar defensive play, anchored by junior goalkeeper Aaron Costello, the 2013 Liberty League Defensive Player of the Year.  He leads the nation with a 0.24 goals against average, allowing just five this season, and is second in save percentage (.907).  The Saratoga Springs, NY native is 17-1-2 this season and has recorded a program-record 16 shutouts this season.  As a team, the Saints lead the country in shutout percentage (.79), rank second in team GAA (.36), and third in save percentage (.885). 

Bednarsky, the 2013 Liberty League player of the year, highlights the team offensively, scoring 26 points this season with eight goals, including five game-winners, and eight assists.  Assistant captain Mark Provost has also had a stellar year, leading the team and the Liberty League in assists with nine, while added six goals for 21 total points.  The Saints have seven all-conference selections and Durocher and his staff garnered Coaching Staff of the Year, as well.

The Saints have the toughest road to the NCAA Championship, facing one of only two remaining undefeated teams left in Div. III in Amherst (17-0-2).  The Lord Jeffs are the highest remaining seed left in the NCAA tournament, as top-seeded Ohio Wesleyan was shocked by Rose-Hulman in the second round.  Amherst is making its eighth-consecutive appearance and 13th total, compiling a 17-9-6 all-time record in the NCAA Tournament. 
St. Lawrence and Amherst have squared off only three times in their program's histories on the men's soccer field.  The Lord Jeffs knocked off the Saints in the 2010 second round with a 3-2 victory on Sandy MacAllaster Field.  Amherst also claimed a 1-0 win against St. Lawrence in the 2008 second round, but fell 1-0 in the 2002 regional round. 

This season, Amherst swept through its competition en route to its third-straight NESCAC title.  Following a decisive 4-1 win against Hamilton in the quarterfinals, the Jeffs earned a double-overtime victory over Bowdoin.  The final featured a rematch of last year between Amherst and Williams, with Max Fikkie scoring the game-winner off a header.  The Jeffs haven't slowed down in the NCAA Tournament, claiming a 3-0 win against Bridgewater in the first round, and following that up with a 5-0 shutout against Gordon.  Nico Pascual-Leone has shined thus far, recording two goals and four assists in two games.  Fikke, a first team All-NESCAC selection, added two goals in the win over Gordon.

Goalkeeper Thomas Bull anchors an Amherst defense that has allowed just eight goals all season for a league-best 0.41 goals-against average. He is credited with 10 of the team's 11 shutouts and boasts a .822 save percentage. His 0.41 GAA ranks fourth in the country.

The Jeffs are extremely efficient as a team and have a commanding 387 to 135 advantage in shots and 122-71 edge in corner kicks. They have won 10-straight and are unbeaten in 39 games entering Saturday's matchup.  Head coach Justin Serpone earned his 100th career victory in the regular-season finale against Trinity and is the second winningest active coach in Division III men's soccer with a .837 win percentage (105-14-16 record).