MASON, W&M EARN BERTHS IN NCAA MEN'S SOCCER CHAMPIONSHIP
CAA champion George Mason and William & Mary were selected to participate in the 48-team NCAA Men's Soccer Championship on Monday and both teams were awarded first-round home games. The Patriots (13-6-2) will face Ivy League champion Penn (11-2-4), while the Tribe (10-6-3) will take on Big South champion Winthrop (15-5-1). Both matches are set for 7 p.m. on Friday.
Mason defeated Northeatern 1-0 on Sunday to capture its first CAA championship since 1989. The Patriots, who will be making their 10th overall appearance in the NCAA Tournament, have a 4-9 overall record in the event. Mason's most recent appearance came in 2006 when it dropped a 1-0 decision in overtime to Bucknell in the opening round. Mason is currently riding a seven-match winning streak. Senior forward Kwame Adjeman-Pamboe leads the Patriots with nine goals, including eight in the past seven games. Junior goalkeeper Sean Kelley has recorded shutouts in five of his past seven outings. The winner of the Mason/Penn match will visit ACC champion Maryland on Tuesday, November 25.
William & Mary is making its 13th NCAA Tournament appearance, but first since 2002 when the Tribe advanced to the third round. It will be the first NCAA game played in Williamsburg since 1992, when current head coach Chris Norris was playing for the Tribe. W&M posted its best overall season in six years and finished tied for second in the conference standings. The Tribe fell 5-3 to George Mason in the CAA semifinals last Friday. Junior forward Andrew Hoxie leads the team with 21 points on eight goals and five assists and sophomore midfielder Nathaniel Baako has six goals and five assists. The winner of the W&M/Winthrop match will travel to defending naitonal champion Wake Forest on Tuesday, November 25.
This is the 12th time in the past 14 seasons that at least two CAA teams have earned berths in the NCAA championship. The conference has had at least one team advance to the third round in five of the past six years.