Senior defender Graham Tatters makes his second conference championship appearance with the 49ers tomorrow |
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Charlotte Prepared to Stifle Massachusetts in Atlantic 10 Championship Game
Nov. 17, 2007
Dayton, Ohio - For the first time in four years, the Charlotte 49ers men's soccer team (12-6-2; A-10: 5-3-2) will make an appearance in the conference championship match, taking on third-seeded Massachusetts (12-7-1; A-10: 7-3-0) in the title game of the Atlantic 10 Men's Soccer Tournament tomorrow at 1 p.m. at Baujan Field. Last night, the 49ers rallied past No. 12 nationally-ranked and top-seeded Saint Louis, winning in a 3-2 shootout, after collecting a 2-1 victory over Fordham in the quarterfinals Thursday afternoon.
"We're confident and excited to be in the final," head coach Jeremy Gunn said. "We've had a tremendous second half of the season, the boys have played extremely well. We're looking forward to the chance of winning a conference championship."
Charlotte, leading the all-time series with Massachusetts 2-1, toppled the Minutemen at Transamerica Field in mid-October behind a lone goal from junior forward Chris Salvaggione. Even though Massachusetts enjoyed a 9-7 shot advantage, sophomore goalkeeper David Martin recorded his fourth shutout of the season with the win, which marked the first-ever A-10 win under first year head coach Gunn.
Massachusetts advanced to the finals after upsetting second-seeded Rhode Island 1-0 behind a second-half goal by Douglas Rappaport. The Minutemen squeaked past Dayton in the quarterfinals, advancing 4-3 on penalty kicks after tying the game 1-1 in regulation.
The 49ers are currently led in goals by Salvaggione with eight on the season, combining with his team-high nine assists for 25 points. Senior forward Tom Woollard doesn't fall far behind with seven goals, while freshman forward Will Shull, sophomore midfielder Luke Exley and junior midfielder Kent Long each have four goals apiece. Martin, who has recorded eight shutouts in the 2007 campaign, is currently tied for first in the conference with Massachusetts goalkeeper Zack Simmons.
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Charlotte has yet to make an appearance in the A-10 Tournament final, falling in the 2005 and 2006 quarterfinals to Dayton and Duquesne, respectively. Ironically, the last time the 49ers made a conference championship game was in 2003, when they fell to then-C-USA foe Saint Louis 5-4 in penalty kicks, which included a successful attempt by current senior tri-captain and defender Graham Tatters.
