Thursday, November 11, 2010

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. – The Atlantic Sun Men’s Soccer Championship semifinals head to the campus of ETSU and Summers-Taylor Stadium for the first time in league history as the Buccaneers welcome in Jacksonville, Stetson and Lipscomb with the league’s automatic bid up for grabs.

Semifinal action begins at 4 p.m. on Thursday with the previous two champions, No. 2 Stetson and No. 6 Jacksonville meeting for the second time in less than two weeks. In the regular-season finale, the Dolphins and Hatters met with much at stake. The Dolphins needed at least a tie to just make the Championship field and the Hatters could have secured the top seed and home-field advantage with a win. Jacksonville’s Tyler Williams opened the scoring with a tally in the 19th minute. The Dolphins clung to the 1-0 advantage until the 82nd minute when the Hatters’ Dan Sackman headed home the tying goal. Late in the second overtime, Stetson’s Ryan Asare-Bediako had a chance to clinch the top spot, but his attempt sailed just over the crossbar and the game ended 1-1.

The Hatters and Dolphins have met at the A-Sun Championship three times in their history, all in the semifinal round. Jacksonville took home victories in 1998 and 2001, while Stetson won a 2-1 decision in 2006. Either Jacksonville or Stetson has appeared in the A-Sun title game every year dating back to 2005. Stetson won their second A-Sun crown last season – to go along with a win in 2005. Jacksonville emerged as the champ in 2008, but failed to make the field last year.

The nightcap, set for a 7 p.m. kick off, features top-seeded ETSU facing fourth-seeded Lipscomb in A-Sun Championship action for the second straight year. In last year’s first round, the Buccaneers blanked the Bisons by a 3-0 count for their first-ever win in an A-Sun Championship game. ETSU has dominated in front of the Summers-Taylor Stadium faithful boasting a 7-1 record. The lone defeat came in overtime to No. 4 UNC. Even with that set back, ETSU has outscored its opposition 15-5 at home and recorded four shutouts.

Lipscomb advanced to the semifinals by eliminating Campbell, 5-1, on Saturday. The Bisons’ pair of All-Atlantic Sun forwards, First-Teamer Garret Pettis and Second-Teamer Miguel DaSilva have both scored eight goals and totaled 19 points on the season. DaSilva scored twice and assisted on two others in the defeat of Campbell. Lipscomb has won six of its last eight contests; in those six wins, the Bisons have netted 21 goals.

No A-Sun school from the state of Tennessee has ever advanced to the title game, let alone gone on to win the event. Lipscomb advanced to the semifinals in consecutive years, 2007 and 2008.

Both semifinal contests air on ASun.TV, free of charge. Follow the Atlantic Sun on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.

The Atlantic Sun Conference is an 11-member league committed to Building Winners for Life. The A-Sun stands for achievement with integrity in both the academic and athletic arenas, with a focus on the balance between the two for our student-athletes. Headquartered in Macon, Ga., the A-Sun boasts five of the top eight media markets in the Southeast. The A-Sun includes a blend of the most prestigious and dynamic private and public institutions in the region: Belmont University, Campbell University, East Tennessee State University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Jacksonville University, Kennesaw State University, Lipscomb University, Mercer University, University of North Florida, University of South Carolina Upstate and Stetson University