Date Posted: 11/15/2007

DeLAND, Fla. - The third-seeded Campbell Camels pulled off the first upset of the 2007 Men's Soccer Championship, presented by Bealls Outlet, defeating host and second-seeded Stetson 2-0 in a semifinal match on Thursday at the Stetson Soccer Complex in front of a Complex-record 525 fans.

Campbell (13-5-2) netted the lone score of the opening 45 minutes when Vince Petrasso's blast from over 30 yards out found the back of the Stetson net. Petrasso's goal was his third of the Championship and fourth of the season.

"We are sitting there as time is winding down in the half and talking about how we have got to go hunt out the game a little bit," head coach Doug Hess said. "Then, all the sudden you turn and that goal goes in. It totally changed our mentality heading into the half and our tactics for the rest of the match."

Petrasso nearly turned in his second multi-goal performance in as many days as in the second half he once got caught from behind as he broke towards the net and later, he fired a shot on goal on net causing Stetson keeper Evan White to make a leaping and sprawling save.

The Camels finally extended the lead to two on a Stetson own goal following a free kick from Josue Soto in the midfield and junior goalkeeper Aaron Johnson made the lead stand up, recording his fourth shutout of the season by turning away four Stetson shots.

"Our back four played tremendous," First-team All-Atlantic Sun goalkeeper Johnson said. "Michael Hutchinson's save on the line was huge for us. That’s how we keep clean sheets, we all work as a team."

The Campbell win marked the first for a No. 3 seed in the semifinal round since the tournament expanded to a six-team, single-elimination format. Previously, the three seeds had combined to go 0-5-1. The Stetson loss ensures that the host will not win the Championship for the sixth consecutive season. The last host to win came in 2001 when Mercer won the title. The loss also ended a six-game win streak for hosts in its first match of a championship. The Hatters loss represents the first timethat the host lost their opening match of a Championship since top-seeded Jacksonville lost to FAU in the semifinals.

The Atlantic Sun Conference is a 12-member league committed to Building Winners for Life, with a focus on academic and athletic integrity and a balance between the two for the student-athlete, and maintaining a high level of sportsmanship. Headquartered in Macon, Ga., the A-Sun encompasses six of the top eight media markets in the Southeast. The A-Sun consists of some of the most dynamic private and public institutions in the region: Belmont University, Campbell University, East Tennessee State University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Gardner-Webb University, Jacksonville University, Kennesaw State University, Lipscomb University, Mercer University, University of North Florida, University of South Carolina Upstate and Stetson University.

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