NESCAC Men's Soccer Championship Field Announced

HADLEY, Mass. - With a 1-0 win at rival Williams on Saturday afternoon, Amherst College earned the number-one seed and a first round bye in the 2007 NESCAC Men's Soccer Championship. First round action in the seven-team tournament begins on Sunday, Oct. 28 with Middlebury, Williams and Wesleyan hosting games beginning at 12:30 p.m. The tournament then shifts to Amherst, Mass. on Saturday, Nov. 3 for the semifinals before the conclusion of the 2007 NESCAC Men's Soccer Championship on Sunday, Nov. 4 at 12:00 p.m.

Top-seeded Amherst's (13-1-0, 8-1-0 NESCAC) win on Saturday at Williams guaranteed the Jeffs the number-one seed for the first time in tournament history. Amherst finished tied atop the NESCAC standings with Middlebury, however a 3-1 win by the Lord Jeffs in Amherst on Oct. 6 gave them the head-to-head tie-breaker over the Panthers. Amherst rolled to 11-straight victories to start the season before faltering on Oct. 20 to Wesleyan, falling 2-1 for the only loss of the season to date. Saturday's 1-0 win at Williams was the seventh shutout of the season for Amherst, which entered the weekend second among league teams in defense, holding a 0.83 goals against average. As impressive as the defense has been this season for the Lord Jeffs - who have only allowed more than one goal on two occasions this season - the offense has been equally impressive, scoring roughly three goals per game to pace the conference. The first round bye guarantees Amherst an appearance in the semifinals for the third consecutive year in the Jeffs' quest for their first NESCAC crown.

Second-seeded Middlebury (12-2-0, 8-1-0 NESCAC) closed out the regular season on the road at Trinity on Saturday, earning a 1-0 victory. The Panthers boast the league's best defense this season, collecting 10 shutouts while allowing seven goals over 14 games, having out-scored opponents 11-2 over the last six games. One of only two NESCAC teams to reach the semifinals in each year the tournament has been held, Middlebury will host seventh-seeded Connecticut College (3-8-3, 1-5-3 NESCAC) on Sunday afternoon. The Camels punched their ticket to the championship - only their second playoff appearance since participating in the inaugural tournament in 2000 - in thrilling fashion on the final day of the regular season. Needing to not only win but also have Colby fall to Bates in order to make the championship field, Connecticut College trailed Tufts 1-0 late in Saturday's contest before scoring the game-tying goal in the 90th minute to force overtime. The Camels came up with the game-winner in extra time and a 3-2 victory by Bates put Connecticut College in this year's tournament. The lone meeting between Middlebury and Connecticut College this year came on the first weekend of the season, a 2-0 victory for the Panthers in Middlebury, Vt. Sunday's contest will be the first between the two teams in playoff history.

Third-seeded Williams (9-4-1, 6-3-0 NESCAC) finished the regular season tied in the NESCAC standings with Wesleyan, however a 2-1 win by the Ephs in Middletown, Conn. on Sept. 8 gave them the head-to-head advantage over the Cardinals. Williams, the defending NESCAC Men's Soccer Champions, will host a first round game for only the second time in tournament history, as it has earned the number-one seed six times over the past seven years. The Ephs will take on sixth-seeded Trinity (8-6-0, 4-5-0 NESCAC) in a rematch of the Sept. 29 tilt between the two squads which the Bantams won 2-0, the first win by Trinity over Williams since 1977. Trinity has faltered a bit after putting together a five-game winning streak midway through the season, going 1-4-0 over its last five games, including the previously-mentioned 1-0 loss to Middlebury to wrap up the regular season. Sunday's first round game will be the first between the two squads in tournament history, as Trinity is making its first appearance in the championship since 2003. Williams and Middlebury are the only two teams to have played in every semifinal in tournament history.

Sunday's remaining first round contest will be a familiar contest for both participants, as fourth-seeded Wesleyan (10-4-0, 6-3-0 NESCAC) will host fifth-seeded Bowdoin (9-4-1, 4-4-1 NESCAC) after the two teams tangled on Saturday afternoon in Brunswick, Maine. The two clubs played to a 2-2 draw after 90 minutes before the Cardinals ended the game in overtime for a 3-2 victory. Wesleyan heads into Sunday's showdown with the Polar Bears as the hottest team in the NESCAC, winning a program-best 10 consecutive games after starting off the season 0-4-0. Bowdoin's loss to Wesleyan on Saturday snapped a four-game unbeaten streak for the Polar Bears. The only previous meeting between these two clubs in tournament history came in 2005, when seventh-seeded Wesleyan upended second-seeded Bowdoin 4-1 in the first round, as the Cardinals went on to become the lowest seeded team to ever win the NESCAC Men's Soccer crown.

2007 NESCAC MEN'S SOCCER CHAMPIONSHIP
First Round - Sunday, October 28 at Higher Seeds
No. 7 Connecticut College at No. 2 Middlebury - 12:30 p.m.
No. 6 Trinity at No. 3 Williams - 12:30 p.m.
No. 5 Bowdoin at No. 4 Wesleyan - 12:30 p.m.

Semifinals - Saturday, November 3 at Amherst
Remaining first round winners - 11:00 a.m.
No. 1 Amherst vs. lowest remaining seed - 1:30 p.m.

Championship - Sunday, November 4 at Amherst
Semifinal winners - 12:00 p.m.