Nov. 19, 2008
Center Valley, Pa. - Colgate is set to open up NCAA Men's Soccer Tournament play when it travels to Chestnut Hill, Mass., to take on Boston College (10-7-2, 5-3-0). The NCAA Men's College Cup game will take place at Boston College's Newton Campus Soccer Complex on Friday at 5 p.m.
Patriot League Men's Soccer Release 11.19.08 
The Raiders earned their second-straight NCAA Tournament berth after winning the Patriot League title last weekend.
Colgate has enjoyed a solid season thus far, posting an overall record of 12-5-3 and a record of 5-1-1 in Patriot League play. The Raiders have played three games against NCAA Tournament teams this season. Colgate lost 4-2 to Boston University on Sept. 20, and fell 2-0 to potential second round foe Dartmouth, the No. 16 seed in the Tournament. The Raiders also lost, 3-0 to Duke.
Colgate earned the Patriot League's automatic berth to the Men's College Cup by winning its second title in as many years. The Raiders, the tournament's host and No. 1 seed, blanked Lafayette, 2-0, in the semifinals to earn a spot in the Championship match. The Raiders followed up that win with a 2-1 victory over Holy Cross on Sunday.
The Raiders had seven players named to the All-Patriot League teams. Junior midfield Chris Ross, senior defender Glenn Volk and senior goalkeeper David Cappuccio were all named to the First Team. Ross tied for ninth in the League with 12 points as he helped lead a Colgate offense that scored 28 goals this season. Volk is part of a defensive unit that gave up only 14 goals all season, which is tops in the Patriot League. Cappuccio, the 2008 Patriot League Goalkeeper of the Year, led the League in goals-against average at 0.71 and tied for first in the League with seven shutouts this season. Second-Team selections include sophomore forward Steven Miller and junior forward Alex Weekes, sophomore midfielder Jeff Leach and senior defender Daniel Kerley. Miller tied for fifth in the Patriot League with 15 points scored this season, while Weekes scored both goals for the Raiders in Sunday's title game. Leach had two assists in the Patriot League Tournament and is tied for third in the League with six this season, while Kerley is a member of the stingy defensive unit.
Volk, Cappuccio, Weekes and senior forward Matt Leach were selected for the Patriot League All-Tournament Team. Weekes was named Tournament MVP, while Volk and Cappuccio helped the Raiders surrender only one goal in the tournament. Leach, Jeff Leach's older brother, scored a goal in the semifinal game against Lafayette and assisted on one of Weekes' goals in the championship match.
Colgate and Boston College will meet for the first time ever in Friday's match. The Eagles finished tied for third in the ACC this season and are making their second consecutive and seventh overall NCAA Tournament appearance.
Patriot League Notebook
Streaking Into the Tournament
Colgate enters Friday's game at Boston College on a four-game win streak. The Raiders' last loss came against fellow Tournament team Duke, 1-0, on Oct. 28.
Patriot League in the NCAA Tournament
Since the Patriot League received its first NCAA automatic bid in 1995, League teams are 7-14-1 in the tournament. The last Patriot League teams to win or tie in the tournament are the 2006 squads from Bucknell and Lehigh. The Bison beat George Mason, 1-0, in the first round before falling 4-0 to Virginia, while Lehigh received a first-round bye before tying Rhode Island, 1-1, and advancing 5-4 on penalty kicks. The Mountain Hawks fell in the third round, 3-0, to Duke.
ACCepting the Challenge
The Patriot League is 1-6 against the ACC in the NCAA Tournament, with American beating Wake Forest, 3-0, in 2001 for the lone win.
Kerley Named CoSIDA/ESPN the Magazine Academic All-American
Colgate senior defender Daniel Kerley was named a First-Team selection to the CoSIDA/ESPN the Magazine Academic All-America team, the organization announced Wednesday. Kerley is an economics major with a 3.83 grade-point average, and a leader on a Raider defense that has allowed only 14 goals all season.
Quotable
"It's great to be playing in the Northeast against one of top programs in the ACC. We will have our hands full. We are playing well right now and I think we can represent the Colgate and the Patriot League very well. We are looking forward to the challenge."
Colgate Head Coach Erik Ronning, on playing Boston College
