November 11, 2002

MEN'S SOCCER EARNS THIRD NCAA TOURNAMENT BID
Sea Gulls (15-2-1) Play in Regional in Roanoke, VA

The Salisbury men’s soccer team, ranked sixth in the nation, is making its third NCAA Tournament appearance in four years and will play Messiah in its first game on Friday at 1:30 pm. Messiah advanced to Friday's contest with a 1-0 first round victory over Johns Hopkins on Wednesday.

Salisbury, which received a first round bye, will need a victory Friday to advance to Saturday's 1 p.m. regional final. The Sea Gulls would play the winner of Friday's other game between host Roanoke College and Greensboro (NC) College.

Gulls Earn NCAA Bid With CAC Title
Salisbury claimed the Capital Athletic Conference’s automatic bid for the NCAA Tournament with a penalty kick shootout win over Mary Washington on Saturday. The game remained scoreless through regulation and two overtime periods before SU claimed the victory by winning the shootout, four goals to two. The CAC title is SU’s third in four years.

SU’s NCAA Tournament History
Salisbury has a 2-2 all-time record in NCAA Tournament play. Both SU victories came in 1999, when Salisbury defeated Washington (MO) University and Greensboro to win the South Regional. The Gulls lost to Wheaton (IL) in the national quarterfinals that season. The Gulls were eliminated in their opening game of the 2000 Tournament, falling 3-1 to Johns Hopkins.

Gulls Ranked #6 in NSCAA Poll
The Sea Gulls bring a five-game unbeaten streak and number six NSCAA national ranking into this week’s NCAA Tournament. The current ranking is the highest in the program’s history.  Senior CR Krauss (10g-5a) and junior Fanor Ramos (10g-3a) are the team’s leading scorers. Salisbury averages 2.57 goals per game, and has outscored opponents 48-6 this season. The Gulls set a new team record with five straight shutouts earlier this season, and bring a streak of four straight shutouts into their next game. Four goalies have combined for a 0.32 goals against average. SU ranks fourth nationally in the most recent NCAA statistics in goals against average.

Quoting Coach Gerry DiBartolo
“I think this is by far the strongest regional of all the regions. All five teams are conference champions, and four of the five have been ranked among the Top 25 for much of the season. We’re certainly excited to still be playing and excited to have a chance to go on. The survivor of this regional will be battle-tested and ready for whoever they play next.”

SU Soccer Featured in The Baltimore Sun (Nov. 14, 2002)

2002 Season Statistics | Sea Gull Roster