NCAA Tournament First Round: Cabrini University Cavaliers (10-8-1, 8-1 CSAC) vs. No. 17 Rowan University Profs (17-3-1, 8-0-1 NJAC)
Saturday, November 11, 4pm
Rowan University Soccer Complex, Glassboro, NJ

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Ticket Information
Ticket prices for all games are $6 for general admission, $3 for students and senior citizens and $2 for children ages 3-12. Children age two and under are free when accompanied by a paid adult.

Tickets will go on sale at 3pm, one hour before game time.

What's at Stake
The Rowan University Soccer Complex will play host to two first round and one second round games as one of eight regional sites for the 2017 NCA Tournament.  The Cavaliers and Profs will open Saturday's action at 4pm, with DeSales University (12-2-6) and No. 23 Johns Hopkins University (14-1-3) set to meet at 6:30pm.

Saturday's winners will meet at 6pm on Sunday, with the victor advancing to next weekend's sectional round.

Despite being separated by just 38 miles, Saturday will make the first time Cabrini and Rowan have met since the opening match of the 2006 season. The Profs scored a 2-0 victory in the first match of the Harrison House/Rowan Invitational.

The Blue and White is making its sixth NCAA Tournament appearance and first since suffering a 3-1 loss at Morrisville State in 2015. Cabrini is 0-5 all-time in the tournament, including a 6-5 penalty kick shootout loss at then No. 15 Susquehanna.

Rowan earned its third consecutive at-large selection after finishing as the New Jersey Athletic Conference runner-up. It is the Profs' 27th appearance in the NCAA playoffs. Rowan has won two National Championships (1981 and 1990), finished second twice and third three times.

How They Got Here: Cavaliers Reverse Fortunes in Midseason
After an 0-7-1 start that saw the Blue and White record just one goal, the Cavaliers have gone 10-1 over its last 11 contests, surrendering four goals during that span.

Twelve Cavaliers have marked the scoring column over the last 11 matches, led by junior Jared Irwin, who leads the team with six goals and 12 points. Freshman John Griffin's four goals are good for second on the team.

Senior Ben Roda's six assists are two more than junior Matt Ochman, while both join Griffin with 10 points on the season.

Sophomore goaltender Mike Gould has been solid in Cabrini's 18-yard box. The sophomore has posted a 0.34 goals against average and a 0.875 save percentage with five shutouts during the Cavaliers' 10-1 run.

How They Got Here: 13-Match Unbeaten Streak Highlights Profs' Campaign
The Profs found themselves at 5-2 after a tough 3-2 double-overtime loss to then No. 16 Messiah. Rowan rebounded one day later with a 6-0 win over New Jersey City, a win that catapulted the club on a 13-match unbeaten streak that lasted until Saturday's NJAC championship match.

Rowan owns one of the nation's top scoring offenses, as the Profs record 3.48 goals per game and 3.26 assists per contest.  Nineteen players have marked the goal column for the Profs, with 16 accounting for between one and four goals on the season.

Junior Shane Doherty's 14 goals and 37 points lead the team, while sophomore Matt Hendrickson and junior Ryan Campbell have tallied double figure goals and north of 20 points each.  Senior Jake Conners' 10 helpers lead the Profs and are one more than Doherty and three more than senior Tyler Logar.

After alternating starts with junior Kyle Dennis early in the season, Erik Checkur has established himself as the Profs' top netminder.  The junior sports a 0.60 goals against average with a 12-1-1 record and six shutouts on the year.

Cabrini Last Time Out: Late goal lifts Cabrini to 10th CSAC title (11/4/2017, Radnor, PA)
Cabrini scored the day's lone goal in the 72nd minute of Saturday's CSAC championship match, lifting the Blue and White to a 1-0 win over Keystone and the program's 10th conference title.

Griffin collected a wayward shot by sophomore Christopher Araujo and beat Keystone's goaltender for his fourth goal of the campaign. The Cavaliers' defense made the goal stand, as Gould recorded his only save of the second half in the 78th minute, before the Blue and White fought off a pair of late Keystone corner kicks, including one with just 30 seconds to play.

Griffin and sophomores Dani Acevedo and Justin Barbuto recorded two shots each for the Cavaliers, while Gould's three saves helped earn his sixth shutout of the season.  Senior Ben Roda was named the CSAC Championship Game Most Valuable Player.

Rowan Last Time Out: Late goal lifts Cabrini to 10th CSAC title (11/4/2017, Radnor, PA)
After scoring a thrilling double-overtime 1-0 win over No. 5 Stockton in the NJAC semifinal, the Profs could not carry their momentum through Saturday's NJAC title match, falling to No. 2 Rutgers-Newark 1-0.

Despite outshooting the Scarlet Raiders 21-12, Rowan could not navigate the Rutgers-Newark defensive effort. The Scarlett Raiders netted the game's lone goal in the 79th minute. The Profs forced a pair of corner kicks and attempted five shots in the final 10 minutes, but could not find their way onto the board.

Hendrickson led the Profs with eight shots and just two of the team's five shots on goal, while Doherty added four shots. Checkur suffered the loss despite posting five saves.

5 Factors for Cabrini

• Cabrini has outscored its opponents 26-4 over its last 11 matches.
• Griffin or Irwin has recorded a goal or an assist in nine of the Cavaliers' 10 victories this season.
• The Cavaliers boasted the CSAC's stingiest defensive unit, allowing just 1.16 goals per match.
• Cabrini did not list one player in the league's top 10 in shots, while Irwin and Roda were the only Cavaliers listed among the CSAC's goal and assists lists, respectively.
• Gould led the conference with a 1.153 goals against average, while his six shutouts were good for second in the league.

5 Factors for Rowan

• The Profs boast the nation's fifth ranked scoring offense, tallying 3.48 goals per match. Rowan also ranks in the nation's top five in total goals (73), assists per game (3.29), points per game (10.24), total assists (69) and total points (215).
• Checkur's .875 save percentage is good for 12th in Division III, while his .601 goals against average ranks 29th.
• The Profs have outshot 19 of its 21 opponents on the year and own a 494-175 advantage in shots in 2017.
• Rowan has outscored its opponents 30-5 in the first half and outshot its opposition 225-80 in the opening 45 minutes.
• The Profs have received at least one yellow card in 18 of its 21 contests.

 

	TALE OF THE TAPE
Cabrini		#17 Rowan
10-8-1, 8-1 CSAC	Record	17-3-1, 8-0-1 NJAC
1.42	Goals per Game	3.48
21	Assists	69
223	Shots	494
109	Shots on Goal	246
77	Corner Kicks	140
214	Fouls	378
57	Saves	79
.722	Save Percentage	.796
	TEAM LEADERS
Jared Irwin (6)	Goals	Shane Doherty (14)
Ben Roda (6)	Assists	Jake Connors (10)
Jared Irwin (12)	Points	Shane Doherty (37)
Jared Irwin (38)	Shots	Shane Doherty (73)
Mike Gould (.734)	Save Percentage	Erik Checkur (.875)