WATERVILLE, ME --- Top-seeded Thomas College will host No. 2-seeded Castleton University at 1 p.m. Saturday at Smith Field for the 2015 North Atlantic Conference (NAC) Men's Soccer Championship.
Saturday's match will also be streamed live on the web by Northeast Sports Network at http://www.nsnsports.net/nac/.
The Spartans have won four NAC titles, but none since 2008. The Terriers' three NAC titles came in 2010, 2012 and 2013.
HOW THEY GOT HERE:
The Terriers advanced to the championship final with a thrilling 2-1 overtime win over No. 5 New England College on Wednesday. Freshman forward Adam LaBrie (Yarmouth, ME / Yarmouth) scored just 1:53 into the extra session off a cross from senior midfielder Tre Ming (Devonshire, Bermuda / South Kent [CT]). Sophomore midfielder Willie Clemons (Paget, Bermuda / Warwick Academy) scored the game's first goal in the 66th minute off an assist from Josh Emard. NEC's goal came six minutes later as Ronsard Masamba converted a penalty kick.
Thomas has won seven in a row and 11 of its last 12. The high-powered Thomas offense ranks fourth in NCAA Division III in points per game (9.94), sixth in assists per game (2.88), seventh in scoring offense (3.53 points per game) and total points (169), eighth in total assists (49), and ninth in total goals (60). Ming, the 2015 NAC Player of the Year, ranks second nationally in assists per game (1.19) and third in total assists (19). Clemons ranks 25th in assists per game (0.56) and 30th in total assists (9).
Castleton punched its ticket to the final with a 4-1 victory over the University of Maine at Farmington in Castleton. The Spartans scored all of their goals in first 25:04 of the contest behind three goals from Jake Tietgens and another from Blake Hart. Castleton also contributed directly to UMF's goal as a ball in the box deflected off a Spartan defender for an own goal.
Much of Castleton's success has been due to the presence of NAC Defensive Player of the Year Amir Pasic in goal. Pasic paces a Spartans side that ranks 15th in Division III in save percentage (.875) and 33rd in both shutout percentage (0.55) and team goals-against average (0.64). Pasic himself ranks 22nd in save percentage (.870) and 36th in goals-against average (.664). Castleton's offensive firepower is provided by Tietgens. Tietgens ranks 25th in Division III in total goals (15), 35th in total points (35), 47th in goals per game (0.75) and 52nd in points per game (1.75).
EARLIER THIS SEASON:
This will be Castleton's second trip to Waterville this season. On October 11, Josh Emard scored just 42 seconds into the game and Willie Clemons and Lukas Bohman added second-half goals as Thomas picked up a 3-0 victory. It gave the Spartans their only loss in NAC play.
HISTORY LESSON:
This is the schools' fourth meeting in the NAC Tournament and the first in a championship match with Thomas holding a 2-1 edge overall. Castleton won the initial meeting, 3-0, in the 2004 quarterfinals, but the schools would not meet under these circumstances again until 2013 when Thomas won, 2-0, in a semifinal at Castleton. The Terriers posted a 3-0 win in a quarterfinal matchup last year at Smith Field.
Castleton holds a 10-5-1 edge in the series since Thomas joined the North Atlantic Conference in 2003, but the Terriers have had the edge lately, holding a 5-1-1 edge since 2011.
WHAT'S AT STAKE:
The winner of Saturday's contest wins the 2015 NAC Men's Soccer Championship and also receives the NAC's automatic berth into the 2015 NCAA Division III Men's Soccer Championship.
