ALBANY – For the third year in a row, The College of Saint Rose is one step away from the NCAA Division II national championship game with UC San Diego (18-2-3) next on the docket for the Golden Knights (23-0-1). The two teams will meet in a national semifinal encounter Thursday, December 2 at Owsley B. Frazier Stadium on the Bellarmine University campus in Louisville.

Saint Rose, ranked #1 in the final regular-season NSCAA/HendrickCars.com Division II Poll, got to this point with a 3-1 decision in penalty kicks at West Chester University (PA) in a national quarterfinal contest that finished deadlocked at 1-1 after 90 minutes of regulation and two overtime periods. Senior midfielder and Daktronics East Region Player of the Year Amanda Deck drew the Golden Knights even in the 42nd minute. Saint Rose previously upended C.W. Post 1-0 in the East Regional Championship game as freshman midfielder Sydney Bond produced a goal early in the second half. The Golden Knights also took a 1-0 triumph over the University of Bridgeport in a second round affair to commence their 2010 NCAA Tournament march.

Saint Rose possesses a balanced attack coupled with a superlative defensive corps. Eighteen different players have figured in the scoring column, including 16 who have recorded at least one goal for the third-ranked scoring offense in the country. Junior midfielder Christina Cuffari has produced a team-leading 35 points with 10 goals and 15 assists. The latter represents a single-season school record. Bond and freshman forward Carmelina Puopolo follow with 31 points respectively. Bond is tied for the team lead with 11 goals to go along with nine assists, while Puopolo has 10 goals and 11 helpers to her credit.

Senior backs Katie Whiting, Kelly Guerin and Coco Ebersole anchor a defense, along with sophomore Meagan McKinney, that is second in the nation with a 0.29 goals-against-average. Saint Rose has allowed a mere seven goals all season to account for an 82-7 scoring margin.

Furthermore, senior keeper Deanna Esposito has registered an NCAA-best 0.18 GAA and a .935 save percentage. She has yielded only one goal throughout the last 1,095 minutes of action that covers 13 games. Esposito also owns a school record 23 victories.

As for UC San Diego, the Tritons are making their first Championship Finals appearance since 2003. It marks the first-ever meeting between the two clubs who have combined for an impressive 41-2-4 record this year. UC San Diego, ranked #12 in the NSCAA/HendrickCars.com Division II Poll, won back-to-back National Championships in 2000 and 2001.

The Tritons also have a balanced attack that features 15 players who have found the scoring column. A talented duo leads the scoring parade at this juncture. Senior forward Annette Ilg, whose first half tally propelled UC San Diego into the national semifinals, paces the Tritons with 10 goals and five assists for 25 points. Junior forward Sarah McTigue, a second-team Daktronics West All-Region selection, is on Ilg's heels with 20 points. McTigue has nine goals, four game-winners, and two assists on the season.

Junior keeper Kristin Armstrong ranks 15th in the country with a 0.51 GAA. She has made 69 saves and chalked up 14 shutouts, including three straight.

Saint Rose is 11-7-2 all-time in NCAA Tournament contests. A year ago, the Golden Knights were on the doorstep of making the program's first-ever appearance in a National Championship game when they suffered a 3-2 overtime loss against eventual champion Grand Valley State. Thursday's game will kick off at 2:00 pm and be streamed live on www.ncaa.com.

Championship Finals preview with Deanna Esposito

Championship Finals preview with Kristen Bidosky