GOLDEN KNIGHTS AIM TO TAKE THE FIRST STEP

Saint Rose hosts Adelphi in an NCAA Tournament second-round encounter today at 12:00 pm.

The Plot: The College of Saint Rose and Adelphi come into today aiming to punch a ticket to the East Regional Final (round of 16) that will take place next Friday, November 22. Today's winner will advance to face either Bridgeport or American International, who kickoff at 1:00 pm this afternoon in Springfield.

Last Meeting | 11/10/13 | Northeast-10 Conference Championship Final: Saint Rose completed its run to a sixth Northeast-10 Conference Championship within the past seven years by upending third-seed Adelphi 2-0 a week ago today on this very pitch. The Golden Knights scored 10 minutes apart spanning the two halves and in the process tied the school record with their 18 shutout of the season. Saint Rose manufactured a 9-5 shot advantage, including 7-1 in the first half, and developed seven corner kick opportunities while surrendering only three. Senior midfielder Sydney Bond scored what stood up as the game-winner with 42:03 elapsed when she converted a penalty kick after junior midfielder and NE-10 Championship MVP Meeghan Arno was tripped from behind in the area. Senior midfielder Laura Taylor then added an insurance marker with 52:28 gone by when she one-timed a feed from junior midfielder Emily Benjamin into the far left side past Adelphi senior keeper Sam Whitney. Whitney finished with three saves for the Panthers whose only two losses this season have come at the hands of Saint Rose. At the other end, senior Jessica Gerski was called upon to make one save for the Golden Knights.

The Series | 9-8 Saint Rose: Saint Rose owns a 9-8 advantage in the series with Adelphi that dates back to 1989…The Golden Knights have won each of the last nine meetings after Adelphi took the first eight.

Friday's First Round | Box Score: Fourth-seed Adelphi struck three times in the opening 20 minutes and broke out to a 4-0 halftime lead en route to a 5-0 win versus fifth-seed Mercy on Friday. Sophomore forward Olivia Czavar and freshman midfielder Victoria Antonino each had a goal and an assist to pace the Panthers. Czavar set up the game-winner to Antonino a mere 1:07 in. Adelphi then scored three more times, before adding a perfunctory strike in the 90th minute. Sophomore keeper Nicole Augustine recorded seven saves for Mercy (13-5-1), which made the first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance in program history this year. At the other end, Whitney and fellow junior Kimberly Velazquez made three stops for Adelphi.

Scouting #4 Saint Rose (18-0-2): The top-seed Golden Knights are 20-9-2 all-time in NCAA Tournament contests…They have advanced to eight regional championship games and have made five consecutive national semifinal appearances...This is the 11th time in 12 years that the Golden Knights will be competing in the field…Saint Rose is ranked #4 in the country according to the most recent NSCAA National Weekly Poll…The Golden Knights are second nationally in scoring defense, 24th in scoring offense, own a collective 0.14 goals-against-average, and are averaging 2.43 goals per-game, which are the top and second best marks in the NE-10 respectively…Nineteen different student-athletes have figured in the scoring column to forge a balanced attack…Bond stands fourth among the league's leading point producers behind a team-high 28 points on 11 goals and six assists…Sophomore midfielder/forward Kristin Carr has 13 points via six goals and a helper…Sophomore midfielder Jennifer Busk, freshman forward Sammy Blizzard, and Taylor, all have 11 points…Arno scored two game-winning goals throughout three NE-10 Championship contests… Sophomore midfielder Michaela Phillips and Benjamin are key links to the squad's transition efforts…Between the posts, Gerski is third in the country with a 0.16 GAA and is fifth behind a .923 save percentage…She helps direct a defensive unit that primarily consists of juniors Jourdan Thompson and La'Quilla Upton, along with sophomore Nicole Shively…They have surrendered a mere 39 corners this autumn…Conversely, Saint Rose has manufactured 171 corners.

Scouting #25 Adelphi (14-2-4): Adelphi advanced to the NE-10 Championship Final for the second straight year…This marks the 12th occasion the Panthers have qualified for the NCAA Tournament...Adelphi last made the tournament field in 2007 and previously advanced to the national finals in 2003 when the Panthers also won the last of three straight regional championships…Adelphi, ranked #25 in the country this week, also possesses a balanced attack with 15 different players who have produced a point…Czavar and Antonino pace the scoring parade with 21 points apiece…Czavar has nine goals and three assists to her credit, while Antonino has recorded eight goals and set up five others…Whitney has played all but 26 of the team's 1,887 minutes…She owns a 0.68 GAA and a .872 save percentage.

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GOLDEN KNIGHTS AIM TO TAKE THE FIRST STEP