The America East playoffs are down to two teams, but the NCAA College Cup only has room for one of them.
No. 1 Stony Brook will host No. 3 Binghamton in the America East Championship with an automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament up for grabs.
Where: Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium
When: Tomorrow, kick off at 7 p.m.
How they got here:
The Seawolves (12-4-3) battled to a draw in their first America East contest this season, but won six out of their last seven conference games to earn the No. 1 seed. They received a first round bye before defeating Albany in the semifinals. The game was sent to overtime with the score knotted at one, but Chris Megaloudis scored with 4:26 remaining to give Stony Brook its first trip to America East Championship in school history.
The Bearcats (12-4-4) advanced to their third consecutive conference championship game by beating UMBC 4-1 Wednesday. In the first round of the America East playoffs, the Bearcats edged by Boston in a penalty kick shootout, after playing to a 1-1 draw during regulation and overtime. Binghamton also toppled Boston three days earlier to earn the No. 3 seed in the regular season finale for both teams.
The previous meeting:
On Oct. 19, the Bearcats went to Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium and handed the Seawolves their only conference loss of the season. Junior midfielder Kyle Antos scored the lone goal at the 37:12 mark of the first half off a header from junior forward Joey Neilson. Both teams took nine shots in the contest and produced two corner kick opportunities.
Projected starting lineup:
Backs:
Graham MunroRob Fucci
Darius RavangardMark Zajkowski
Ryan PierceYahaya Musa
Adam ChavezMartin Lynch
Midfielders:
DaniloMichael Palacio
Kyle AntosDouglas Narvaez
Barry NevilleTamer Mohamed
Forwards:
Joey NeilsonChris Megaloudis
Peter SguegliaMatt Avellino
Matt NarodeChris Scarpati
Goalkeepers:
Ryan BertoniJohn Moschella
Three players the Bearcats must contain tomorrow:
Sophomore midfielder Michael Palacio leads the team with seven goals (including three game-winners) and 10 assists (including one in the semifinals).
Senior forward Chris Megaloudis scored the winning goal in overtime Wednesday, and had five goals and seven assists during the regular season.
Senior midfielder Douglas Narvaez had 19 points and was second in the conference with .53 assists per game.
NCAA bound?
On Monday, the Tournament Selection Committee will choose the 25 at-large berths that will join the 23 conference champions in the 2005 NCAA College Cup. As of now, the Bearcats are on the bubble of receiving an at-large bid.
Why they should make it:
The Bearcats have only allowed .62 goals per game this season, giving them the 12th-ranked defense in the country. Also, by beating teams such as Duquesne and Hartwick, Binghamton proved how dangerous they could be against the top programs in the nation.
Why they won’t:
Regular season losses to New Hampshire and UMBC won’t help the Bearcats get voted in. Also, conference powerhouses such as the ACC and Big East could receive six at-large bids apiece.
Final Verdict:
Over the last few weeks, the Bearcats have fallen out of the national polls and are currently ranked third in the New York Regional. While it may depend on the number of upsets in the other conference tournaments, the Bearcats will most likely have to win the America East Championship to earn their second trip in three years to the big dance.