CENTER VALLEY, Pa.– Senior midfielder JD Saracco scored in the 47th minute to lift Eastern University Men's Soccer to a 1-0 win at DeSales University. With the win, the Eagles secure a spot in the MAC Freedom Tournament. Because King's won tonight against FDU-Florham, Eastern will be the second seed and will host King's at 2:00 pm on Tuesday.

Eastern (14-3-1, 5-2 MAC Freedom) needed either a win or a tie to get into the MAC Freedom Tournament. The Eagles played like a team that needed a result. They carried much of the play through the first half but were not able to put a shot on frame with the wind at their backs. Despite holding an advantage in possession and field position, the Eagles managed only two total shots before the intermission. DeSales had just one shot.

In the 47th minute, Saracco took a pass from Jake Sankey near the top of the box. Last year's MAC Freedom Offensive Player of the year cut the ball back with his first touch and fired a low shot toward the lower left corner of the goal. A Bulldog defender lunged to block the shot, and the redirection caught the DeSales goalkeeper on the wrong foot and rolled inside the opposite post.

The goal, Saracco's fourth of the year, would prove to be plenty. Quentin Keibler and the Eastern defense kept the Bulldogs off the board the rest of the way. Keibler was credited with two saves and made several other strong plays to cut away crosses and prevent chances.

"We did a great job limiting chances," Head Coach Mark Wagner said after the game. "Jadon [Ramsing] and Jacob [Myers] were very good in the middle of the back, and Q [Keibler] made several good plays on crossed balls." The Eagles have not allowed a goal in their five league wins this fall.

The King's Monarchs also earned their way into the post-season with a 4-0 home win over FDU-Florham tonight. Eastern beat King's 1-0 last Saturday. DeSales, who had secured a tournament spot before today, dropped to the fourth spot and will travel to Misericordia for a semifinal on Tuesday. FDU-Florham and Manhattanville finished in a four-way tie with King's and DeSales but missed the post-season on tie-breakers.