ST. DAVIDS, Pa.– Eastern University Men's Soccer will host the visiting DeSales University Bulldogs in the MAC Freedom Championship game on Olson Field at 2:00 PM on Saturday.

It is the second meeting in a week between the two programs. Cade Harmon bent in a goal in the first half to lift Eastern (13-4-1) to a 1-0 win and the top spot in the MAC Freedom Tournament. The loss was the first conference defeat for the Bulldogs (12-2-5). They dropped to the third seed.

Game Details:
When: 2:00 PM Saturday Nov. 4
Where: Olson Field on the Campus of Eastern University
How Much: Tickets are $5 for Adults, $4 for Seniors, & $2 for Students. Eastern Univeristy Student Development will pay the cost for any Eastern student with a valid eCard.

HOW THEY GOT HERE:

DeSales: The Bulldogs advanced to the Championship after 110 scoreless minutes at second-seeded King's. The two teams were tied after five penalty kicks, and DeSales advanced when Alex DiRienzo made his kick after a King's miss in the seventh round.

Eastern: Jadon Ramsing scored an early goal on a corner kick. Sean Dougherty added another ten minutes later, and the Eagles cruised to a  4-0 win over fourth-seeded FDU Florham. Quentin Keibler picked up his tenth shutout of the year in the win.


THE CHARACTERS:

DeSales:
Dan Sulpizio leads a DeSales defense that has conceded only 12 goals this year. The All-MAC Freedom goalkeeper has stopped over 88 percent of the shots he has faced this fall.

Sean Tunney earned second-team honors as a defender.

Justin Habick leads the Bulldogs with nine goals this fall. The junior midfielder joined Sulpizio on the MAC Freedom First Team. Michael Kirby has five goals and four assists. His only goal in MAC Freedom games was a game-winner at Manhattanville.

Eastern:
Colin Furlong has 13 assists this fall and was picked as the MAC Freedom Offensive Player of the Year. The junior midfielder has been creative in the run of play and effective on restart chances.

Ramsing joined Furlong and Harmon on the MAC Freedom First Team. The senior center back is tied for the team lead with six goals. He has played a critical role in organizing a back row that has allowed only two goals in the team's last seven games against league opponents.

Harmon also has six goals. He has scored in two-consecutive matches since missing nearly two full matches with injury. He was the 2016 Offensive Player of the Year.

Jacob Myers and Jake Cahill both earned spots on the second team. Myers was the 2015 MAC Freedom Championship Most Outstanding Player. He has played on all three levels of the field and will likely play in the midfield an up top over the course of the match. Myers has five goals this fall.

Cahill has been a steady fixture as an outside back. He will travel to the right or the left to defend and is capable of getting forward on either side.

Keibler has won all five MAC Freedom Tournament games he has started. He was selected as the 2016 Tournament M.O.P. after a pair of shootout triumphs. Eastern's senior goalkeeper averages just under four saves a match. He has only surrendered 12 goals.

THE BOSSES:

Eastern:
Jeremy Payne is in his first season at the helm for the Eagles. He is no stranger to postseason success. The Eagles won a pair of MAC Freedom Championships with him on staff as an assistant. He won three MAC Commonwealth titles as a player at Messiah College.

DeSales:
George Crampton in the 2017 MAC Freedom Coach of the Year. He has 198 career wins as a head coach and has led the Bulldogs to four MAC Freedom Championships and five NCAA Tournament appearances in his 19 years.


THE HISTORY:

This is the third postseason meeting between the two schools. Eastern won, 3-0, at DeSales in 2011 in the opening round. DeSales claimed a title by the same score in the MAC Freedom Championship match the year before.

Eastern holds a 7-5-1 mark against DeSales since 2007. The Bulldogs last won in 2014. This is Eastern's fourth MAC Freedom Championship game in the last four years.