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SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – The 12th-ranked Slippery Rock University men’s soccer team will meet 14th-ranked Charleston in the NCAA Division II Men’s Soccer Tournament second round Sunday at 2 p.m. at Thompson Stadium. This preview includes information on tickets, as well as links for live coverage and a look at how both teams reached the regional final.

The Rock (18-3-1) earned its second straight trip to the round of 16 with a thrilling 3-2 win over Mercyhurst in double overtime Friday night. Jeremy Deighton scored a hat trick, including the game-winner with 1:32 left in the second overtime, and Greg Blum made 14 saves to lead Slippery Rock’s effort.

Charleston (18-3-0) earns its first trip to the round of 16 since 1999 after defeating Millersville 2-0 in the first round Friday. The Golden Eagles held No. 4 Millersville without a goal for the first time since the 2007 season. Dion Peters used his finesse and his blistering speed to score both goals for Charleston and Sean Teepen made five saves to earn the shutout.

Tickets

Ticket prices for the second round will remain the same as the first round. Adult tickets can be purchased at the gate for $7. Students, senior citizens and children between the ages of 2-12 will be admitted for $5. Children under two are free with an adult.

Live Coverage

The Slippery Rock sports information office will run live statistics, a live audio broadcast over the internet and live Twitter updates for Sunday’s game. All three can be accessed by the links at the top of this release.

About The Rock

Slippery Rock earned a school record 18th win Friday to improve its season record to 18-3-1 overall. The Rock also improved to 11-0 at home this season and has not lost a game on the turf at Thompson Stadium since Sept. 23, 2008, a 2-1 loss to Lock Haven.

Deighton has been the catalyst to the offense all season long, currently leading the team with a career-high 20 goals and seven assists. He was named the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference-Western Division Player of the Year and was named the MVP of the PSAC Championship game.

Toby Bowser has continued to add his touch on the scoring column in the form of assists. The school record holder for single season assists (15 last season) notched two more assists Friday to bring his season total to a team-high nine. He also has two goals on the year.

Benjamin Lloyd has scored four goals and assisted seven others in his first collegiate season. Kenneth Fultz has five goals and four assists, including the assist on the game-winner Friday, and Iain Langstone has four goals and two assists to round out the double-digit point scorers.

The Rock defense of Thomas Pool, Patrick Conley, Josh Gauger and Alex Swartz has been impressive this season, holding opponents to just 17 goals in 22 games, a goals against average of 0.75.

Blum has been key to the team’s success all season, starting in 21 games and posting a 17-3-1 overall record with eight individual shutouts. He has allowed 17 goals in 1830 minutes for a goals against average of 0.84. He has also made 93 saves for a save percentage of .845.

Slippery Rock has outscored opponents 48-17 this season. The round of 16 is the furthest Slippery Rock has ever advanced in the NCAA Tournament. Millersville defeated SRU 1-0 in the second round last season.

About the Golden Eagles

Charleston reaches its first regional final since 1999 after pulling a 2-0 upset over Millersville Friday. Charleston never looked like the underdog in that matchup, scoring two first half goals and never giving the Marauders a solid look at getting back into the game. The Golden Eagles bring an 18-3-0 overall record into Sunday’s final.

Two of Charleston’s three losses came against PSAC teams this season, a 3-2 loss at home against California (Pa.) and a 1-0 loss here at Slippery Rock in mid September. Its third loss, a 1-0 defeat, came on the road at Marshall.

The Golden Eagles marched through the WVIAC with a perfect 10-0 record this season on the strength of a powerful front three strikers.

Charleston is led by Dion Peters with 17 goals and four assists for 38 points. Darko Karamatic ranks second on the team in scoring with 11 goals and 10 assists for 32 points. Pedrag Ivanovic ranks third with seven goals and eight assists and Rob Vincent rounds out the double-digit scorers with eight goals and one assist.

The Charleston defense has been outstanding this season, allowing a team total of just 10 goals and posting 11 total shutouts.

Sean Teepen has been the primary keeper for the Golden Eagles and has proved to be one of the top keepers in the region. He has allowed nine goals in 1602 minutes between the posts for a goals against average of 0.52. Teepen has made 69 saves this season.

The Golden Eagles have outscored opponents 57-10 this season.

Last Time They Met

Slippery Rock earned a 1-0 win over Charleston in a game played at Egli Field (natural grass) here in Slippery Rock on Sept. 16. In that game, Alex Swartz scored the game-winner in the 30th minute after a Ben Lloyd free kick hit the post and Swartz buried the rebound.

Charleston finished that game with advantages of 13-7 in total shots, 6-4 in shots on goal and 3-1 in corner kicks.

Greg Blum earned the win for Slippery Rock after making six saves. Sean Teepen took the loss after allowing one goal and recording three saves.

Winner Moves On

The winner of Sunday’s game will advance to the National Quarterfinals, or the round of eight, which will take place next weekend at a site still to be determined. The host site for the quarterfinals in each super region will be selected by the NCAA Selection Committee Monday.