The SUNY Oneonta men's soccer team will host one of the four sectional rounds this weekend in the 2014 NCAA Division III tournament.  The Red Dragons advanced into the final 16 after defeating Nichols College, 2-0, this past Sunday in the second round.  All matches this weekend will be played on Red Dragon Soccer Field.  Admission to game is $6 general admission, $3 for seniors and students and $2 for children 3-12.
 
On Saturday, Oneonta will face Franklin and Marshall at 11am followed by Brandeis versus Amherst at 1:30pm.  Sunday's sectional final is scheduled for a 1pm kickoff and will pit Saturday's winners against each other with a trip to the national championship weekend in Kansas City, Mo. on the line.
 
All four squads that are in Oneonta this weekend were nationally ranked in the NSCAA final regular season Coaches' poll prior to the tournament.  Oneonta is No. 3, Brandeis is No. 5, Amherst is No. 13 and Franklin and Marshall is No. 15.
 
Of the three teams that are coming to Oneonta this weekend, the Red Dragons have only faced, oddly enough, Franklin & Marshall.  The two have met twice in back-to-back years – 2012 and 2013 – with the Diplomats taking both contests.  In 2012, Oneonta traveled to Lancaster, PA and dropped a 2-1 decision before F & M took a 1-0 win at last year's Oneonta Mayor's Cup tournament.
 
"We have lost to F & M twice in the last two years, so we are under no illusions what we are up against," said SUNYAC Coach of the Year Iain Byrne.  Dan has done an incredible job with his program.  They reached the elite eight last year, and were undefeated this season until their conference tournament."
 
Oneonta (19-0-2) is reaching the round of 16 for the second time in four years and is one of only two teams in Division III that is still unbeaten.  Defending national champion Messiah College is 20-0-1 entering its sectional match this weekend with SUNY Cortland.  The 19 wins for Oneonta is a new single season record, passing the mark set by the 2011 squad, and the current unbeaten streak of 21 games is also a program best.
 
The Red Dragons earned its NCAA tournament berth after winning the SUNYAC tournament.  The Red Dragons defeated SUNY Geneseo, 4-0, in the semifinals of the conference tournament before defeating SUNY Cortland, 2-1, in the championship game.
 
On Sunday, Oneonta was held off the scoreboard until two late goals lifted them to victory.  SUNYAC Rookie of the Year, freshman Cory Santangelo (Sayville/Sayville), got the Red Dragons on the board in the 83^rd minute off an assist from sophomore Hans Purtell (Johnson City/Johnson City).  In the 85^th minute, junior Jake Sutherland (Syracuse/West Genesee) headed a ball past the goalkeeper off a corner kick.
 
Oneonta is making its fourth straight NCAA appearance since rejoining the ranks of Division III in 2006 and becoming eligible for the NCAA tournament in 2008.  In 2011, in its first Division III tournament, the Red Dragons advanced all the way to the national championship weekend in San Antonio.
 
This is Oneonta's eighth NCAA tournament appearance overall.  Prior to 2006, Oneonta competed in Division I & II before officially joining Division III.  During that time, Oneonta made four consecutive appearances in the NCAA tournament from 1972-75.  In 1972, the Red Dragons played in the first Division II national championship game.
 
Overall, Oneonta has scored 52 goals while holding its opponents to nine.  The Red Dragons have recorded a single season program record 14 shutouts this fall for a shutout percentage of 67 percent.  The Red Dragons have been amongst the Division III team leaders in goals against average and currently stand at 0.42.  Oneonta also has a huge advantage in shots 339-143 and corner kicks 136-54.
 
Individually, the Red Dragons have five players who have registered double-digits in points including three juniors, one sophomore and a rookie.  Santangelo leads the squad with 27 points on 13 goals and one assist.  SUNYAC Player of the Year, junior Dylan Williams (Monroe/Monroe-Woodbury), is next with 22 points on eight goals and six assists.
 
Junior Jake Sutherland (Syracuse/West Genesee) has 21 points on nine goals and three assists.  Sophomore Hans Purtell (Johnson City/Johnson City) has 19 points on eight goals and three assists.  Sutherland is tied with Santangelo with five game-winning goals this season.  Sutherland and Purtell were both selected to the All-Conference team with Sutherland named to the first team and Purtell to the second team.
 
Junior Colin Volpe (Commack/St. Anthony's) rounds out this group with 11 points on three goals and five assists.
 
In the goal, senior Vincent Pellegrino (Baldwin/Baldwin) has been the No. 1 keeper for the Red Dragons.  He has logged 1,464 minutes and has a 0.25 goals against average with 12 shutouts, which is a new single season program record.  The second team All-SUNYAC keeper is 15-0-1 entering the tournament.
 
Nationally in Division III, Oneonta sits fourth in both team shutout percentage (.67) and goals against average (0.42).  Pellegrino is third in goals against and fourth in save percentage (.905).
 
Byrne concluded, "When you get through to the sweet 16, there is nowhere to hide and all 16 teams are capable of winning it all.  The four participants in our pod this weekend would make for a great final four.  All four teams have been nationally ranked all year, with three of us in the top-5.
 
Amherst Team Page
 
Brandeis Team Page
 
Franklin and Marshall Team Page