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Saint Francis squares off against second-seeded Fairleigh Dickinson in the championship round of the Northeast Conference tournament Sunday. The Red Flash are on a quest to capture the program's first NEC championship. SFU enters the game with a 6-7-6 overall record and a 4-3-3 mark in NEC play while the Knights finished the regular season 9-5-4, 6-1-3 in league action. Saint Francis recorded 15 points on the year, FDU finished runner-up in the conference standings with 21.

Today marks the 26th meeting between these two schools with FDU holding an advantage in the program series 19-5-1.

PREVIOUS MEETING
The last time these two schools met, the contest ended in a scoreless double overtime tie. It wasn't until the 72nd minute of action that either keeper needed to make a save. Daniel Valcicak (Herndon, Va./Gonzaga College) stopped a header by FDU's Nicholas Walker that kept the game scoreless. That was the only save either keeper was forced to make in regulation and the game headed into overtime with no score. FDU outshot the Flash in the game 17-9.

MAKING IT IN
Coming into the last weekend of regular season play, the Red Flash needed a flawless, no loss weekend in order to sneak into the postseason tournament, and the team rose to the occasion. Friday afternoon Saint Francis upset top-seeded Quinnipiac in the semifinal round 4-3 in penalty kicks to reach today's championship match. Ryan Byers (Scottdale, Pa./Southmoreland) scored his first career goal in the game.

DANNY V'S GOALKEEPING
Starting SFU goalkeeper Daniel Valcicak (Herndon, Va./Gonzaga College) is having a senior season to remember after he posted his eighth shutout of the season Nov. 4 against the Mount, giving him 13 for his collegiate career. Additionally, Valcicak is among the best keeper's in the nation as he is ranked among the top-25 in a multitude of categories. With an .720 goals against average Valcicak ranks 17th in the NCAA, is fourth with an .865 save percentage and is tied for 24th with 83 total saves.

RETURN TO NEC'S
Saint Francis returns to the NEC tournament after taking a one year hiatus from postseason play. This trip to the tournament marks the fifth time in program history that the team has qualified for postseason play.
In four of five NEC tournament appearances, Saint Francis has reached the championship match, falling by just one goal in three of those games. In 2004, the first year qualifying for the postseason, the Flash lost in penalty kicks to LIU Brooklyn in the semifinal round. In the years to come, SFU fell 1-0 to Monmouth in 2006, 1-0 to CCSU the following season and 1-0 again to Monmouth in 2010.

Current head coach Michael Casper has taken the team to the championship match in all three of his postseason appearances. Through his six seasons as head coach of the Red Flash, Casper has guided his team to three NEC tournament berths.

SHOTS, SHOTS, SHOTS
Saint Francis is tops in the Northeast Conference in terms of shots as they have accumulated 279 on the season, 31 better than second ranked Robert Morris. The Red Flash are averaging 14.7 shots per contest and took their highest amount of the year, 27, in Sunday's regular season finale against the Mount.

ALL-NEC SELECTIONS
The Red Flash registered three selections to the all-conference squad, announced Thursday night. James Price (Christchurch, New Zealand/St. Andrew’s College) and Daniel Valcicak (Herndon, Va./Gonzaga College) were voted onto the first team while junior midfielder Nick Kolarac (Pittsburgh, Pa./West Allegheny) earned a pick to the second team. For Price, this marks his second all-NEC selection and is the first for Valcicak and Kolarac.

ACADEMIC HONORS
Senior defender Tamas Maffey-Stumpe (Cairns, Queensland, Australia/Mossman State) earned CoSIDA Academic All-District first team honors for the first time in his career. A scorer of four goals in his career, Maffey-Stumpe has been a stable in the SFU backfield, aiding in 30 shutouts for the Red Flash over the past four years.

D-FENCE!
The Red Flash defense and keeper Daniel Valcicak (Herndon, Va./Gonzaga College) have allowed the second fewest amount of goals in the conference at 16, two behind leader Monmouth. Also Saint Francis ranks second in the league with a .780 goals against average and are tied for the top spot in the field of 11 teams by posting nine shutouts on the year.
These numbers have ranked SFU 19th in goals against average, tied for 12th in shutout percentage and tied for fifth in save percentage on a national level.

NATIONAL RECOGNITION
Senior defender James Price (Christchurch, New Zealand/St. Andrew’s College) earned a spot on the Missouri Athletic Club's (MAC) Hermann Trophy Watch Lists for 2012 earlier this season. The MAC Hermann Trophy watch list is comprised of 42 men and 38 women who have been identified as players to follow this season. Presented annually in January during a banquet in St. Louis, Miss., the MAC Hermann Trophy is the highest individual award in intercollegiate soccer.