CCC TOURNAMENT: No. 1 Endicott Hosts No. 3 Gordon In 2015 CCC Men's Soccer Championship

2015 CCC MEN'S SOCCER CHAMPIONSHIP RELEASE

INTERACTIVE TOURNAMENT BRACKET

BEVERLY, Mass.- After posting a 13-1-3 record overall in regular season play that saw the Gulls go 8-0-1 in Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) matches, the Endicott men's soccer team was tabbed as the No. 1 seed for the conference tournament and advances to the CCC Championship for the first time in program history.

No. 1 Endicott meets No. 3 Gordon in the CCC Men's Soccer Championship for the first time ever on Nov. 7, 2015 at 12:00 pm. at Hempstead Stadium. The two teams come into this game ranked as the No. 4 and No. 8 squads in the New England Region in the latest NSCAA poll released November 3. Gordon (No. 10) and Endicott (No. 11) were ranked in the latest NCAA Regional Ranking.

The 2015 CCC Men's Soccer Champion will earn the conference's automatic berth into the NCAA Division III Championship Tournament with pairings to be announced next week.

PREVIOUS MATCHUP: In the regular season meeting between the two teams on October 27 at Hempstead Stadium, Endicott sophomore forward Diego Maillo (Plantation, Fla.) sent a sizzling header into the back left of the goal in the 84th minute as the Gulls celebrated a 1-0 victory over the Gordon College Fighting Scots to claim the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) regular season title. It was just the second win over Gordon in program history, as Endicott is now 2-19-2 overall and 1-8-2 all-time at home against the Fighting Scots.

PLAYOFF HISTORY: Endicott and Gordon have squared off in the postseason four times, with Gordon winning all the meetings:

• 2-1 in Wenham, Mass. in 2000
• 1-0 (OT) in Wenham, Mass on Nov. 1, 2005
• 1-0 in Beverly, Mass. on Oct. 31, 2006
• 1-0, in Beverly, Mass. in the CCC Quarterfinals on Oct. 27, 2012

POSTSEASON HISTORY: The Endicott men's soccer team has qualified for the conference tournament in the past six consecutive years, and 15 of the 21 years since Endicott moved to NCAA Division III. The Gulls are in search of their first-ever CCC Title and first under 2015 CCC Coach of the Year head coach Joe Calabrese in his fifth year, whose program hoisted an ECAC Championship trophy last season.

ENDICOTT (15-1-3, 8-0-1 CCC) | STATISTICS | SCHEDULE: The Gulls are currently on a 16-match unbeaten streak as the 2015 squad has put up record numbers in wins (15), shutouts (13), game-winning goals (15), points per game (5.37), goals per game (1.95), save percentage (.900), goals against average (0.45) and tied for first in assists per game (1.47). The team ranks second all-time in points in a season (102), goals (37), assists (28) and assists per game (1.44).

On a national stage, Endicott is fifth in all of Division III men's soccer with 0.900 save percentage (second in the New England Region), sixth in shutout percentage (0.68) (third in the New England Region), and eighth with a 0.45 team goals against average, which ranks third in the New England Region. The team ranks third in the region in win-loss-tie percentage (.868), which is 13th in the nation for Division III.

ENDICOTT'S SEASON BY THE NUMBERS:

• 1| Major conference award winner (CCC Co-Defensive Player of the Year- Carter Ocko)

• 2| The Gulls have trailed just twice at the half all season, down 1-0 to Utica and 2-1 to Tufts on September 5 and September 8, respectively.

• 2-0-3| Record in Overtime: Four matches went to double-overtime and one match went to one extra period.

• 4|Gulls placed on the All-CCC First Team 

• 6|Total number of Gulls placed on the All-CCC teams 

• 8|Consecutive Shuouts:The team posted eight consecutive shutouts from September 12 versus UNE until a 2-1 double-overtime win over Curry on October 10.

• 9| Total number of goals allowed

• 13| Single-season shutouts (Men's soccer program record)

• 14|The Gulls have outscored opponents (14-4) in the first half

• 15| Single-Season Wins (Men's soccer program record)

• 16|Unbeaten Streak stretches to 16 straight matches as the Gulls have not lost since a 3-1 decision to Tufts University, the No. 1 team in the country at the time on September 8.

• 16| The Gulls have scored first in 16 of 19 matches.

• 21| The Gulls outscored opponents (21-5) in the second half.

• 37| Endicott has scored 37 goals this season and have allowed just nine.

• 822:19| Weinstein posted 822:19 minutes of scoreless soccer (the longest streak in the NCAA this season) in goal until sophomore midfielder Roy Butlin (Milton, Mass.) of Curry College broke the streak in the 87th minute on October 10.

Endicott is led up front by All-CCC First Team senior forward Abdulla Al Khalifa (Riffa, Bahrain), sophomore forward Diego Maillo (Plantation, Fla.), All-CCC Second Team senior forward Diego Slobotzky (Mexico City, Mexico), and All-CCC First Team senior midfielder Shintaroh Itoh (Nerima, Tokyo, Japan). Al Khalifa leads the team with nine goals, three assists, and 21 points. His nine goals are fourth-most in the CCC. Slobotzky is tied for second on the team with seven goals, four assists, and 18 points. Maillo is tied for second on the team with seven goals (four game-winners), three assists and has 17 points. Itoh paces the team with eight assists to go with five goals (18 points), including two huge golden goals in overtime this season and is second-best in the CCC in assists.

The Endicott back line is anchored by All-CCC First Team/CCC Co-Defensive Player of the Year in sophomore back Carter Ocko (Danvers, Mass.), junior back Ryan Cohane (Easton, Conn.), and freshman back Bobby Ivatts (Walpole, Mass.). All-CCC First Team junior goalkeeper Nick Weinstein (Trumbull, Conn.) is (15-1-2) in net and boasts a CCC-best .899 save percentage, goals against average (0.43) and fewest goals allowed (8) in 18 matches (18 starts). Weinstein's save percentage and goals against average ranked fourth and seventh in all of NCAA Division III, respectively. Weinstein's save percentage and goals against average is ranked second in the region, trailing only Thomas Bull of UMass Amherst.

GORDON (14-4, 7-2 CCC) | STATISTICS | SCHEDULE: All four of Gordon's losses this season have been decided by a one goal margin. The Fighting Scots have lost three1-0 decisions (two on the road) and a 2-1 home defeat to Western New England. Gordon rallied in the CCC Quarterfinals to down Roger Williams, 2-1, in double-overtime, then avenged a regular season loss to WNEU by sneaking past the No. 2 seeded Golden Bears, 3-0, on November 3 to advance to the championship match for the fourth time in program history. The Fighting Scots are in search of their first championship title.

Gordon lost 2-1 to Nichols in double overtime a season ago in the 2014 CCC Championship and is back hungry for another shot at hoisting the trophy.

The team is led by junior midfielder All-CCC First Team/ CCC Co-Offensive Player of the Year Caleb Cole (Coatesville, Pa.) with eight goals, five assists, and 21 points. Cole leads the conference with 92 shots, is fourth in goals (8), and tied for fourth in points (21) with Endicott's Al Khalifa. Cole ranks eighth and tenth in all of NCAA Division III men's soccer in shots per game (5.11) and shots on goal per game (2.67). Cole is first in the region in shots per game and second in shots on goal per game.

The back line is held down by All-CCC First Team/Co-Defensive Player of the Year in sophomore back Ben Gradert (Hudson, Ohio). All-CCC Second Team junior goalkeeper Josh Spoonhour (Greencastle, Pa.) has a 14-4-0 record on the season with five shutouts and 67 saves in 1610:47 minutes of action (18 matches). Spoonhour ranks second in conference in goals against average (0.67), third in the CCC in save percentage (.848), and tied for third in fewest goals allowed (12). A total of seven student-athletes were placed on the All-CCC teams for Gordon. 

For the latest on Endicott Athletics, follow the Gulls on social media on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.

2015 CCC MEN'S SOCCER CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE
All Start Times Subject to Change

Quarterfinals • Saturday, October 31
#1 Endicott 2, #8 Curry 0
#2 Western New England 2, #7 Nichols 0
#3 Gordon 2, #6 Roger Williams 1 (2 OT)
#4 Wentworth 4, #5 Salve Regina 1

Semifinals • Tuesday, November 3
#1 Endicott 2, #4 Wentworth 0
#3 Gordon 3, #2 Western New England 0

Championship Match • Saturday, November 7
#3 Gordon at #1 Endicott, 12:00 p.m.