Box Score

Millersville, Pa. - In the first-ever NCAA Tournament game in school history, senior Sean McLaughlin and the Millersville University men's soccer team avenged a gut-wrenching loss to California (Pa.) in the PSAC Championship by defeating the Vulcans 3-0 in front of a crowd of nearly 700 at Chryst Field at Biemesderfer Stadium Friday night.

The Marauders scored back-to-back goals midway through the first half and never looked back en route to punching their ticket to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.  The Marauders will face Slippery Rock on Sunday at 2 p.m. for the right to advance to the national quarterfinals.  Slippery Rock defeated Millersville by a score of 2-1 back on September 27 in the two teams' only meeting this season.  Slippery Rock defeated East Stroudsburg in the first game of the regional 1-0 in overtime.

Millersville grabbed the lead just over 30 minutes into the first half when Anthony Pagnotti collected a rebound off of Vulcan goalkeeper Derek Yobbi and sent a shot from three yards out into the back of the net for a 1-0 lead on the freshman's first career goal.  McLaughlin, the PSAC Eastern Division Player of the Year and Atlantic Region First Team Selection, was credited with the assist. 

The Marauders wasted  no time adding to their lead as McLaughlin again found an unlikely offensive source in Aaron Roland in a 2-on-1 breakaway for a 2-0 Marauder lead.  McLaughlin stole the ball off the foot of a Vulcan defender and started the man advantage at  nearly midfield before delivering the ball to Roland.  Roland fired the shot from eight yards out for his first goal of the season.  McLaughlin's two assists give him four in three postseason games. 

Millersville carried the 2-0 lead into halftime and put the game out of reach early in the second half when a Cal defender inadvertently passed the ball to Millersville forward Kyle Loughlin who sent the ball into a wide open net for the final score of the match.  Loughlin's goal was his second of the postseason.  He now has two goals and three assists for a team-high seven points.

Millersville extends their school record for wins in a season to 17 and will host Slippery Rock on Sunday at 2 p.m. in the regional championship. For more information on the Atlantic Regional and the NCAA Tournament please click here.