NCAA SEMIFINAL INFORMATION
Millersville Marauders (14-6-2) vs. Fort Lewis Skyhawks (22-1)
Thursday, Dec. 1, 2011 – 9 p.m. EST / 8 p.m. CT
Ashton Brosnaham Park, Pensacola, Fla.
 
SERIES INFORMATION
First Meeting
 
MEDIA INFORMATION
Live Stats
NCAA Broadcast

Complete Game Notes
Division II Men's Soccer Championship Central
 
TICKET INFORMATION
All tickets are available in single-day format only.
- Adults: $10
- Students/Seniors/Military: $5 (with appropriate I.D.)
- Youth in Uniform/Group: $4 (groups of 8 or more, youth in uniform)
 
SKYHAWKS' ROAD TO SEMIFINALS
No. 3 Fort Lewis (22-1) captured its 14th Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) regular season title in 19 years finishing the regular season with an overall record of 17-1, 13-1 in conference play. The Skyhawks then went on to capture their 12th RMAC Tournament Championship with a 2-1 win over No. 21 Metro State—avenging its only loss of the season.
 
The Skyhawks earned its 11th NCAA Tournament bid and captured the top spot in the Central Region. Fort Lewis was victories twice, winning the national championship in 2005 and 2009, while finishing runners-up in 1999 and 2006. One year removed, winning the title in their last NCAA appearance, the Skyhawks were set to face Metro State for the third time this season—eerie similar to Millersville vs. California (Pa.).
 
Fort Lewis defeated the No. 19 Roadrunners for the second time in 10 days by a score of 3-0 to advance to the Central Region Championship game. The Skyhawks went on to defeat No. 9 Incarnate Wood (Texas) by a score of 1-0 to win their fifth Central Region Championship in five chances.
 
For the fifth time in five tries, the Skyhawks advanced to the NCAA Semifinals after winning the NCAA Quarterfinal on home turf. Fort Lewis shut down No. 17 California State-Los Angeles by a score of 2-0 to advance to its fifth 'final four' appearance. The Skyhawks have successfully made the national final in each of its four semifinal appearances. Current head coach Olige Kennedy is 8-0 in NCAA Division II Tournament matches.
 
MARAUDERS' ROAD TO SEMIFINALS
No. 21 Millerville (14-6-2) tied for the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) regular season title with 21 points with Lock Haven. It was the Marauders first PSAC regular season title since the conference moved to one division. Millersville previously captured four PSAC East regular season titles when the conference was split in two divisions. In their 10th PSAC Tournament appearance and sixth PSAC Championship game appearance, the Marauders won their first PSAC Championship in program history after beating No. 8 California (Pa.) in the semifinals by a score of 4-0 and then Bloomsburg in the finals, 1-0.
 
Millersville earned its third NCAA Tournament bid in program history, all coming in the last four seasons under head coach Steve Widdowson. For the second time the Marauders earned the right to host the Atlantic Region like they did in 2008 where it advanced to the NCAA Quarterfinals.
 
The Marauders hosted four PSAC teams, which it had already beaten on home turf earlier in the season, in the Atlantic Regional. Millersville escaped a usual NCAA Tournament team in Mercyhurst with a 1-0 win despite being outshot 24-11 to set up its third matchup with No. 24 California (Pa.) this season.
 
For the third time, second time in 12 days and on home turf, the Marauders shut out the Vulcans to earn its second Atlantic Region Championship in four seasons. Millersville held on for its third-straight 1-0 victory to host No. 6 Rockhurst in the NCAA Quarterfinals.
 
Millersville and Rockhurst showed why they combined for 28 shutouts this season—Rockhurst: 16, Millersville: 12. The teams battled through 110 minutes of scoreless soccer thanks to excellent defense and goalkeeper play to for penalty kicks. For coach Widdowson and the Millersville senior class it resembled the 2008 NCAA Quarterfinal match against reigning national champion Northern Kentucky. The Marauders fell to the Snorges 5-4 in penalty kicks that year.
 
The Marauders and Hawks were tied 4-4 through five rounds of kicks after a save and kick wide forced sudden death penalty kicks. In the eighth round, Millersville's redshirt freshman goalkeeper Brad Benzing made a diving save to advance the Marauders to their first-ever NCAA Semifinal with a 7-6 decision in penalty kicks over Rockhurst. Benzing has recorded six-straight shutouts dating back to Millersville's final regular season game against West Chester—five-straight in the post season.
 
The Millersville senior class consisting of Pat Baffuto, John Claffey, Ethan Daubert, Eric Pepper and Aaron Roland became the winningest class in program history with a current overall record of 61-17-7 dating back to 2008. Widdowson is 72-25-8 since taking over as head coach in 2007, and is the winningest coach in program history, by percentage, that have coached at least 100 games.
 
WINNINGEST CLASS
The 2011 Millersville senior class became the winningest class in program history on Nov. 5 with 58 wins when it captured the programs first PSAC Tournament Championship over Bloomsburgs. Those seniors currently hold a record of 61-17-7 coming into the NCAA Semifinals.
 
DURABLE DEFENDER
Senior defensemen John Claffey will be making his 83rd-straight starter on Dec. 1 against Fort Lewis. Claffey has starting every game for Millersville since stepping on campus in 2008. He broke the Millersville consecutive start record of 79 set by current assistant coach Matt Langione.
 
GOLDEN GOALKEEPING
Redshirt freshman Brad Benzing has record 11 of the teams 12 shutouts this season to tie the Millersville single-season record set by current assistant coach Matt Langione, who is one-year removed from playing. Benzing has recorded six-straight shutouts dating back to the final regular season game against West Chester- -five-straight shutouts in the postseason. Benzing is 14-6-2 in his first season.
 
ALL-CONFERENCE
The Marauders had five players honored to the ALL-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC), three of the five were placed on the All-PSAC First Team- -the most single-season honorees in school history. Those who were honored: John Claffey (1st), Eric Pepper (1st), Andrew Dukes (1st), Aaron Roland (2nd) and Pat Baffuto (2nd). Claffey and Dukes made their second appearance on the All-PSAC teams. Dukes was also the 2010 PSAC Freshman of the Year.
 
ALL-REGION
Claffey and Pepper made a second appearance on a first team. The two were selected to the Daktronics All-Atlantic Region First Team for the first times of their careers. Dukes and Baffuto earned spots on the Daktronics All-Atlantic Region Second Teams.
 
ASSISTING SUCCESS
Seniors Eric Pepper and Aaron Roland are tied for a team-leading seven assists this season. That ties them for ninth all-time in school history. Pepper is currently ranked seventh all-time in school history with 15 career assists.
 
VERSUS RANKED OPPONENTS
Ranked No. 3 in the nation, Fort Lewis is Millersville third consecutive nationally-ranked opponent and fourth in the last six games. Millersville has played six games against top 25 teams this season and is 3-1-1. The lone loss came to C.W. Post (2-1) on Oct. 5. Millersville has outscored those teams 9-3 and had recorded a shutout in each of the last four games. Matt Kadoch has four of the team's goals, and Aaron Roland has three goals and three assists. Brad Benzing has recorded 36 saves and a .923 saves percentage in those games.
 
STAT LEADERS
Fort Lewis
#10 Thomas Hoang, Sr., Forward, 31 points (9 goals, 13 assists)
#11 Joey Madigan, Sr., Midfield, 20 points (7 goals, 6 assists)
#14 Jordan Alexander, So., Forward, 18 points (8 goals, 2 assists)
#7 Kosta Kordistos, Fr., Forward, 14 points (7 goals, 0 assists)
#4 Fabian King, Sr., Defense, 14 points (6 goals, 2 assists)
#6 Alberto Capdepon Rodriguez, Fr., Midfield, 14 points (3 goals, 8 assists)
#1 Ryan Wirth, Sr. Goalkeeper, 22-1-0, 14 shutouts, 72 saves
 
Millersville
#9 Aaron Roland, Sr., Forward, 17 points (5 goals, 7 assists)
#20 Andrew Dukes, So. Forward, 16 points (7 goals, 2 assists)
#8 Matt Kadoch, Jr., Forward, 14 points (5 goals, 4 assists)
#19 Eric Pepper, Sr., Midfield, 13 points (3 goals, 7 assists)
#23 Pat Baffuto, Sr., Midfield, 12 points (6 goals, 0 assists)
#27 Ryan Rohrer, So. Forward, 7 points (2 goals, 3 assists)
#1 Brad Benzing, RFr., Goalkeeper, 14-6-2, 11 shutouts, 92 saves
 
PROBABLE STARTERS
Fort Lewis
GK - #1 Ryan Wirth, Sr.
D - #3 Berekk Blackwell, Sr.
D - #4 Fabian Kling, Sr.
D - #5 Johannes Sander, RFr.
M - #6 Alberto Capdepon Rodriguez, Fr.
F - #7 Kosta Kordistos, Fr.
M - #8 Casey Dean, So.
D - #9 Artur Piperkov, Fr.
F - #10 Thomas Hoang, Sr.
M - #11 Joey Madigan, Sr.
M - #12 Cory Dean, Sr.
 
Millersville
GK - #1 Brad Benzing, RFr.
D - #5 Austin Hoke, Fr.
F - #9 Aaron Roland, Sr.
M/D - #11 Colby Zeger, So.
M - #12 Ethan Daubert, Sr.
M- #19 Eric Pepper, Sr.
F - #20 Andrew Dukes, So.
M - #23 Pat Baffuto, Sr.
D - #25 Jordan Brubaker, Fr.
F - #27 Ryan Rohrer, So.
D - #28 John Claffey, Sr.