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The SUNY Oneonta men's soccer team will open play this weekend in the 2012 NCAA Division III tournament.  Their first round opponent is MIT, who won the NEWMAC conference for the first time this past weekend.  The two will square off in the second of two games on Saturday at Red Dragon Soccer Field beginning at 1:30pm.

The first game of the day will feature Montclair State versus Salve Regina University at 11am.  Montclair received one of the 21 at-large berths while Salve Regina was an automatic qualifier after winning the Commonwealth Coast Conference.

This weekend's pod of four includes half of last year's final four teams that played in San Antonio.  Calvin upended Oneonta while Montclair State lost to eventual national champion Ohio Wesleyan in the semifinals of the tournament.

The only school that Oneonta has faced in this weekend's pod is Montclair State.  In 2010, the two teams played to a 0-0 draw at the Oneonta Mayor's Cup Tournament.

The Red Dragons received an automatic berth for this year's NCAA Division III tournament after winning its second consecutive SUNYAC championship and its seventh conference title overall this past weekend.  Oneonta will be making its second straight NCAA appearance since rejoining the ranks of Division III in 2006 and becoming eligible for the NCAA tournament in 2008.

Oneonta had to win its conference title at Plattsburgh after Super storm Sandy caused semifinal matches to be moved to the site of the top seed.  In the semifinals, Oneonta defeated New Paltz 2-1 to set up a match between the conference's top two teams.  In the championship game, the Red Dragons made the most of two late game opportunities en route to a 2-1 victory and the SUNYAC title.

“It is very difficult to repeat as conference champions,” said head coach Iain Byrne, who is in his 10th season with Oneonta.  “Everyone is gunning for the reigning champion and to repeat with only 12 returning players is a testament to the recruiting efforts of our assistant coaches Geoff Moore and John Cook.  To go on the road and win the semi and the final with only four starters from last year's team shows the depth in our program and augers well for the future.”

This is Oneonta's fifth NCAA tournament appearance overall.  Prior to 2006, Oneonta competed in Division I 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 against Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville.

“Getting back into the NCAA Tournament is such a difficult task because we have such a strong conference and region,” stated Byrne.  “It seems like only yesterday that we were boarding a plane for San Antonio.  Those memories have been such a motivating factor in getting us back to this year's tournament.”

Oneonta will enter the opening rounds of the tournament 13-5-1 overall and riding a modest 4-game win streak.  The Red Dragons have won six of its last seven contests, out scoring their opponents 19-4 in those games.  Overall, Oneonta has scored 42 goals while holding its opponents to 19.  The Red Dragons have recorded eight shutouts this fall for a shutout percentage of 42 percent.  Oneonta also has a huge advantage in shots 292-185.

“In team sports, it's all about team chemistry,” said senior Ian Tenzer (Mahopac/Mahopac).  “You need to transform your team into a family.  A family in which every last player will do anything to ensure success.”

Individually, the Red Dragons have three players who have registered double-digits in points led by junior Luke Halberg (Norwich/Valley Heights Christian Academy).  Halberg, who was selected to the All-Conference Team, has recorded eight goals and one assist for 17 points including one game-winning goal.  Halberg scored the opening goal for Oneonta in the SUNYAC championship game.

Freshman Colin Volpe (Commack/St. Anthony's) is next with 13 points on four goals and a team leading five assists.  Senior Eric Fortier (Pleasant Valley/Arlington) has 12 points this season on five goals and two assists.

Volpe along with classmate Jake Sutherland (Syracuse/West Genesee), sophomore Mitchell Cain (Marcy/Whitesboro) and senior Dan Scott (Hyde Park/FD Roosevelt) were named to the SUNYAC All-Tournament Team.  Scott, who was selected as the SUNYAC Player of the Year, was named the Most Valuable Player of the tournament.

In the goal, it has been sophomore Daniel DeBottis (Cicero/C-NS) who has logged the most minutes this fall.  DeBottis is 7-4-1 with a 1.03 goals against in 1,050 minutes.  DeBottis has recorded three individual shutouts.

Freshman Colan Balkwell (Schaghticoke/Hoosic Valley) has played 557 minutes in his rookie season and has put together a 6-0 record with a team best 0.81 goals against.  He has recorded two individual shutouts this fall.

Byrne concluded, “We know that the NCAA tournament is a collection of the best teams in the country so there are no easy matches.  The guys are excited to be hosting the first two rounds for the second year in a row.  Our goal is to play to the best of our ability and hopefully entertain the crowds with some attacking soccer.”

The winner of this weekend's opening round will advance to the sectionals rounds next weekend where the tournament will be narrowed down to the final four teams.  The national championship weekend is scheduled for Friday & Saturday, Nov. 30-Dec. 1 in San Antonio's Blossom Stadium.