2019 Empire 8 Men's Soccer Championship
#3 Alfred University (8-11) vs #1 Nazareth Golden Flyers (13-2-3)
Saturday, Nov. 9, 2019; 12 p.m.
(Golden Flyer Stadium, Rochester, N.Y.)
Live Video    Live Stats

Admission
$6.00 - Adults
$4.00 - Students and seniors with ID
Free - Children under 12

ALFRED, N.Y. – There's just one more hill to climb for the Alfred University men's soccer team as the third-seeded Saxons storm into Rochester to take on top-seeded Nazareth in the Empire 8 Championship game Saturday at noon.
 
The Saxons look to hoist their third Empire 8 title in program history, joining the 2001 and 2003 squads. Nazareth is looking for its fourth title in school history and first in 13 years. Saturday's victor will receive the league's automatic berth into the 2019 NCAA Division III Men's Soccer Championship, which begins next weekend, Nov. 16-17.
 
Alfred (8-11) and Nazareth (13-2-3) come into Saturday's matchup as two of the hotter teams in the league. The Saxons have won their last five contests against Empire 8 opponents and are 6-3 overall since the beginning of October. Nazareth went a perfect 5-0-1 in Empire 8 contests this season and come into Saturday's contest riding a 12-game unbeaten streak.
 
AU fought the cold and the windy conditions in the Empire 8 Semifinal matchup at Sage Wednesday night. A header by first-year Winston Thomas (Rochester, N.Y./University Prep) off a Zachary Gloskin (New City, N.Y./Clarkstown South) corner attempt in the 94^th minute sent the Saxons home happy in a 1-0 overtime triumph. The win is Alfred's first in Empire 8 Tournament history (1-2-4 overall), as the Saxons advanced in their previous championship runs via penalty kicks. Alfred is third in the league in scoring, averaging 1.67 goals per game, and second with 251 shots taken this season.
 
Individually, first-year Justin Eaton (Williamson, N.Y./Williamson) leads the league in points (27), goals (13), and shots on goal taken per game (2.20). Nationally, Eaton is third amongst all Division III rookies in goals scored. Gloskin, a sophomore, is the league leader in assists with eight. The dynamic pair is buoyed by potent scorers in senior Evan Merkey (Webster, N.Y./Webster Schroeder) and rookie Saif Alseyofi (Jeddah, Saudi Arabia/AQS), each adding four goals to the mix. In goal, Jon Nadolne (Port Washington, N.Y./Schreiber) has settled in nicely since returning to the lineup from injury. The rookie goalkeeper has allowed just two goals in the last four conference contests, which includes a pair of clean sheets in critical contests against St. John Fisher and Sage over the past week. The two shutouts extend Nadolne's shutout streak to 223:52, a credit to the goal stopping ability of Nadolne and the Saxon defensive line, consisting of starters Merkey, sophomore Mason Sanborn (Wappingers Falls, N.Y./Roy C. Ketcham), junior Seamus Doyle (Sea Cliff, N.Y./North Shore), and senior Raquan Hinds (Rochester, N.Y./Wilson Magnet).
 
Nazareth enters the championship game after a 2-0 victory over fourth-seeded Elmira Wednesday afternoon, extending its unbeaten streak to 12 games. Jake Adams leads Nazareth in scoring with 11 goals and 25 points, while Sam Smyth is right behind with 19 points on six goals and is second with seven assists. Adams leads the league with five game-winning goals. In goal, Brian Wilkin leads the conference with 13 wins, a 0.66 goals-against-average, and an .841 save percentage. He also has six shutouts.
 
The Golden Flyers hold a 19-12-4 record all-time against the Saxons. Alfred will look to avenge a 4-1 loss at Nazareth back on Sept. 21. In that contest, Nazareth jumped out to a 3-0 halftime lead, before Gloskin answered with a penalty kick goal in the 58^th minute. Nazareth's Dan Serpe closed the scoring with his second goal of the game, coming in the 67^th minute. Alfred and Nazareth will meet for the third time in postseason history and the second time in a championship setting. The teams met last season in the semifinal, a 1-0 Nazareth victory. Both teams also met in the 2003 championship game, with the teams ending overtime in a 1-1 tie. The Saxons prevailed in the penalty kick session, 4-1 to lift their last crown.