Men's Soccer | 11/19/2015 10:00:00 AM

HANOVER, NH – The Hartwick Hawks (11-5-3) are set to kick off their 25^th national tournament appearance as program later tonight at Dartmouth College's Burnham Field. 'Wick and the Big Green will get it started at 5 p.m. tonight.
           
Hartwick earned a place in the national showpiece after capturing its second straight Sun Belt Tournament title this past weekend.
           
"We're delighted to have made it again based on the roster we returned from last year," head coach John Scott stated. "I think we're ready for it and we're full of anticipation. Knowing that we'll have a strong Hartwick traveling support at the game will give us something else to play for."
           
Two Hartwick fan buses are expected to make the trek to Hanover for the match, which is expected to be a wet and rain-filled contest.
           
'Wick is now tied with Duke University for 13^th in NCAA history in tournament appearances. The Hawks will be looking for the program's first NCAA win since a 3-2 victory over St. John's in 1995. Hartwick enters Thursday with 36 NCAA wins, which is tied for 8^th all-time. The Hawks will eye their first NCAA First Round road win since 1980.
           
Sun Belt Offensive Student-Athlete of the Year Jamie O'Grady (Falkirk, Scotland/Falkirk) and Defensive Student-Athlete of the Year Kit Tregear (Brighton, England/BHASVIC) have been key cogs for the Hawks all season. O'Grady has scored 11 goals and dished out three assists for 25 points. He ranks in the national top 25 in goals per game (20th), points per game (23rd), and total goals (20th). He has scored in each of the last two games. Tregear has led a Hartwick defense to a goals against average of just 0.95 with eight clean sheets. Hartwick has not allowed a goal in its last 315:47 of action.
           
Conference Freshman of the Year and All-Tournament pick Lenny Wilson (Aberdeen, Scotland/Cults Academy) has played in every minute in goal (1,802) for the Hawks this season with eight shutouts, 71 saves, and a save percentage of .789.
           
Contributing offensively are Second Team All-Conference and All-Tournament pick Mike Rood (Conklin, NY/Susquehanna Valley), who has four goals and four assists with three game-winning tallies. Second Team All-Sun Belt forward Wyatt Scott (Cicero, NY/Cicero-North Syracuse) and Marc Berry (Galashiels, Scotland/Galashiels Academy) each have three goals and three assists on the season.
           
Second Team All-Conference and All-Tournament selection Dean Fowler (Sydney, Australia/Colo) and Second Teamer Jack Donaldson (Paisley, Scotland/Mars Hill University) have combined or four goals and five assists. Sun Belt First Team defender and captain Jack Miller (Commack, NY/Commack) paces the Hawks in assists with four.
           
Dartmouth (11-5-1) sits just out of the NSCAA National Top 25 in the "receiving votes" category. The Big Green is ranked third in the East Regional Poll. They won the Ivy League Championship on November 7 before falling in their final conference match against Brown 1-0.
           
Dartmouth boasts a stingy defense that has allowed just 11 goals and recorded 10 shutouts this season. The Big Green ranks 3rd nationally in save percentage (.859), 5th in shutout percentage (.590), and 8th in goals against average (0.63).
           
Keeper Stefan Cleveland is 2nd in the country in save percentage and 7th in goals against average. Twelve different players have scored goals, led by Eduvie Ikoba and Amadu Kunateh's four goals apiece. All four of Kunateh's tallies have been game-winners. Matt Danilack has contributed three goals this season.  
           
"They don't concede many goals and they haven't surrendered a single goal during the first half of any game this season," added Scott. "As a team they're ranked 24^th in RPI, which speaks for the quality that they have. From back to front, they have a goalkeeper and back four that don't concede. Through midfield, they have efficiency and creativity centrally, as well as blistering pace on the right side. Up top, Ikoba is a 6'4" physical presence who provides a basis for the team to get forward."    
           
The winner of the tonight's match advances to the Second Round against national sixth seed Syracuse University on Sunday, November 22.
           
Hartwick is making its second consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance after a 2-1 loss at Penn State in 2014.
           
"Having made it again this year we do have invaluable experience to draw from," Scott said.  "Saying that, so do Dartmouth as they made it to the second round last year. We'd love to give all our supporters another win this season and to go one better than we did last year at this stage of the season."   
           
Tickets are $8 for adults and $5 for students. A free live video stream of tonight's match can be found by visiting: http://www.ivyleaguedigitalnetwork.com/dartmouth/schedule?tid=5.