Championship Preview: No. 1 Salve Regina hosts No. 2 Endicott

NOVEMBER 9 | 1 p.m. TOPPA FIELD • NEWPORT, R.I.
ENDICOTT GULLS (12-5-2, 5-1-2 CCC)	SALVE REGINA SEAHAWKS (13-4-3, 6-0-2 CCC)
SERIES Gulls lead, 11-6-5 LIVE STATS http://www.salveathletics.com/ LIVE VIDEO Click here DIRECTIONS Click here
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NEWPORT, R.I. - The Salve Regina University men's soccer team earns the No. 1 seed in the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) Championships and hosts No. 2 Endicott College in the title game.

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LAST TIME OUT
Salve Regina University men's soccer advances to the 2019 Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) Championship Game after its 2-1 win over visiting Nichols College today at Toppa Field. The Seahawks (13-4-3) scored in the ninth minute as sophomore Rich Ventura (Floral Park, N.Y.) converted a cross from senior Dana Sundell (Nantucket, Mass.).

MORE READING: Ventura comes up aces in Seahawk semifinal victory, 2-1

SEAHAWKS NOTES FROM THE NEST

• In the last two seasons, Salve Regina men's soccer has produced a CCC regular-season record of 12-0-4; no loss to a conference foe in the regular season since Oct. 24, 2017.
• Salve Regina clinched its second straight regular-season title; shared the 2018 regular-season crown with Endicott College.
• Salve Regina ended Endicott's four-year streak as regular-season champion, or top seed (2015-2018).
• Evan MacDonald (9g, 12a, 30p) and Alessandro Oggiano (10g, 3a, 23p) are the top two scorers for the Seahawks, and rank second and third in the league.
• Seth Wolins tops all CCC goalkeepers in goals against average (0.63) and fewest goals against (just eight), while ranking third in save percentage (.805).
• Rich Ventura scored his fifth goal of the season in the ninth minute, and assisted on Jacob Guerra's game-winner in the 87th minute as Salve Regina defeated Nichols, 2-1, in a Tuesday night semifinal.
• Seahawks are making their ninth appearance in the conference championship game, and sixth time hosting in Newport - home venues have included Reynolds Field (3), Fort Adams (2), and now Toppa Field (1).
• This is only the third time Salve Regina has been the top seed in the tournament (1997, 2004, and 2019).
• Salve Regina features the league's Defensive Player of the Year, Casey Kelly, who also serves as captain along with senior teammates Evan MacDonald and Noah Medeiros.
• Previous Seahawk championships - 1998, 2002, 2012 - with the latter two producing automatic bids to the NCAA Championships.
• In CCC postseason play between 2012 and 2014, Salve Regina had a five-game unbeaten streak (3-0-2) which included winning the championship in 2012 (def. Eastern Nazarene, Gordon, and Nichols in order), and then failing to advance on PKs in 2013 (against Roger Williams) and 2014 (at Endicott), the latter two years ending in scoreless draws.

GULLS GAMBITS

• The Gulls feature the league's Offensive Player of the Year, Evan Couchot, who also leads the conference in goals (22) and points (48).
• Endicott ended Wentworth's season on Tuesday night in Beverly, Mass., with a 3-1 decision.
• With his two goals Tuesday night, Couchot now holds the Gulls' record for most points in a season (48).
• Zach Regulbuto made three saves to move to 12-5-2 on the season.
• The league's Rookie of the Year, Regulbuto ranks first in save percentage (.828), second in goals against average (0.77), third in goals against (15), and fourth in saves (72).
• The Gulls are now 3-0-0 in playoff games against Wentworth.
• Endicott will make its third appearance in program history in the CCC championship game; the Gulls lost to the Scots in 2015 before flipping the outcome against Gordon in 2017.
• As the top seed in 2017, Endicott used four overtimes across three games to capture its first Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) championship in men's soccer - 1-0 against University of New England [2OT], 2-1 against Wentworth [OT], and 1-0 against Gordon [OT].
• Couchot had the game-winner against the Leopards in the 2017 semifinal.

INSIDE THE SERIES
Salve Regina University and Endicott College meet for the 23rd time overall and only the second time in postseason. Salve Regina has been a charter member since 1984, and Endicott joined the league in 1999. The Gulls lead the all-time series, 11-6-5, but the only postseason meeting ended in a scoreless draw in the quarterfinals on November 1, 2014. The Seahawks last won in the series on October 12, 2013 (1-0) on Reynolds Field. Four of the last six meetings have ended in deadlocks after 110 minutes (two overtimes); three of those have been scoreless draws, including the 2014 quarterfinal postseason meeting with the Gulls advancing 6-5 on PKs. Most lopsided outcome in series - Salve Regina won, 5-1, in Newport on October 6, 2009.

WHAT'S NEXT?
Winner earns the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) automatic bid to the NCAA Championships. The NCAA Division III Men's Soccer Selection Show will air Monday, November 11, at 1:30 p.m. on NCAA.com