FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

November 13, 2005

2005 ECAC New England Div. III Men’s Soccer Tournament
Championship Game Score Report:

Providence, RI

1

2

Final

^#2 Rhode Island College (12-5-5)

0

2

2

^#1 Clark (15-4-2)

0

0

0

ANCHORMEN CAPTURE FIRST-EVER ECAC TITLE
Senior Midfielder Matt Borges Named Tournament MVP

Providence, RI—Second-seeded Rhode Island College defeated top-seeded Clark University, 2-0, in the Championship Game of the 2005 Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) New England Div. III Men’s Soccer Tournament. It is the first ECAC Tournament Championship in the program’s history.

After playing a scoreless first half, RIC senior midfielder Matt Borges (New Bedford, MA) scored 1:51 into the second frame on an unassisted, bullet shot from 15 yards out in the 47^th minute. The two teams battled back and forth in a very physical contest that included 27 fouls (16 for Clark, 11 for RIC) and five yellow cards (four for RIC, one for Clark).

Borges added an insurance goal for the Anchormen in the 70^th minute, scoring off of a junior midfielder Nic Rossi (North Kingstown, RI) pass. The Cougars edged in RIC in shots, 13-11, but Anchorman sophomore goalkeeper Sean Gonsalves (Somerset, MA) stopped all nine shots he faced to improve his record to 6-0-4 and earn his seventh shutout of the season. Gonsalves had missed the first round and semi-final games of the tourney while recovering from a leg injury he suffered against Western Connecticut in the Championship Game of the Little East Conference Men’s Soccer Tournament on Nov. 5.

Clark junior goalkeeper Matt Talbot (Harvard, MA) made five saves in a losing effort and sees his record falls to 15-4-2.

Borges was named the Most Valuable Player of the 2005 ECAC New England Div. III Men’s Soccer Tournament. In addition to his two goals in the Championship Game, Borges had an assist in the semi-final, 3-1, win over third-seeded Plymouth State on Nov. 12 and a goal in the, 4-1, first round win over seventh seeded Castleton State on Nov. 9. He had three goals and one assist for seven points in three games during the tournament.

RIC closes out the 2005 season with a 12-5-5 overall record. It is the most wins in a season since the 1973 squad went 13-3. The Anchormen earned their 11^th shutout in the win. RIC held its opponents scoreless in 11 of its 22 games this fall. Clark ends its season with a 15-4-2 record.

(left to right): Senior Chris Childs, Head Coach John Mello, Senior Matt Borges,
Senior Kyle Teixeira and Senior Chris Cunha with the ECAC N.E. Div. III
Men's Soccer Championship Trophy.