• Date/Time: Thursday, April 29, 6:00 p.m.
• Site: Winston-Salem, N.C. (Spry Stadium)
• Series History: Jacksonville leads, 1-0-0
• TV: ESPN3
• Talent: Ty Collins (pxp)

• AU and Jacksonville have only met one other time in history. The Dolphins came out on top in the 1989 season, 3-2.
• This is the ninth NCAA tournament appearance for American. The Eagles have won at least one game in seven straight appearances, including runs to the 1985 final and 1997 Elite 8. This marks the first NCAA tournament appearance since 2004 for AU.
• American is familiar with Spry Stadium in Winston-Salem, N.C., as they won their first two games of the 2001 NCAA Tournament at this facility.

• AU hasn't lost since their second game of the season, a 2-1 loss at Bucknell. The Eagles are riding a five-game unbeaten streak, their longest streak since ending the 2016 season on a six-game run. The Eagles also had a 10-game unbeaten streak down the stretch of the 2015 season.
• After winning their first Patriot League title since 2004, American found themselves receiving votes in the latest edition of the United Soccer Coaches Poll. It's the first time AU has been mentioned in those rankings since Nov. 8, 2016 when they were also receiving votes. In the Atlantic Region, American is slotted at No. 3. The Eagles are also currently ranked No. 1 in the NCAA's RPI metric. 
• Two Eagles were recognized as All-Conference when the league announced the awards. David Coly and Nicolas Blassou, both first-year transfers, were named Second Team All-Patriot League. Coly has five goals this season, including tallies in four straight games. No Eagle has accomplished that feat since at least 2001. Blassou has led the defense from his center back position, holding opponents to a .316 shots on goal percentage (31-of-98).
• Defensively, American rides a two-goalkeeper rotation. Senior Jake Agnew starts the first half, while freshman Lorenzo Gordon finishes the game. The Eagles hold a 1.05 goals against average (GAA), good for third in the Patriot League. "We have a really tight goalkeeping unit and we just try to push each other every day to get better," said Agnew. "We support each other and whoever's in, we just give them our full support." 

• The Dolphins may have the most unique way of earning a bid into the NCAA tournament. Trailing 2-0 at halftime against FGCU in the ASUN championship on April 27, a weather delay and postponement forced the game to be restarted from the beginning the following day at a different facility. Jacksonville won that game, 2-0, and earned the auto-bid.
• In the end, the Dolphins came away with their second ASUN Men's Soccer Championship, first since 2008 and first in the tenure of head coach Mauricio Ruiz. It's also the first conference tournament championship by a men's program at JU since 2009.
• Jacksonville's 2008 appearance in the NCAA Tournament saw the team upset Louisville, 4-3, in overtime before falling to No. 13 North Carolina, 1-0, in the second round.
• After starting the season 1-2-1, the Dolphins finished strong, winning their last five games, including three straight to win the conference tournament.
• Olivier Correa and Reed Davis lead Jacksonville with five goals each, while Cao Chaves leads the way with six assists. Davis pushes the pace to the tune of 21 shots on goal, by far the most of any JU player. In goal, Matt Levy holds a 0.90 GAA and has 36 saves in 10 games. 

• American men's soccer won their first Patriot League title since 2004, and third overall, with a 2-1 double-overtime win over previously undefeated and No. 24 Lafayette on April 17.
• The Eagles also topped Loyola on April 14 in the semifinals after squandering a 2-0 lead and needing a go-ahead goal in the 82nd minute from David Coly to clinch a spot in the final.
• The two road wins for AU during the PL Tournament were the first two true road wins for the Eagles in the tournament since joining the league in 2001.
• But AU's season almost ended the last week of the regular season, as Navy scored a go-ahead goal at Reeves Field in the 74th minute. A wave of subs brought fresh legs to the American offense, resulting in an 85th-minute equalizer to force a draw and a spot in the PL Tournament as the No. 2 seed in the South division.

• Under the leadership of second-year head coach Zach Samol, American was able to break through some previous bad luck in the Patriot League Tournament.
• Since winning the 2004 conference title, AU had failed to advance in the PL championship game seven straight times, including four straight from 2009-12.
• Looking at the NCAA Tournament, AU has won at least one game in seven straight appearances.
• In 1997, American earned a No. 7 seed and advanced all the way to the quarterfinals before dropping a double-overtime game to Virginia, 2-1.
• The legendary 1985 squad made it all the way to the national finals before falling to UCLA in eight overtimes, 1-0. That is the longest game in NCAA history and played a part in changing the overtime rules to the current shootout format.
• Fun fact: The Eagles played the first two rounds of the 2001 NCAAs at Spry Stadium (the same facility their first two games of this tournament would be), topping Ohio State, 2-1, in the first round before upsetting host Wake Forest, 3-0, in the second round.

• Although American hasn't qualified for the NCAA Tournament since 2004, two current Eagles have played in the championships for other programs.
• David Coly saw action in two games during the 2016 NCAAs while at Washington.
• Nicolas Blassou saw action in two games during the 2019 NCAAs while at Kentucky.
• This big-game experience has brought a level of maturity and sense of calm for a team that otherwise doesn't have much experience in those types of postseason games.

• Volunteer assistant coach Patrick Mehlert returned to AU to join Coach Samol's staff when he arrived before the 2019 campaign.
• The 2014 graduate saw action in 72 games as an Eagle from 2010-13, serving as co-captain as a senior.
• The last name might be familiar: Patrick's father, Pete Mehlert, is AU's all-time winningest head coach, serving in the role from 1972-91.
• A Cassell Hall of Famer, Mehlert led the Eagles to four NCAA Tournament appearances, including a run to the 1985 title game.

• With its remarkable location in Washington, D.C., American has long attracted students from all around the globe. The men's soccer program is no different.
• AU boasts a roster featuring eight international players from six different countries.
• England leads the way with three players calling it home (Dimitrijevic, McConnell, McGovern).
• Other countries represented on the AU roster include Bulgaria (Poelzlbauer), Cameroon (Zouantcha), Turkey (Bouregy), Senegal (Coly), and Sweden (Sjoberg). Additionally, Al-Ameen Salako was born in Nigeria, but calls Wilmette, Ill., home. 

• As global of a footprint that AU Men's Soccer has produced, local roots to soccer clubs in the DMV region also run deep.
• Six players from the Bethesda-Rockville area have made the short trek up the road to be an Eagle. Nicolas Blassou and Ben Severe both transferred to AU to be closer to home after beginning their careers at Kentucky and Villanova, respectively.
• Jerry Zouantcha claims Cameroon as home, but played on the same club team as Blassou and played a role in recruiting him to AU.
• Will Manogue, Kevin Ventura, and Tomas Martini join those two as Maryland natives on the roster. 
• Lorenzo Gordon is also not very far from his hometown of Fairfax, Va. Gordon is the only Virginia native on the squad this season. 

• With the win over Loyola last month, American men's soccer reached 500 wins in program history.
• The program was established in 1949 and is competing in its 72nd season.
• The Patriot League boasts a rich men's soccer tradition, as eight other programs have also reached 500 wins.
• Of programs established after the 1930s, AU is one of three to reach the milestone (Boston U. - 1949, 560 wins, Loyola - 1940, 734 wins).

• It is not traditional for teams to play two goalies this late in a season. But if it isn't broken, don't fix it.
• Jake Agnew, a senior who transferred to AU from Appalachian State to join his keeper coach Dan Louisignau, has been outstanding as the starter.
• In his last three games, he has picked up multiple diving saves and kept both Navy and Loyola scoreless while in the game.
• Lorenzo Gordon held Lafayette scoreless in the second half and overtime and has been solid all year.
• Just a freshman, Gordon comes from tremendous pedigree, having played on the DC United U-19 Academy Team since 2016 and serving as the captain.
• He was also rostered with Loudoun United FC for the 2020 USL Championship season.

TICKET INFORMATION FOR THE NCAA TOURNAMENT

• A limited amount of tickets for AU's NCAA Men's Soccer First Round Game vs. Jacksonville hosted at Wake Forest University's Spry Stadium (as well as a potential Second Round Game for Sunday 5/2) are on sale now via the Wake Forest Athletics Ticket website by clicking here, or by calling the Wake Forest Ticket Office at 336.758.3322 ext 1. 
• Tickets will be sold on a first-come, first-serve basis and fans planning to attend the game are encouraged to purchase in advance.
• Tickets are $20 in the stands and $15 for the hill (a ticket is required to sit on Walt Chyzowych Alumni Hill). All games will be ticketed; attendees must follow physical distancing guidelines and approved face masks are mandatory throughout Spry Stadium unless actively eating or drinking while in your seat.
• Children 3 and under do not need a ticket to enter if sitting on a lap; if their own seat is needed a ticket should be purchased.
• Fans should plan to park in the parking lot at the corner of Polo Road and Long Road, and enter via the back stadium entrance closest to Polo Road.

• Support AU Men's Soccer by helping to virtually "Phil Reeves Field" this postseason!
• Help us reach our goal of 50 new tickets by kick-off on Thursday.
• The "AU Founder" ticket price of $18.93 commemorates the year AU was founded.
• Receive a commemorative ticket and wallpaper by purchasing your virtual tickets HERE!

• For the latest on American University Men's Soccer, stay tuned to AUEagles.com and follow the team on Twitter (@AU_MSoccer), Facebook (/AU.MSoccer) and Instagram (@au.msoccer).