GAMBIER, Ohio (May 6, 2012) The NCAA released Sunday night the names of the 28 Division III teams that will compete in the 2012 national championship tournament. Kenyon earned one of tournament's ten at-large berths and will travel to Dickinson College to take on the No. 13-ranked Red Devils in first-round action.
The game will be played Wednesday at 4 p.m. on Dickinson's Biddle Field. Kenyon will enter with a 10-4 overall record, while the Red Devils sport a 14-3 mark.
The appearance in the NCAA Tournament will be the Lords' fourth overall and second in the last five seasons. The last time the Lords saw postseason play was 2008, which was current head coach Doug Misarti's first with the program. The Lords drew Ohio Wesleyan University in the first round of that tournament and were defeated, 12-8.
Dickinson is making its third straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament. The Red Devils advanced to the quarterfinals last season and fell to eventual national champion, Salisbury University.
Throughout the regular-season, Kenyon relied on a balanced offensive attack that scored an average of 9.86 goals per game. Sophomore Will Lowe leads the team in assists (30) and points (48). Senior Geoff Akie has a team-best 25 goals this season, and junior Chris Pappalardo has recorded 13 goals and 24 assists. On the defensive end, the Lords are allowing opponents to average just 7.49 goals per game.
Dickinson, led by sophomore Brian Cannon, attacks with four players who have record 30 or more points this season. Cannon currently has 28 goals and 23 assists to his credit. As a team, Dickinson averages 12.24 goals per game and allows an average of 6.88 goals per game.
The winner of this game will move on to the second round to face the winner of the Cabrini College and Eastern University game.