Emory University senior and co-captain Andrew Natalino scored two goals and assisted on another, leading the Eagles to a dominating 4-1 victory over Roanoke College in the first round of the NCAA Division III Men's Soccer Championships in Salem, VA.

The game proved to be a historic one for the Eagles in a number of ways.  It gave Emory just the second tournament victory in the program's history, and its first in its last 13 NCAA games.  In addition, the four goals were a tournament-best for the Eagles, and Natalino became the first Emory men's player to score multiple goals in a postseason contest.

Emory's offensive combination of sophomore Dylan Price and Natalino, which had paced the Eagles' attack throughout the season, struck again early to get the squad off to a strong start to the Tournament.  In the 19^th minute, Natalino came down the near sideline, setting up a one-on-one with the defender near the end line.  The senior co-captain then sent a low cross in front of the net, where Price was waiting to tap it home for his 12^th goal of the season.  It was the third assist of the season for Natalino.

Natalino would add on to the Eagles' lead in the 38^th minute with his 13^th goal of the campaign.  Freshman Sebastian Hardington took possession in the middle of the field, and sent a pass along the far side of the 18-yard box to Natalino to set up a breakaway.  Natalino was able to finish with a shot across the face of the goal and into the right corner of the net for the score, giving Hardington his second assist of the year. 

Emory carried the 2-0 lead into halftime, as the Eagles dominated the first 45 minutes of play.  Emory peppered Roanoke's freshman goalkeeper Cole Sinclair with seven shots on goal during the frame and eight total shots, while the Eagles' defense held the Maroons to just three shots, with Emory freshman keeper Abe Hannigan saving the only attempt on goal.

It would not take long into the second half for Emory to extend the lead further.  Freshman Connor Curtin was able to settle down a long, bouncing pass into the box from sophomore Michael Rheaume close to the end line.  When Sinclair came out of the goal to try and stop Curtin's advance, the Eagles' freshman was able to slide a shot past the oncoming keeper and into the net.  It was the first collegiate goal for Curtin, and the first collegiate assist for Rheaume.

Natalino capped off his second-career NCAA Tournament game with another score, notching his 14^th of the season unassisted in the 61^st minute. 

Roanoke would get on the board in the 77^th minute, making it a 4-1 contest when Robbie Lentine knocked in a cross by Tyler Carbaugh.  However, the Eagles would continue to control possession for the remainder of the game, holding on to advance.  Emory finished the game with a 14-5 edge in shots and a 13-3 advantage in shots on goal over the Maroons.

Hannigan made two saves during the game to earn the victory, improving to 9-3-1 as Emory's starting goalkeeper.

The victory gave Emory its first NCAA Tournament win in over 24 years, dating back to a 1-0 second-round win over North Carolina Wesleyan College on November 6, 1988.  It marks the eighth time that Emory has reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

The Eagles, who have now won three-straight games, each on the road, improved to 11-6-2 on the season, while Roanoke's season came to a close with a 13-5-1 record.

Emory will hope its strong play continues, as the team will face the tough task of taking on the top-ranked team in the country in the second round in Messiah College (19-0-1).  Emory's second-round game against the Falcons is scheduled for a 6:00 PM start on Sunday, November 11^th in Mechanicsburg, PA.  A full preview of the match will be posted to EmoryAthletics.com on Friday.

Emory Notes
This was the first time that the Eagles have advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament by virtue of a victory… Emory had previously reached the second round by virtue of a first-round bye on six occasions, and once on a shootout following a tie… Natalino is now tied for 11^th in school history with 32 career goals, along with Jon Arost (2001-04) and Ahmed Mohyeldin (1997-98)… He is also 15^th in school history with 75 points…  Emory's defense has limited its last four opponents to a combined 12 shots on goal… Sunday's game will be the second time an Emory soccer team will face a top-ranked Messiah squad on the road this season… The Emory women's soccer team defeated the then top-ranked Falcons 2-1 in overtime to open its 2012 campaign.