TOWSON, Md. ? Seeded 15^th in the NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Tournament field, Towson University earned an at-large bid and will receive a first round bye. One of 16 teams to earn a first round bye, the Tigers will face the winner of the first round match between the University of Connecticut and Fairfield University.

The Huskies and the Stags will play their first round game on Saturday, November 11 in Storrs, Conn.

Towson University will face the winner of the UConn-Fairfield game on Wednesday, November 15.

The Tigers, who have a 14-1-3 overall record, were top-seeded in the Colonial Athletic Association Tournament last weekend. However, the Tigers were eliminated in the CAA Tournament semi-finals by fourth-seeded George Mason University. After the teams played to a 1-1 double overtime tie, the result was determined by a penalty kick shootout. In the seventh round, the Patriots pulled out a 5-4 win to advance to the CAA championship game against Hofstra.

With the tie, the Tigers had their ten-game winning streak snapped. However, the Tigers still have a 13-match unbeaten streak dating back to their 3-2 overtime loss to Hartwick on September 10.

“We were really pleased with the first round bye,” said Coach Frank Olszewski. “The fact that we earned a first round bye is a compliment to the overall strength of the CAA. It was great to see the CAA get four teams in the 48-team field.”

In his 25^th season as the Tigers' coach, Olszewski approached the announcement of the NCAA Tournament field with confidence. “We were confident that we would get an NCAA Tournament at-large bid,” he said. “But, we weren't certain about a first round bye. However. when we saw some of the other teams that got a first-round bye, we thought we had an excellent chance of earning one too.”

The Tigers are making their second appearance in the NCAA Tournament.In 2001, the Tigers earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament as the AMERICA EAST Tournament champions.

In 2001, the Tigers split two games in the NCAA Tournament. After a 4-1 win over James Madison University in the first round, the Tigers lost to eventual national champion North Carolina by a 3-0 margin.

The Tigers have relied on an outstanding defense that is ranked seventh in NCAA Division I, allowing only 0.58 goals per game. Towson was ranked seventh in the NCAA Division I in scoring defense last week.