DUDLEY, Mass. – The Nichols College men's soccer team has earned the No. 4 seed in the 2012 Commonwealth Coast Conference Championship and will entertain No. 5 seed Western New England University on Saturday, October 27th at 6:00 p.m. under the lights at Michael J. Vendetti Field.
 
Making their fifth consecutive CCC postseason appearance and sixth overall under eighth-year men's head soccer coach Chris Traina, the Bison finished the 2012 regular season with an 11-7 record overall and went 5-4 in league matches. Nichols advanced to the title match three of the last four years while the 2010 squad went to the NCAA tournament via penalty kicks. Western New England claimed the tournament championship last year as the Golden Bears edged Nichols 1-0 at Suprenant Field.
 
The Bison, led offensively by senior Scott Coderre (Thompson, Conn.) and first-year Donny Whittle (Ellington, Conn.), defeated the Golden Bears 2-1 earlier this month at Vendetti Field. Junior Fred Willard (Webster, Mass.) put Nichols ahead in the 58th minute and later assisted on Whittle's game-winner in the 86th minute.
 
Coderre (eight goals, eight assists) and Whittle (11 goals, two assists) are currently tied for the team lead, and third among CCC men's soccer student-athletes, with 24 points apiece. The duo has combined for nine of the 11 game-winners this season as Coderre completed the regular season tied with Ibrahama Kourouma '04 in third place among all Nichols goal scorers with 35. The senior, currently fourth overall with 88 career points, has a chance to move up in both categories this postseason. Whittle, meanwhile, enjoyed an eight-match point streak that ended in the penultimate contest of the regular season.
 
On the defensive side of the ball, first-year netminder Alex Geas (Somers, Conn.) posted a 1.13 goals against average while recording a .824 save percentage in conference play en route to a 9-6 record. The rookie shutout University of New England, 1-0, and claimed pair of non-conference clean sheets.
 
Juniors Jake Bartnik (East Longmeadow, Mass.) and Ryan Williams (Brewster, N.Y.) top Western New England's (9-7-3, 4-3-2 CCC) scoring list with 10 and nine points, respectively. Freshman Colin Macdonald (West Newbury, Mass.) led the way with four goals while Bartnik paced the Golden Bears with four helpers. Senior Nick Starr (Somers, Conn.) guided the goalkeeper staff with a 7-3 record boasting a 0.96 goals against average and five shutouts.
 
The contest is part of a Saturday tripleheader at Vendetti Field. Field hockey begins the day with an 11:00 a.m. game against league-leading Endicott followed by football hosting MIT at 2:30 p.m. Nichols fans are encouraged to wear black clothing as the Bison are holding a 'Black Out.'

Coverage of the men's soccer match will include live stats and a webcast with Andrew Haas on the play-by-play beginning at 5:50 p.m.