The College of Staten Island men's soccer team used a lone goal to move past the quarterfinals over John Jay College for the second consecutive year, positioning the squad for a shot at the CUNYAC Men's Soccer Championship which continues Saturday with semifinal play at neutral-site host Brooklyn College.  The No. 4 seeded Dolphins will take on top-seeded Baruch College with a date in the Final on the line at 2:00pm.  In Saturday's other semi, host Brooklyn will take on City College of New York at 4:30pm.

Saturday's date promises to be a good one, pitting the conference's two hottest teams head-to-head.  The Dolphins, who fell to Baruch College last year in semifinal play, 3-0, have won eight of their last 10 games, improving to 9-10-1 overall after a debilitating 1-8-1 start.  The run includes five straight wins, the longest for the Dolphins since 2004, and the most under second-year head coach John Tardy, whose 2013 team featured eight new faces on opening day.

"I feel like we are playing our best soccer but there is still stuff to improve on and sharpen up and that has to start on Saturday in our quest for a CUNYAC Championship," the coach said.  "I am pleased with how far we have come, but I think we all recognize we still have some work to do."

As good as the Dolphins have looked over this peaking point of the season; their counterparts have been just as good.  The Bearcats opened the season 1-5, before blitzing to 9 straight wins to improve to 10-5 this season.  The second win in that run was against CSI, a 3-1, success story at Metropolitan Oval.  The loss, according to Coach Tardy, was one to grow on.

"I thought we actually had the better of play in that game but we weren't able to put the ball in the back of the net and they were able to capitalize on our mistakes," he said.  "Baruch is always going to be a tough contest.  We learned that we have to be willing to compete, tackle and work hard for 90 minutes to get a good result."

Despite Baruch's dominance in the standings, finishing 8-0 within CUNYAC play this season, CSI has reason to be upbeat.  CSI is averaging two goals per game this season, and boasts a robust 8-0 record when scoring more than a goal in a game this year.  On top of that, the Dolphins have won their last four games decided by a single goal.  CSI's only two losses over the recent 10 games were identical 1-0 losses to Hunter College and CCNY.  For Tardy, the ability to stay composed in tighter games is making the difference.

"You can definitely see the chemistry coming together, but the fact that the games are close is because we have had lapses and have let our opponents back into a few games," the coach commented.  "We need to go in looking to dominate play and do it for a full 90 minutes without lapses.  If we can play to our full potential for a full 90 minutes, we have just as good of a shot as anyone." 

On a down note, CSI will be without freshman Marcin Klim for the semifinal, after the frosh was red-carded in the game's 86th minute against JJC.  Klim shares the teams lead in goals with eight (tied with Thomas Vazquez), while junior captain Alfonso Castaneda tops the squad with 11 helpers, good for 7th in the nation (NCAA Division III).

"I think every win for this program is a step in the right direction," Tardy noted.   "As a team we always preach about making our name known and that every step you take on the field is a chance to play your best on a big stage.  All streaks are made to be broken, and the challenge ahead of us is one we know we can conquer with the right attitude and play."  

This year the backdrop could be right too.  With the semifinals and final being played at Brooklyn College, Tardy feels that the field conditions are favorable to CSI's game.

"I think playing at Brooklyn College aids us in being able to play and move the ball better," Tardy said.  "On smaller fields we are put in tight spaces, but with a bigger field we should be able to spread out well and play our style of soccer." 

Baruch leads the all-time series with the Dolphins 19-17-2, and has enjoyed a seven-game win streak over the Dolphins, dating back to 2008.  This is the fourth meeting between the two sides on a neutral site (BC holds a 2-1 advantage).  Saturday's postseason matchup is the sixth CUNYAC playoff meeting between the two sides, with CSI actually holding a 3-2 advantage over the Bearcats in that category.  CSI's last playoff win over Baruch was in 1998 in the semifinals during a year when CSI would go on to win the CUNYAC Championship.

The two semifinal winners on Saturday, will meet the following Saturday, November 9, for the CUNYAC Championship at 4:30pm at Brooklyn College.