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After their 3-1 win over Rider Thursday night in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament Vermont (12-5-2, 4-3-0 AE) has traveled to Orlando, Florida to face the 12-seed UCF (10-3-2, 6-2-1) in the Second Round on Sunday evening. The opening kickoff is set for 6 p.m. and will broadcast live on ESPN+ from the UCF Soccer Complex. Tickets are available for the matchup through Ticketmaster.
 
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POSTSEASON MAGIC NUMBER IS THREE
Vermont is 8-1-0 all-time in the postseason when scoring three or more goals. Their only loss was a 4-3 overtime tilt in the 1975 NCAA Tournament. In all four of Vermont's NCAA Tournament wins during Coach Dow's tenure UVM has scored three goals.
 
BAZINI GOAL BODES WELL FOR THE CATAMOUNTS
Redshirt junior Yaniv Bazini leads the Vermont attack with 10 goals and three assists this season for 23 points. Bazini scored twice for Vermont Thursday night in their 3-1 victory over Rider in the First Round of the NCAAs. In his career UVM has a 11-1-2 mark when he finds the back of the net.
 
CATS IN THE TOURNAMENT
UVM's NCAA Tournament berth is its 13th in program history. The Catamounts are 8-11-2 and have advanced to the quarterfinals twice in program history last season and in 1989. Last year UVM bested Quinnipiac in the opening round, SMU on the road in the second round and UCLA in third round before falling to the eventual national champion Syracuse 2-1 in the quarterfinals. The 2022 Catamounts were the first team in program history to reach a fourth game in the NCAA Tournament. In 1989 Vermont beat UConn and Yale, before falling to Rutgers in the regional finals.
 
This is the first time in program history the Catamounts have qualified for the NCAA Tournament in three straight seasons. They are the third Vermont athletic program to do so. From 1992-94 the women's basketball team was the first program at UVM to complete the feat, the men's basketball team did so from 2003-05.
 
NEW HEIGHTS FOR AMERICA EAST
The America East is one of five conferences with three or more teams selected to the 2023 NCAA Tournament. The three selections to the Tournament field are the most in a single season in conference history. The America East entered the NCAA Tournament with the fifth best conference RPI in the nation, trailing just the ACC, Pac-12, Sun Belt and Big Ten. In 2014, UMBC became the first America East program to advance to the College Cup, where it fell 1-0 to Virginia in the NCAA Semifinals.
 
DOW BECOMES THIRD HEAD COACH TO LEAD UVM TO THREE NCAA TOURNEYS
With the Catamounts third straight NCAA Tournament berth Head Coach Rob Dow becomes the third coach in program history to lead UVM to the NCAAs three or more times. Paul Reinhardt (1975, '77, '78, 1981) and Jesse Cormier (2007, '15, 16) also did so.
 
With four NCAA tournament wins Dow has the most in program history. Recently inducted UVM Hall of Fame Ron McEachen (1985-1995) and Cormier each advanced in the tournament twice during their tenure.
 
HOME SWEET HOME
With their win Thursday night, the Catamounts are now 6-1-0 all-time at home in the NCAA Tournament. UVM's average margin of victory in its five home game wins has been two goals.
 
SCOUTING THE KNIGHTS
UCF enters Sunday's action on a two-game losing streak having dropped its regular season finale to James Madison (2-1 Loss) and Sun Belt Conference Quarterfinal to South Carolina (2-1 Loss). The Knights are ranked 12th in the country matching their NCAA seed. UCF was ranked in the top-five from September 12-October 31 and they spent two weeks as the number one team in the country.
 
The Knights offensive attack is led by senior forward Lucca Dourado. The Brazilian national has nine goals this season and is sixth all-time in program history with 37 career goals. He has scored three game-winners this season.
 
UCF will be making its ninth NCAA Tournament appearance and first since the spring season (COVID) of 2021. UCF is 3-1-0 all-time at home in the tournament. Its last three home games have all required extra time.

SERIES HISTORY
This will be the second matchup between the two teams in program history. At the 1992 South Florida Tournament hosted in Tampa, Fla. the Catamounts and Knights played to a 1-1 draw on October 30. Two days later UVM fell 1-0 to South Florida.
 
All-time the Catamounts are 1-2-1 in the Sunshine State. In 1989 and 1991 UVM split matchups at Southern Florida.
 
LOCKERMANN NAMED AMERICA EAST ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
Nuremberg, Germany native Nick Lockermann became the seventh Catamount in program history to be named America East Rookie of the Year. He is the first Catamount to receive the honor since Daniel Pacella in the 2020-21 spring season. Lockermann posted a team-high seven assists in his rookie campaign, which ranked second in America East. The defender registered four helpers against league foes, which was also second in league play. Lockermann ranked third on the Catamounts in points (7).
 
ALL-CONFERENCE CATAMOUNTS
Eight Catamounts combined for 10 All-America East honors. Yaniv Bazini and Zach Barrett were named to the All-Conference First Team. Carter Johnson, Adrian Schulze Solano, and Jake Ashford received Second Team honors. Nick Lockermann, Sydney Wathuta, and Andrew Millar were named to the All-Rookie Team.
 
WHAT'S NEXT
The winner of Sunday's contest will face the winner of the second-round matchup between #5 West Virginia and Louisville the following weekend. The Mountaineers and Cardinals matchup is scheduled for 2 p.m. Sunday at the Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium, like all second-round action it will be broadcast on ESPN+. UVM has never faced either team.
New England Federal Credit Union is the presenting sponsor of Vermont men's soccer