PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- The Providence College men’s soccer team defeated Dartmouth, 1-0, Thursday afternoon in the NCAA Championship First Round at Glay Field.  With the win, the Friars (11-7-1) advance to the second round where they travel to play UC Santa Barbara at 8:00 p.m. EAST on Sunday, November 20.  Dartmouth finishes the season with an 8-6-4 record.

The Friars took an early lead and held off the Big Green to advance to the NCAA Tournament Second Round for the third time ever and the second consecutive season.  Senior John Raley (St. Inigoes, Md.) scored his second goal of the season in the 11th minute to account for the lone goal of the match.  Junior Marc Cintron (Piscataway, N.J.) played a cross from the right flank to sophomore Greg Davis (Jamaica, N.Y.), who leaped and tried to head the ball toward goal.  However, Davis’ header deflected backwards to Raley, who volleyed a low left-footed shot from 15 yards out into the right corner.

“I thought we played well enough to win the game,” Head Coach Chaka Daley said.  “It was very tough.  Dartmouth is a very, very good team and they have a very special player in Lucky (Mkosana),” Daley added.  “I think we were fortunate to keep them off bay for most of the day and I thought defensively our two center backs did a fantastic job.  We got the goal and at this stage of the year you grind it out, find a way to win and that’s what we did.”

Raley had a similar shot in the 18th minute, but this time his effort missed wide left.  Dartmouth’s best chance in the first half came in the 33rd minute when Kevin Dzierzawski rifled a shot from 28 yards out, but Providence senior goalkeeper Jhojan Obando (Kissimmee, Fla.) made a diving effort and pushed the ball over the cross bar for a corner kick. Both teams finished with six shots each in the first half.  

In the second half, Raley nearly scored his second of the match when he ripped a shot from 25 yards out that hit the right post in the 52nd minute.  Obando and the Providence defense was strong the rest of the way as the Friars recorded their seventh shutout of the season.  Obando totaled two saves, while Noah Cohen stopped two shots for the Big Green.