St. David's, PA (November 4, 2017) - The DeSales University men's soccer team won its fifth MAC Freedom championship outlasting Eastern University, 4-3, in penalty kicks on Saturday afternoon.

The PK win advances DeSales (12-2-6) into the NCAA Tournament earning the conferences automatic bid.  The 62 team field will be announced on Monday afternoon with games to start on Saturday next weekend.

After a scoreless half that saw Eastern just miss taking a 1-0 lead hitting the post mid-way thru the half, DeSales got the game's first goal when junior Justin Habick (Effort, PA) scored at 66:25 on a feed from fellow junior Zach Reichard (Bethlehem, PA).

Eastern went man down after a red card in the 75th minute but pushed its pressure up for the last 10 minutes and earned a corner kick with about a minute left with the game's outcome in the balance.  A perfectly struck corner kick found the head of Sean Dougherty who scored just under the crossbar with 27 seconds left sending the game into overtime.

Neither team found the back of the net in either overtime as game moved to a shootout to decide the conference champion.

Both teams converted its first two kicks and both goalies made saves on the third kick.  On EU's fourth kick, senior Dan Sulpizio (Philadelphia, PA) made his second diving save and junior Michael Kirby (Bensalem, PA) scored on his attempt.  Eastern forced DSU's fifth and final attempt in which junior Dan Rumpf (Wernersville, PA) found the back of the net giving DSU the MAC Freedom title, 4-3, in penalty kicks.

Sulpizio earned Most Valuable Player honors allowing just one goal over two double overtime games in the postseason.  He made 10 saves in the championship game win along with two during the shootout.

It is DSU's first championship since the 2010 season.  DSU has now won the MAC Freedom title each of the last five times it has appeared in the game.