SALISBURY, Md. - The Salisbury University men's soccer program advanced to the NCAA second-round with a 4-1 win over Virginia Wesleyan University on Saturday at the SU Soccer Complex. The Sea Gulls will square off with Johns Hopkins University on Sunday at 1 p.m. at the SU Soccer Complex. The Blue Jays (16-3-2) defeated Misericordia University, 2-0, in the first game of the day at Salisbury.

The two teams met earlier this season in Salisbury, with the Blue Jays taking the match, 1-0. The last time the two teams met in the NCAA tournament was in 2004, which was also held at the SU Soccer Complex. The Sea Gulls won the match 1-0 and later advanced to the NCAA Final Four, where they fell to Messiah College, 1-0.

The Sea Gulls (15-3-1) got on the board in the 35th minute following a Virginia Wesleyan foul. SU junior defender Casey Rector (Ellicott City, Md.) stood over the ball just inside the half-field line, and sent a curling ball towards the back post which senior Kyle Sterling (Salisbury, Md.) headed into the back of the net for the 1-0 lead. SU added to the lead in the 38th minute when senior midfielder Kenneth Price (Elkton, Md.) slammed home a pass from Justin Lambert (Silver Spring, Md.) for the 2-0 lead, which the Sea Gulls would take into the half. At the half the Sea Gulls outshot the Marlins (14-4-3) 10-1, and the two teams each had four corner kick opportunities.

In the second half the Sea Gulls opened the scoring just three minutes in, when Sterling collected in the left corner of the field and skipped a low cross across the 18-yard box which senior midfielder Alex Hargrove (Clarks Summit, Pa.) flicked into the back of the net for the 3-0 lead. The Marlins added a late goal in the 76th minute when Brandon Massie hit a shot on frame went over the head of SU senior goalkeeper Josh Scotton (Delmar, Md.) and rang off the cross bar, and Clay Price collected the ball and played it calmly into the back of the net. The Sea Gulls would go on to tally one more goal in the contest, when Hargrove pushed an unassisted goal past the Virginia Wesleyan goalkeeper for the final score of the contest.  

Scotton made five saves on the day to earn the win and improve his overall record for the season to 7-1.