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TEANECK, N.J. -- The Fairleigh Dickinson men's soccer team will be traveling to Queens, N.Y. to take on St. John's in a First Round NCAA Tournament matchup on Thursday night. Kickoff at Belson Stadium is scheduled for 7 p.m. and will be streamed live on ESPN3.
 
This will be the Knights sixth NCAA Tournament since 2000 and first since 2008. FDU clinched a spot in this year's NCAA Tournament with a dramatic 6-5 victory in penalty kicks over Saint Francis Pa. in the championship match of the Northeast Conference Tournament after playing to a 1-1 draw after 110 minutes.

Junior goalkeeper Jacob Lissek (Highlands Ranch, Colo./Rock Canyon) was named Tournament MVP. Redshirt senior defender Jason Wells (Montclair, NJ/Montclair), junior defender and First Team All-NEC performer Nicholas Walker (Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago/St. Mary's) and sophomore midfielder Anders Vest-Hansen (Nykobing, Denmark/Celf) joined Lissek on the All-Tournament team.
 
The Red Storm (10-4-4) earned an at-large selection out of the BIG EAST Conference. St. John's has not played since Nov. 3 when they lost in the quarterfinals of the BIG EAST Tournament to Georgetown, 2-1. Over their last five games, the Red Storm has gone 2-3-0.
 
This will mark St. John's fourth NCAA Tournament appearance over the last five years and 19th overall. Four players were named All-BIG EAST this season as Jack Bennett and Rafael Diaz made the First Team, while Tim Parker and Jamie Thomas were Second Team selections.
 
Bennett leads the team with five goals, four assists and 14 points to go along with three game-winning goals. Diaz has a 10-4-4 record in goal with a 0.74 goals against average to go along with eight shutouts.
 
FDU leads the all-time series 4-2-0, which dates back to 1979. The Knights won all four matches from 1979-1982. The Red Storm defeated FDU the last time they played in 2010 with a 5-0 home victory. There only other victory came in the Second Round of the 2002 NCAA Tournament, 2-1, in double overtime in Queens.

"We can't wait to play St. John's tomorrow night," Head Coach Seth Roland said. "It should be a great environment, a good crowd and an exciting moment for NYC metropolitan area college soccer; it is a great rivalry. We have so much respect for the Johnnies and the job that Dave (Masur) has done with that program. They are truly one of college soccer's Goliaths."

"But our guys have a very good mentality and area confident group. We are intent on showing our championship fiber and know that we will have to step it up a level or two to win the game and advance to the second round."
 
The winner of the match will head to St. Louis to take on Saint Louis University on Sunday, Nov. 18 in the Second Round.