SPOKANE, Wash. - Whitworth University will take on Gustavus Adolphus University in the first round of the NCAA Division III Men's Soccer Tournament on Friday night at 5:00 p.m. (CST).

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Matt Friesen leads Whitworth in scoring

The meeting between the Pirates (14-3-1) and the Gusties (17-3-1) is a rematch of the 2005 NCAA Division III semifinal that Gustavus won 2-1. The University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh will host the first and second round matches and will play Wartburg College in the first round.

Whitworth goes into the tournament as the champion of the Northwest Conference for the third time in the last four years and fourth time since 2001. The Pirates are led in scoring by senior forward Matt Friesen (Newberg, Oregon), who has seven goals and five assists this season. Goal keeper Scott Barnum (So., Fall City, Wash.) has posted 10 shutouts this season.

GAC tied for the regular season title in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletics Conference with Carleton College then defeated St. Olaf College 2-0 in the conference tournament championship. Mike Butterworth leads the Gusties in scoring this season with 14 goals and three assists. Gustavus is making its third straight trip to the NCAA tournament.

Wisconsin-Oshkosh finished the regular season 15-2-1 and earned one of the Pool B (independent) bids to the tournament because the Titans' conference does not sponsor men's soccer. Oshkosh is led by Brandon Briones, who has 11 goals and two assists this season. Whitworth and Oshkosh have never met in men' soccer.

Wartburg (15-3-2) was the runner up in the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and was awarded one of the tournament's pool C slots reserved for at-large selections. The Knights are led in scoring by Luke McClyman's 12 goals and six assists. Whitworth and Wartburg met in the 2005 tournament with the Pirates earning a 3-1 victory in a sectional semifinal.

Oshkosh and Wartburg will kick off 40 minutes after the Whitworth-Gustavus match (approximately 7:30 p.m. CST).

Should Whitworth win on Friday night, the Pirates would play on Saturday night at 6:00 p.m. (CST).