Courtesy of Susquehanna Sports Information

SELINSGROVE, Pa. - For the first time in program history, the Susquehanna men's soccer team is making back-to-back appearances in the Landmark Conference championship game after a 3-0 semifinal win over Merchant Marine Academy on Thursday night.

The No. 2 seed Crusaders blanked the Mariners to earn the right to host Saturday's title game against No. 4 seed Juniata after the Eagles defeated No. 1 seed Catholic earlier in the day. Game time on Saturday is slated for 6 p.m.

SU (12-5-1) jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the 20th minute and did not look back en route to the 3-0 shutout of USMMA (7-8-1). Susquehanna out-shot the Mariners 17-9 and took eight corner kicks, two of which led to goals.

Crusader goalie Matt Salsman (Selinsgrove, Pa./Selinsgrove Area) did not have to make a single save in the game as USMMA was held without a single shot on goal.

Joe DeLuca (Freehold, N.J./St. John Vianney) got the scoring started for SU after he redirected a Dean Hristopoulos (West Chester, Pa./Unionville) corner kick past Mariners goalie Gary Poulin for a 1-0 lead after just under 20 minutes of action. In the closing seconds of the half, Hristopoulos had a shot blocked as it remained a 1-0 score at the midway point of the game.

More than 20 minutes elapsed in the second half without a score from either squad before the Crusaders scored on a goal very similar to the game's first score. A Ryan Donlevie (Stratham, N.H./Exeter) corner kick found the foot of Patrick Fry (Denver, Colo./Colorado Academy) who put it into the back of the net to up SU's lead to two (2-0) in the 79th minute.

Just over six minute later, Andrew Murphy (Natick, Mass./Natick) fired a rocket of a shot from 20 yards out that also found its way into the net and the Crusaders suddenly held a three-goal lead with just five minutes remaining.