The St. Thomas Aquinas College men's soccer team played a 0-0 draw in a non-conference game at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute after learning they had earned a bid to the East Coast Conference Tournament. The Spartans wrapped up the regular season at 8-4-5 overall, with RPI at 8-6-4.

Though the Spartans were on the road for a 1:00 pm start, all eyes were closer to home as Mercy hosted Bridgeport, with STAC needing a Mercy win or draw to grab the fourth and final tournament seed. That contest started two hours earlier and headed to overtime as STAC and RPI took the field.

Just minutes after opening kickoff, the Spartans learned that Mercy's overtime winner had sent them to the ECC Men's Soccer Tournament, where they will take the #4 seed into Thursday's semi-final at top-seeded LIU Post.

With that outcome secured, STAC was able to go to the bench often including in net, where a trio of goalkeepers helped secure the 110 minute clean sheet. Aiden Tansey carried the bulk of the action with five saves as the Spartans were outshot by a 20-13 gap on the afternoon. The game continued the pattern of close battles, as STAC finished regulation tied in five of their last six games and eight of 12 overall.

On Thursday, the ECC Tournament semi-finals will see #3 NYIT travel to #2 Molloy, in addition to STAC against Post (times TBD). This is the Spartans' first trip to the post-season since 2011, and first in the ECC Tourney since 2010. Interestingly, STAC received an at-large bid for the NCAA Tournament in 2011 without qualifying for the conference playoffs.

LIU Post enters the semis with a dominant 14-0-1 record on the season, however STAC forced the Pioneers to overtime before falling, 1-0, in their lone meeting this season, on October 23 at Spartan Field.