Nov. 10, 2000

EASTON, Pa. (www.lafayette.edu) - Seniors Craig Schroeder (Cranbury, N.J./Princeton) and Mike Gualtieri (Aston, Pa./Sun Valley) have been named to the All-Patriot League Men's Soccer Team.

The bid is the third All-Patriot League First Team selection for Schroeder who earned the same honor at goalkeeper following the 1998 and 1999 seasons. This year, Schroeder's season came to a premature end in a 3-2 win over Lehigh on Oct. 14. The senior sacrificed his body by colliding with another player. Schroeder suffered a broken jaw which has been repaired with surgery, but has forced him to miss the rest of the season.

Schroeder finished his career with 19.5 shutouts, third all-time at Lafayette despite playing his freshman season at Vanderbilt University. In 1999, he posted a 0.99 goals against average, good enough to place him in the top 40 in the nation and on to All-Patriot League First Team and All-Patriot League Tournament honors. In 1998, he turned in perhaps his best season, registering a 0.72 goals against average to finish 13th in the country. That season, he and the Leopards' defense recorded 12.5 shutouts, the second most per game in the country, and Lafayette went on to an NCAA Tournament appearance. Again, All-Patriot League honors followed.

Throughout his career, Schroeder was at his best when it mattered the most. In four Patriot League Tournament games and two NCAA Play-in matchups, Schroeder managed an incredible 0.14 goals against average with five shutouts to his credit.

A co-captain with Schroeder, Gualtieri earned an All-Patriot League Second Team bid on the defensive side of the ball. He has been a constant in the Leopards' backfield the past two seasons, emerging as a team leader in 2000.

Gualtieri, like Schroeder, transferred to Lafayette, playing two seasons at St. Bonaventure. In his time at Lafayette, the team defense has been at the top of the Patriot League. This season, the Lafayette backfield allowed just nine goals in Patriot League play and managed three shutouts, despite having to pick up the slack left by Schroeder's injury.

Perhaps Gualtieri's most impressive statistic is that he has never missed a start in the 61 career games that he has played. In Gualtieri's and Schroeder's two seasons together, the Lafayette defense has led the team to back-to-back Patriot League Tournament titles.

Lafayette's season is far from over. The Leopards host the Patriot League Tournament on Saturday and Sunday at Metzgar Fields in Forks Township. The No. 1 seeded Leopards kick off against No. 4 seed Holy Cross at 1:30 on Saturday. The championship game is slated for 12:30 p.m. on Sunday with the winner earning an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.