That means Dayton will host the A-10 championship game at noon Sunday at Baujan Field with the league’s automatic NCAA tournament berth on the line.
“It was a great night and we had great fan support, especially with a men’s basketball game going on and we appreciate that,” Dayton coach Dennis Currier said in a press release. “I thought we didn’t do great finishing tonight, but I thought we controlled the game really well though defensively. There is another shutout. We got the two goals we needed and we are continuing to play with a lot of confidence and momentum.”
Dayton, ranked fifth in the United Soccer Coaches poll, won its seventh straight game, improving to 12-2-3. It opened the tournament Friday with a 1-0 victory against No. 7 seed Davidson.
Defender Hjalti Sigurdsson, a graduate student from Iceland, got Dayton on the board in the fifth minute, heading in a corner kick from sophomore midfielder Martin Bakken, of Norway. Sigurdsson is tied for the team lead with eight goals this season.
In the second half, in the 69th minute, senior forward Ethan Sassine, of Johns Creek, Ga., scored his sixth goal off an assist from sophomore forward Felix Buabeng, of Ghana.
Dayton recorded its second shutout in a row and third in the last four games. Dayton had a 30-13 advantage in shots.
Dayton will play Saint Louis (8-3-8) for the second time in 16 days. The Flyers won 4-1 at Baujan Field in the final game of the regular season on Nov. 2.
Dayton seeks its second championship in a row and sixth overall. Saint Louis seeks its fifth title and third in the last four years. Dayton has never played the championship game on its home field.
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