For the second consecutive week the 2003 Conference USA Soccer Championship was decided on penalty kicks and this time it was the men’s crown up for grabs. Second-seeded Saint Louis (13-3-3) and fourth-seeded Charlotte (7-9-4) played to a 2-2 double-overtime tie with the match decided 5-4 on penalty kicks in favor of the Billikens at the Mike Rose Soccer Complex. This is SLU’s fourth straight tournament title and sixth overall. Saint Louis receives the league’s automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament, which begins Friday, Nov. 21 at campus sites throughout the nation. The field of 48 teams will be announced on Monday, Nov. 17 at 3:30 p.m. (ET) on ESPNEWS.

Championship Match
Charlotte’s Joe Lampert opened the scoring column early with a tally in the first two minutes of the contest. Sean Zubick put the ball in play on a corner kick, finding Lampert for the header from four yards out.

Vedad Ibisevic scored the first of his two goals on the day when he dribbled through the defense and fired in to the net in the 38th minute to tie the game at 1-1. In second half, he would score his sixth goal of the tournament in 73rd minute, again threading his way through a pair of Charlotte defenders and launching a volley to the right post from 20-yards out.

The 49ers response came in the 75th minute on a 20-yard free kick by Floyd Franks, which split the Billiken wall and curved into the goal.

After regulation and two overtime frames, the resolution would be the penalty-kick format. The first round of penalty kicks also resulted in 3-3 tie, sending the match to a sudden-victory second round. Charlotte’s Evan Harding and Alex Matteson of Saint Louis each converted their attempts forcing two more shooters. The 49ers’ Juan Munoz-Airey had his try sail high over the crossbar opening the door for SLU’s Brian Grazier, who sealed the title with a successful conversion.

Game Four
Conference USA Freshman of the Vedad Ibisevic set a pair league tournament individual scoring records to lead sixth-ranked Saint Louis (13-3-2) to a 5-1 victory over 24th-ranked UAB (10-5-5) and a spot in Sunday’s championship match of 2003 C-USA Men’s Tournament against Charlotte, which upset top-seeded Cincinnati, 1-0, in Friday’s first semifinal. Sunday’s match is slated for a 2 p.m. ET (1 p.m. CT) start and will be televised on the Conference USA TV Network.

Ibisevic set a tournament record with four first-half goals, improving on the old mark of two held by several players with SLU’s Nick Walls being the last to accomplish the feat in 2002 C-USA Tournament. The last time a Billiken player scored four goals in a match was Dipsy Selowane in a 5-1 victory over USF in 2001. Ibisevic’s nine points also topped the old benchmark of five established by Jeremy Tutor of Memphis in 1997. Saint Louis’ five goals and the combined six goals between the two squads are both tournament records.

Game Three
Charlotte (7-9-3) upset top-seeded Cincinnati (10-4-5), 1-0, in Friday’s first semifinal match of the 2003 Conference Men’s Soccer Tournament at the Mike Rose Soccer Complex. The 49ers, the fourth-seed, advance to Sunday’s championship match, where they will meet the winner of the UAB-Saint Louis semifinal.

Floyd Franks scored the game-winning goal in the in the 70th minute when Mira Mupier fed the ball to Franks, who connected on a volley into the left side of the net from 10-yards out.

Game Two
Sixth-seeded UAB (10-4-5) upset third-seeded Louisville (11-7-3), 2-1, in overtime in the first-round nightcap of the 2003 Conference USA Men’s Soccer Tournament at The Mike Rose Soccer Complex on Thursday. The Blazers move onto face second-seeded Saint Louis (12-3-2) in the second semifinal game, slated for an 8:30 p.m. ET (7:30 p.m. CT) start.

Game One
After 79 minutes of scoreless play, Charlotte (6-9-3) scored twice within a two-minute span to defeat USF (6-9-3), 2-1, in the opening match of the 2003 Conference USA Men’s Soccer Tournament. The 49ers advances to Friday’s first semifinal match against top-seeded Cincinnati (10-3-5, 6-2-1) at 6 p.m. ET/5 p.m. CT, at the Mike Rose Soccer Complex.

2003 Conference USA Tournament

Thursday, November 13
(4) Charlotte 2, (5) USF 1
(6) UAB 2, (3) Louisville 1 (OT)

Friday, November 14
Charlotte 1, (1) Cincinnati 0
(2) Saint Louis 5, UAB 1

Sunday, November 16
Championship Match 2:00p

All Times Eastern

Conference USA Television Network Information
Charter Communications Information Network, Ch. 21 – St. Louis (Live)
College Sports Television (CSTV), DirecTV Ch. 610 – (Approx 4:00 p.m. EST on Nov. 17)
Comcast Charter Sports Southeast (Tape Delay on Nov. 29 at Noon EST)
Cox Sports Television - New Orleans (Tape Delay on Nov. 17 at Noon CST)
Fox Sports Net Chicago (Tape Delay on Nov. 17 at Noon CST)
Fox Sports Net Florida (Tape Delay on Nov. 17 at 1:00 p.m. EST)
Fox Sports New Ohio (Tape Delay on Nov. 23 at 3:00 p.m. EST)
Fox Sports Net South (Tape Delay on Nov. 18 at 1:00 p.m. EST))
UNC Charlotte Cable Television, Ch. 22 – (Live)
WXIV-TV, Ch. 14 - Greensboro (Live)

Satellite Coordinates: KU Band, SBS 6, Transponder 5