PITTSBURGH - Freshman Chris Roswess (West Springfield, Mass.) and junior Dan Lepone (Lebanon, Pa.) netted goals and keeper Zack Simmons (Durham, N.H.) made seven saves for his 30th career shutout as UMass blanked No. 17 Saint Louis in the Atlantic 10 Tournament Semifinals on Friday night in Pittsburgh. The Minutemen (10-7-3) will face Dayton (14-4-2) in the A-10 Championship game on Sunday (1PM) at Duquesne's Rooney Field for the league's automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament.

Friday night's win was the third straight for the top-seeded Minutemen over the Billikens (11-4-5). UMass has now won seven straight matches this season and are undefeated in the last nine games. The Minutemen are the defending 2007 A-10 Tournament Champions and won the A-10 regular season this season.

Roswess put the Minutemen ahead 1-0 in the ninth minute of play when he took a long cross from Ben Arikian (West Islip, N.Y.). It was Roswess' second goal of the year and Arikian's team-leading and career-best seventh assist of the season.

After a Saint Louis foul and yellow card on Kyle Hayes, Lepone was awarded a penalty kick in the 37th minute which he converted for his first career goal giving UMass a 2-0 lead.

A tough defensive effort the rest of the way paced by Simmons' seven saves put UMass in the A-10 Championship game for the second consecutive year. This is the sixth time since UMass joined the A-10 in 1987 that the Minutemen have advanced to the conference tournament finals.

The Billikens held a 21-to-10 advantage in shots and a 7-to-3 edge in corner kicks. The game was a physical match with six yellow cards (three on each team) handed out.

Pat Disbennett made three saves in the loss for Saint Louis.