ATLANTA--The Georgia State men's soccer team earned the sixth seed and will face third-seeded William & Mary on Thursday in the opening match of the 2011 Virginia 529 College Savings Plan CAA Men's Soccer Championship in Harrisonburg, Va.

The Panthers (12-6-1, 6-5) face off against the Tribe (10-8, 7-4) at 5 p.m. on Thursday to kick off the tournament. The winner of that matchup advances to face second-seeded Old Dominion (11-4-1, 7-3-1) in the semifinals. All action takes place at the JMU Soccer Complex in Harrisonburg, Va.

GSU is making its first-ever trip to the CAA Tournament. It is the first tournament berth for GSU since the 2004 season and the first time it has qualified for the CAA Tournament since joining  the conference in 2005.

It's part of a historical season that has shattered expectations and past program benchmarks. The Panthers, lead by second-year head coach Brett Surrency, were picked to finish 12th in the 12-team CAA conference in the preseason coaches' poll. The 12-win season is part of a remarkable turnaround for Georgia State men's soccer under Surrency as the Panthers are two years removed from a four-win season.

GSU upset William & Mary 1-0 on Oct. 5 at Panthersville this year. Junior Gimel Gordon led the Panthers over the Tribe, ranked No. 22 at the time, with a late goal. It was the first GSU victory over a top 25 opponent since 2001.

Visit www.GeorgiaStateSports.com throughout the week for tournament central to get all the information on GSU's first trip to the CAA Tournament.

www.GeorgiaStateSports.com