WILMINGTON, N.C. - Third-seeded George Mason (12-6-2, 6-4-1 CAA) takes on fifth-seeded Northeastern (7-4-9, 5-2-4 CAA) in the Colonial Athletic Association Championship match on Sunday at 1 p.m. at UNCW Soccer Stadium in Wilmington, N.C. At stake is the conference's automatic berth in the NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Championship, with the first round scheduled to begin next weekend.

Both teams had to win two matches to advance to the CAA Championship. In the first round, the Patriots shut out No. 6 Hofstra 5-0 to advance to the semifinals. In the semifinals, Mason opened up a 4-0 lead on No. 2 William and Mary on its way to a 5-3 victory. Northeastern went to penalty kicks in both of its CAA Championship matches, beating No. 4 Old Dominion in the first round and top seed and host UNC Wilmington in the semifinals.

George Mason set a school record for most goals scored in a CAA Championship match with five in its opening round win over Hofstra and equaled that in the semifinal round against William and Mary. Mason has outscored opponents 10-3 in two CAA Championship matches and has outscored opponents 18-4 during its current six-match winning streak, the longest streak in the conference.

The Patriots' potent offensive attack ranks first in the CAA in shots (337), points (107), goals (36), goals per game (1.80), assists (35), assists per game (1.75). Leading Mason's offense is senior forward and First-Team All-CAA selection Kwame Adjeman-Pamboe, who leads the team in points (22) and goals (8), and is tied for the team lead in game-winning goals (3) and assists (6). Adjeman-Pamboe has been on a roll recently, with seven goals and four assists for 18 points during the Patriots' six-match winning streak.

While Mason's offense has been a major factor in its path to the CAA Championship match, Northeastern is unbeaten in its past five matches with two wins and three ties due in large part to its stout defense. While the Huskies have not scored a single goal during the CAA Championship, they also have not allowed a goal in 220 minutes of action. The Huskies rank first in the conference in shutouts (10), goals allowed (16) and goals against average (0.72).

Huskies' junior goalkeeper Scott Partridge ranks in the top three in the conference in shutouts, goals against average, saves and save percentage. George Mason counters with junior Sean Kelley, a Third-Team All-CAA selection, who ranks among the top three in the CAA in shutouts, goals against average and save percentage. Partridge and Kelley rank 1-2 in the conference in shutouts. Partridge has 10 while Kelley has eight. Mason's defensive unit has recorded four shutouts in the past six matches.

In their only meeting of the 2008 season, the Patriots and Huskies battled to a 1-1 double-overtime tie on Oct. 18 at Parsons Field in Brookline, Mass. Sophomore forward Parker Walton scored his third goal of the season to put the Patriots up 1-0 in the 14th minute of the match. The Huskies got the equalizer in the 82nd minute off the foot of Matthew Laning to tie the score at one. George Mason holds a 3-1-2 record in the all-time series with Northeastern. The two sides met in the opening round of the 2006 CAA Championship with the Patriots taking a 1-0 victory in front of the home crowd at George Mason Stadium.

The Patriots will be making their second trip to the CAA title game in the past three years, but will be looking to win the tournament for the first time since the CAA adopted its current format beginning with the 1990 season. Mason advanced all the way to the final match of the CAA Championship in 2006 before falling in the final to Hofstra in a match that was decided by penalty kicks.