The GW men’s soccer will make its first postseason appearance in eight years Friday night against top-ranked Dayton in the first round of the Atlantic 10 Championships at Rhode Island.

If the No. 4-seeded Colonials win, they would advance to the championship round to play either No. 2 Massachusetts or No. 3 Rhode Island. The A-10 champion advances to the NCAA Tournament. GW was shut out by visiting Massachusetts and Rhode Island last month.

The Colonials (9-5-3, 6-3-1 Atlantic 10) faced Dayton (14-3-1, 8-1-1 A-10) last Sunday in both team’s final regular season games. GW forced the visiting Flyers into double-overtime and tied them 2-2. GW’s leading scorer, Matt Osborne, scored both GW goals and goalkeeper Nick Parypinski made 11 saves including one on a penalty kick.

Colonials senior forward Jason Holloway said Dayton, which finished with the best A-10 record, had to keep up with GW in the tie.

They tied us, Holloway said. We scored first and then they had to score.

The Colonials were also playing Dayton without key offensive threat Matt Pilkington.

This time Pilkington will play, but Holloway may not. The forward said he pulled a hamstring against Dayton and has not practiced all week. If he does not start, the game plan changes.

Somebody has to step up, that’s what we’ve been doing all year, Holloway said.

The key to victory, Holloway said, is a strong will to win.

It’s gonna take heart and desire, he said. They’re all beatable teams. It’s gonna be about desire.

The Colonials clinched their playoff berth last Friday when they beat Xavier and fifth-place Duquense lost.