the first time in eight years after clinching a playoff berth this weekend by punishing Xavier 4-1 at South Riding Field.

Heading into Friday’s game, GW (9-5-2, 6-3-1 A-10) was in fourth place, needing one win and a Duquesne loss to clinch the final qualifying spot for the Atlantic 10 Championships. After GW’s victory, Temple’s win over Duquesne assured the Colonials of their first playoff appearance since 1992.

GW drove A-10 leader Dayton into double-overtime Sunday, managing a 2-2 tie behind forward Matt Osborne’s two goals. Osborne leads the Colonials in scoring with 15 goals.

The A-10 tournament starts Friday at Rhode Island, where the Colonials will play either Massachusetts or Dayton.

GW 2, Dayton 2Sunday, Oct. 29

In its final regular season game before the playoffs, GW battled Dayton and tied the top A-10 team 2-2 in a double-overtime contest at South Riding Field.

Forward Matt Osborne scored GW’s only two goals. The first came off Jason Holloway’s pass at the two-minute mark of the first half and the second was scored on a penalty kick. Osborne earned the penalty kick when a Dayton defender committed a handball violation in the goal-box.

Each time GW scored Dayton followed suit. Four minutes after Osborne’s first goal, A-10 points-leader R.J. Kaszuba put a free kick past GW goalkeeper Nick Parypinski.

Dayton scored its final goal when Michael Nsien headed in a corner kick past Parypinski.

With the game tied 2-2 late in the first half, Parypinski faced Dayton’s Lee Crawford on a penalty kick. The goalkeeper made the save and neither team was able to score from then on.

Parypinski played sensationally, making 11 saves on an aggressive Dayton offense that took 26 shots.

GW 4, Xavier 1Friday, Oct. 27

The GW men’s soccer team beat Xavier 4-1 at South Riding Field Friday, clinching a berth in the A-10 Championships.

Four different GW players scored against Xavier, including the team’s leading scorer Matt Osborne. Osborne scored on a penalty kick after forward Matt Pilkington was shoved inside the Xavier goal box.

GW controlled much of the game except for one early Xavier charge.

Xavier started the contest pressing near the GW goal box. The Musketeers’ Sam Fiore sent a crossing pass to Josh Hammerschmidt who knocked in a header over Parypinski to take an early 1-0 lead.

GW responded soon after when Riccardo Forno knocked a corner kick to Holloway. The forward then sent a crossing pass to Pilkington, who scored to tie the game.

Seven minutes later, Pilkington was shoved in the goal box – one of 16 Xavier fouls. Osborne was selected to take the penalty shot and scored to put GW up 2-1.

Osborne played a key role in GW’s third goal. Minutes into the second half, Osborne made a long pass to Greg Friedman. Friedman jumped and headed the ball toward the goal. Ted Tucker then redirected the shot past Xavier goalkeeper Paul Wesseling.

GW assured its playoff berth in the 81st minute when Andre Cardim knocked in a deflection off a Pilkington shot.