ST. LOUIS, Mo. - Rhode Island senior midfielder Simon Gatti was named tournament MVP after leading the Rams to a victory over Saint Louis in the Atlantic 10 Men's Soccer Championship game, this afternoon. Tied, 2-2, after regulation and two overtimes, the match ended with the Rams edging the Billikins, 5-4, in penalty kicks.

Junior forward Jeffrey Gonsalves and sophomore forward Lukasz Tumicz joined Gatti on the All-Tournament Team for the Rams, who won their second conference championship in the last three years and fifth overall. URI also earns an automatic bid to the NCAA Division I Tournament with the victory. Pairings will be announced Monday (Nov. 14) at 4:30 p.m.

Tournament top-seed Saint Louis (9-5-5) got on the board first, scoring on a free kick at 18:21 to take a 1-0 lead. Rhode Island (13-7-2) answered 8:35 later as Tumicz took a Gonsalves feed and planted it in the left post from 12 yards out to knot the game, 1-1, at 26:56.

The Rams went ahead in the second half after a Saint Louis turnover led to freshman forward Kedan Crosby rolling his second-career goal past the Billikin goalkeeper from 30 yards out to stake URI to a 2-1 lead at 63:03.

Saint Louis would even the score, 2-2, at 81:52 after a shot popped over senior goalkeeper Dean Ruddy from 12 yards out.

After a pair of scoreless overtime periods, the Rams would convert all five of their penalty kick attempts as sophomore forward Dawid Badecki, Tumicz, Gatti, sophomore back Callum Bissett and Gonsalves all found the back of the Saint Louis net. Ruddy, who was credited with six saves for the match, stopped the very first Billikin penalty shot to preserve the 5-4 shootout victory.

The third-seeded Rams, who extended their nine-match winning streak, defeated sixth-seeded Massachusetts, 2-0, in Thursday's quarterfinal, and second-seeded Duquesne, 2-1, in overtime in Friday's semifinal to setup Sunday's championship with top-seeded Saint Louis.

This is the fifth overall A-10 Championship for Rhode Island after also winning titles in 2003, 2000, 1999, 1995.