GRANVILLE. Ohio (Nov. 22) – The 10th ranked Denison University men's soccer team continues its postseason run Saturday morning when they face top-ranked Mary Washington in the Third Round of the 2024 NCAA Men's Soccer Championship Tournament.
Led by fifth-year head coach
Brandon Bianco, the Big Red have made its deepest NCAA run since 1979. The pair of wins last weekend gave Denison multiple wins in the same NCAA Tournament for the first time.
The Big Red and host Eagles will square off at 11 a.m. in Fredericksburg, Va. on Saturday. Fellow North Coast Athletic Conference member and 14th ranked Kenyon College will take on Connecticut College in the second game of the day with a projected 1:30 p.m. kickoff.
The two advancing teams will meet Sunday, November 24 in the NCAA quarterfinals at 1 p.m. for a spot in the NCAA Final Four, which will be held in Las Vegas on Dec. 5-7.
Denison advanced to the Sweet 16 with a pair of wins at Kienzle-Hylbert Stadium in Granville last weekend. The Big Red rolled to a 5-1 win over Anderson University in the NCAA First Round last Saturday. The Big Red controlled the match from the outset as the Big Red picked up its first NCAA Tournament win since 2006.
Jake Krueger, the 2024 NCAC Offensive Player of the Year, played a role in the first three goals in the win over the Ravens. Krueger assisted scores by
Zarius Eusebe and
Eli Taylor while also scoring a goal of his.
Phil Koutsaftis and
Doyle Catlin tallied second half scores for the Big Red.
Then in the NCAA's Second Round, Denison knocked off 22nd ranked Ohio Northern by a 4-1 score Sunday to advance to the NCAA Sectionals.
Eli Taylor scored twice in the first half to power the Big Red in the win over the Polar Bears.
Jack Rice and Eusebe scored second half goals to help Denison pull away in the victory.
Denison will enter Saturday's contest with a 14-1-6 overall record. The Big Red are led by Krueger, who has 14 goals and seven assists this fall. Taylor ranks second on the squad with seven goals.
Tommy Prokos has allowed just 10 goals and has made 50 saves in 20 appearances this season. The Big Red is fourth in team goals against and sixth in shutout percentage this season.
UMW moved on to the Third Round after earning wins over William Peace (3-1) and Ohio Wesleyan (1-0) last weekend. In the 88th minute, Jordy Santana lifted Mary Washington past OWU when he scored the lone goal of the match. This is the third-straight Sweet 16 appearance for the Eagles, who enter Saturday's game with an 18-1-2 overall record. Carter Berg and Sammy Amorose have powered the Eagles' offense this fall. Berg has 37 points (14 goals, 9 assists) while Amorose has 33 points (13 goals, 7 assists). Freddy Rogers has made 60 saves and has allowed just 18 goals while spending the bulk of the season in net for the Eagles. Mary Washington ranks fourth in corner kicks per game and fifth in shots per game among D-III schools.
Two common opponents between the Big Red and Eagles this season were Bethany and Christopher Newport. Denison beat Bethany by a 7-0 margin while UMW topped Bethany by a 5-0 score. Denison snagged a 4-2 win over CNU back on Sept. 27. UMW and CNU have met three times in 2024 as members of the Coast-To-Coast Conference. The Eagles prevailed in all three matchups including a 3-2 victory in the conference title match on Nov. 10.
On the other side, Connecticut College (12-2-6) enters winners of four straight. The Camels, who are receiving votes in the national poll, clinched a spot in the NCAA Tournament by winning the New England Small College Athletic Conference Tournament. While hosting the first two rounds, the Camels won 4-1 against Suffolk University in the opening round before shutting out No. 19 Franklin and Marshall College by a 3-0 margin to secure the program's fourth 'Sweet 16' spot over the last five tournaments held.
The Owls enter Saturday with a 13-3-4 record. Kenyon is doubling up its opponents in terms of goals (40-20) this season. Alem Duratovic leads the Owls with 20 points which includes nine goals. Kenyon scored in the 45th minute to secure a 1-0 win over Spalding last week in the first round. The Owls then punched their ticket to the Sweet 16 by advancing on penalty kicks in its second round matchup with Hamilton College.
Tickets to the games at UMW can be purchased on gameday. Tickets are all-session so fans can watch both games on Saturday. Fans must buy separate tickets for Sunday's quarterfinals matchup. Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for senior citizens, veterans, students (with ID), and children ages 2-12. Children under the age of two will be admitted free of charge.
Gameday Links
Watch:
https://www.ncaa.com/game/6348530
Live Stats:
https://www.ncaa.com/game/6348530
