USJ To Meet Intrastate Foe Connecticut College In First Round Of NCAA's
Release Courtesy of USJ (Conn.) Athletic Communications
WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – The University of Saint Joseph (USJ) men's soccer team, which captured its second consecutive and third overall Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Championship this past Saturday, has been selected to play Connecticut College in the First Round of the 2025 NCAA Division III Men's Soccer Tournament at Freeman Field in New London, Conn. The Blue Jays watched in anticipation during the team's selection show viewing party as each of the 64 teams in the bracket were revealed Monday morning on www.NCAA.com.
OFFICIAL NCAA RELEASE | NCAA TOURNAMENT BRACKET
Connecticut College was selected to host the first and second-round games from November 15-16, with matches to be played on Freeman Field in New London. The Blue Jays will face the host Camels in the opening game on Saturday, November 15 at 11 a.m. Joining USJ and Connecticut in the regional are SUNY Oneonta and Babson College, who will play at 1:30 p.m. The single-elimination tournament continues on Sunday, November 16, when the two winners will meet at 1 p.m. for the right to advance to the Sectional Round the following weekend.
THE COMPETITION
The regional features nationally ranked Connecticut College and three conference champions. The Camels, ranked No. 7 in the most recent United Soccer Coaches (USC) National Poll, earned an at-large bid after falling to Tufts in the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) Championship game. USJ earned its berth after winning its third GNAC title in program history, while SUNY Oneonta won the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) and Babson captured the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Championship.
CONNECTICUT COLLEGE
The nationally ranked No. 7 Camels (10-3-5) earned an at-large bid after falling to Tufts in the NESCAC Championship game this past Sunday. Connecticut advanced to the NCAA Championship game last year, falling to Amherst in penalty kicks. The Camels won the program's lone NCAA title in 2021.
UNIVERSITY SAINT JOSEPH
The Blue Jays (13-4-2) captured their second straight and third overall GNAC Championship this past Saturday, with a 3-2 win over Rivier University. It marked USJ's third conference title in the past four seasons and the 15th GNAC championship in school history across all sports. The Blue Jays are making their second consecutive and third overall NCAA Tournament appearance.
SUNY ONEONTA
The Red Dragons (12-4-4) clinched their spot in the NCAA Tournament after defeating Buffalo State in the SUNYAC Championship game this past Saturday. The title marked the program's 13th SUNYAC Championship and its 12th NCAA Tournament appearance, and first since 2023. Oneonta has reached the Final Four three times, most recently in 2015.
BABSON COLLEGE
The Beavers (10-6-4) earned their NCAA berth after defeating WPI in the NEWMAC Championship game this past Saturday. It marks the Beavers' fifth consecutive and 33rd overall NCAA Tournament appearance. Babson has won three national championships, most recently in 1980.
THE TOURNAMENT
Forty-three conferences were awarded automatic qualification for the championship. One team was selected from Pool B, while the remaining 20 berths were reserved for Pool C, which includes institutions from automatic-qualifying conferences that did not win their league title and any remaining Pool B teams.
All tournament games leading up to the national semifinals will be played on the campuses of competing institutions. Sixteen sites will host four teams each for first- and second-round competition from Nov. 15-16. Second-round winners will advance to one of four sectional sites from Nov. 22-23.
Winners of the four sectionals will move on to the national semifinals, scheduled for Dec. 5 at Kerr Stadium in Salem, Va. The national championship game will be played on Dec. 7.
Interactive Bracket | Regional Rankings | NCAA Stats
UP NEXT
The Blue Jays will compete in the First Round of the NCAA Division III Men's Soccer Tournament against Connecticut College on Saturday, November 15, with kickoff slated for 11 a.m. at Freeman Field in New London, Conn. Ticket information will be announced soon.
ABOUT THE GREAT NORTHEAST ATHLETIC CONFERENCE
The Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) is an NCAA Division III association made up of 14 member institutions and over 4000 student-athletes across the New England region. Founded in 1995, the GNAC annually sponsors and administers 20 championships, while balancing academic integrity, athletic opportunity and community involvement in an effort to enhance the student-athlete experience.
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