WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Catholic men's soccer team is headed to Cortland, N.Y. after punching their ticket to the NCAA DIII Tournament First Round. The Cardinals will take on reigning national champions of Amherst College on Saturday, November 15 at 1:30 p.m.

The Road to the Tournament

The Cardinals earned an automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament after capturing their third consecutive Landmark Conference Championship and sixth straight postseason appearance. Catholic defeated Drew 1-0 in the title match to earn their spot on the national stage.

Amherst received an at-large berth after finishing the season 8-5-3 and making an appearance in the NESCAC Tournament Quarterfinal. The Mammoths have appeared in the national championship game three of the last four seasons, claiming their second national title last December. 

At the Helm

Head Coach Connor Keenan guided the Cardinals to their third straight Landmark crown, his second in just two years at the helm. Under Keenan's leadership, Catholic has a record of 23-6-11, including an undefeated 13-0-6  campaign this season.

This will mark the first-ever meeting between Catholic and Amherst. The Mammoths are led by Justin Serpone, now in his 18th season. Serpone has taken Amherst to the NCAA tournament every year since taking the role as head coach. 

Cardinals to Keep and Eye On

For the second consecutive season, Holden Woodings was named Landmark Conference Offensive Player of the Year. The junior led the conference with nine goals, including three game-winners. Seth Michalak, a Second Team All-Conference selection, had the second-most goals on the squad with six, four of them being game winners.

Carson Shamoo and Azaria Tewodros tied in the third slot with four goals apiece, each netting a game-winner. Shamoo also earned Landmark Conference Rookie of the Year after his debut season, adding five assists, while Tewodros contributed three.

In goal, Owen Allegro has started in 18 games, logging 1,578 minutes and 34 saves. Allegro ranks 32nd in the nation with seven shutouts and 10th in the country in goals against average. 

On the defensive end, Corey Magro, Graham Leary and Charlie Paparella have played key roles, each appearing in all 19 matches. Magro leads the team with 1710 minutes, followed by Leary with 1656, and Paparella with 1635. Catholic is currently sixth in the nation in team goals against average, sitting at .474.

Scouting the Mammoths

Mohammad Nuhu leads Amherst with six goals, including four game winners. Nuhu also leads the team with three assists and forty shots. Nuhu picked up three goals in last season's postseason play.

Vincent Akano and Leo Wilensky have each netted three goals for Amherst, while Obed Opoku and Ioannis Hadjiyiannis have added two apiece.

Defensively, Trey Sheppard has recorded 49 saves and four shutouts. Defender Riley Priddy has also been a mainstay on the Mammoth's backline, leading the team in minutes played with 1335, and contributing an assist against Amherst's 2-1 victory over Hamilton.

Around the Bracket

Host school, SUNY-Cortland will take on SUNY-Delhi in Saturday's first matchup at 11 a.m. The Red Dragons earned an at-large berth and are making their fifth straight appearance while the Broncos earned an automatic bid after securing their first NAC Championship. The winner will play in Sunday's Second Round match up.