MEDFORD, MA (November 20, 2025) - For the tenth time in program history, the Tufts University men's soccer team has advanced to the NCAA Tournament "Sweet 16" and will host second- and third-round games at Bello Field this weekend (Nov. 22-23).
Head coach
Kyle Dezotell's Jumbos (16-1-3), the #1 team in the nation, will host Messiah University (13-7-2) on Saturday at 11:00 AM in the first Sweet 16 game of the weekend. Connecticut College (12-3-5) and Bowdoin College (12-3-3) square off in the other Sweet 16 game on Saturday at 1:30 PM. The winners will play in the "Elite 8" on Sunday at Bello with a 1:00 PM start time and a berth into the "Final Four" on the line.
NCAA Men's Soccer 2nd and 3rd Rounds at Tufts Details:
Dates: November 22-23, 2025 -
NCAA Bracket
Location: Tufts University's Bello Field (Medford, MA) |
Directions
Live Coverage:
Tufts vs. Messiah Video & Stats |
Connecticut College vs. Bowdoin Video & Stats | Elite 8 Game Video & Stats
"Our team is very excited about the opportunity to be on Bello Field to play Messiah on Saturday, and we'll go from there," Coach Dezotell said. "The guys are eager to go try to hunt down victories in this tournament. We're not letting anything sort of come to us or waiting for anything. We're trying to be the aggressors and trying to hunt down a national championship."Â
Three of the top 10 teams from the NPI rankings will be on Bello Field this weekend. In the final NPI rankings released November 9, from which tournament berths were based, Tufts was #1, Connecticut College was #7, Bowdoin College was #9 and Messiah University was at #107.
In their 14th NCAA appearance overall, NESCAC champion Tufts had wins over Penn State Harrisburg 5-0 and at host Brandeis University 1-0 in two overtimes during the opening rounds last weekend. Four-time national champions, Tufts now has a 35-8-4 record in NCAA games. They are in the tournament for the 11th straight season.
During their run to the program's first NCAA title in 2014, Tufts had a signature 1-0 victory over Messiah in the "Elite 8" that is the only meeting between the teams.
Should the Jumbos advance to Sunday's national quarterfinal, they obviously have long histories with their NESCAC rivals Connecticut College and Bowdoin. Against the Camels this year, Tufts won 2-1 back on September 21 and then defeated them 1-0 in the NESCAC final. The Jumbos and Bowdoin played to a 0-0 tie in the final game of the regular-season on October 28.
Messiah remains the most decorated program in NCAA Division III men's soccer history with 11 national championships won, the last one coming in 2017. Now in their 35th tournament overall, the Falcons won in the first round over Hobart College 1-0 in overtime and took their second-round contest against Calvin College 3-0. Messiah has a 93-19-7 all-time NCAA record, which is the most wins in tournament history.
The Connecticut College Camels have played in two of the last four NCAA championship matches, winning the national title in 2021 and finishing as the runner-up last season. Conn advanced to this weekend by getting past the University of Saint Joseph 6-0 and Babson College 2-1 last weekend. The Camels are in their ninth NCAA Tournament total (third straight) with a 15-5-5 record in those games.
Victories over Lyon College (Ark.) 7-2 and UMass Boston 3-2 in the first two rounds earned Bowdoin its Sweet 16 spot. The Polar Bears qualified for the second straight season and 11th time overall. They have a 9-6-6 NCAA record.
The Jumbos have been outstanding on defense this year with 14 shutouts in 20 games and a 0.446 goals against average which ranks fourth nationally. Senior
Nikola Antic was the NESCAC's All-Conference first team goalie (.813 save percentage). Tufts' offense scores 2.35 goals per game – the most of any team at the site this weekend. Junior first-team All-NESCAC
Xavier Canfin leads the way with five goals and six assists for 16 points.
The Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Commonwealth tournament champions, Messiah enters the weekend averaging 1.82 goals per game while allowing a 1.181 goals against average. On the All-MAC Commonwealth teams, senior leading scorer Patrick Lee (10-6-26) was on the first team. On defense the Falcons are led by junior All-Conference first-teamer Matt Griffin.
Connecticut College junior midfielder Max Haberman was the NESCAC Defensive Player of the Year this season. His play has helped the Camels allow a 0.653 GAA which is 20th nationally. On offense, where Conn scores 1.60 goals per game, junior Marco Perugini (NESCAC 1st team) is at the top of the scoring list with 19 points on seven goals and five assists.
Bowdoin has the NESCAC Player of the Year in senior midfielder Tyler Huck. He's the highest scorer at the site this weekend with 13 goals and eight assists for 34 points. That leads a Bowdoin offense that scores 2.22 goals per game. The Polar Bear defense, ranked 35th nationally allowing a 0.778 GAA, features a pair of All-Conference defenders including first-team junior Jack Banks.
Sunday's national quarterfinal winner on Bello Field will advance to the NCAA Final Four December 4 and 6 at Kerr Stadium in Salem, Virginia.
Â
--JUMBOS--
Â
