The #3 Middlebury men's soccer team will head to Amherst, Massachusetts on Saturday, November 18 to continue their quest for the program's second NCAA Championship. The Panthers take on sixth-ranked SUNY Cortland in the NCAA Third Round at 1:30 p.m., with the winner moving on to a quarterfinal matchup against the winner of #13 Amherst and Occidental. 
ABOUT MIDDLEBURY

• The Panthers reached the third round following a pair of wins on South Street Field last weekend. Middlebury rushed past Western New England (WNE) 3-0 in the first round, before downing Johns Hopkins 2-1 the following day.  
• The Panthers earned an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament and are making their 16th NCAA Tournament appearance and sixth-straight.
• Middlebury enters the weekend with a 14-1-4 overall mark, and ended the regular season with an unbeaten 11-0-4 record which was the program's best finish since 1998. 
• The squad holds a 17-10-7 overall record in tournament play. 
• The Panthers are on the hunt for the program's second national title. In 2007, the squad defeated Trinity (TX) 1-0 in the national championship, prevailing 4-3 in a penalty shootout. Head Coach Alex Elias '08 was a player on the team at the time.
• Middlebury has reached the quarterfinal round on four occasions, most recently in 2021. 
• During Sunday's second round win over Johns Hopkins, the Panthers set a single-season scoring record with 48 goals, surpassing the previous mark of 46 set in 2015.  
• The Panthers are ranked in the top-25 in Division III in a host of statistical team categories. The team is sixth in winning percentage (.842), eighth in team goals against average (.579), ninth in shutout percentage (.579), 13th in save percentage (.853), 19th in goal difference (+37) and 24th in assists per game (2.16).

PANTHERS TO WATCH

• Jordan Saint-Louis and Gavin Randolph have been a formidable attacking duo this season. Saint-Louis had a sensational opening weekend, firing in a brace against the Golden Bears and setting up both goals in the win over the Blue Jays. This fall, the forward leads the NESCAC in points (30), goals (10), assists (10) and game-winning goals (five) and garnered All-NESCAC First Team praise. Randolph is second on the team in points (19) and goals (seven), while adding five assists and garnering All-NESCAC Second Team.
• In midfield, All-NESCAC Second Team member Kyle Nilsson scored the game-winning goal in the victory over the Blue Jays and assisted on Middlebury's third goal against WNE. This season, Nilsson has found the back of the net three times, each of which was a game-winner, and has assisted on eight markers, which is second-most in the conference. Tyler Payne netted goals in both NCAA contests last weekend and is tied for second on the team with seven markers. The midfield pair are each tied for third in points (14) this season. 
• Eujin Chae anchors the midfield and was named to the All-NESCAC Second Team. He has started all 19 matches this season, logging 1,261 minutes as well as tallying a goal and assist. 
• The defensive unit of Luke Madden, Hank Nelson and Owen Davis have started the last 13 matches together. The group has allowed just 11 goals this season and shutout 11 opponents, while conceding one or fewer goals in all but three contests this season. Madden, an All-NESCAC First Team selection, has started all 19 games at center-back, registering 10 points (4G, 2A), while Nelson has racked up 1,600 minutes.    
• In between the sticks, Ryan Grady has posted a NESCAC-best 11 shutouts this year, the third most in Division III. His .586 goals against average (GAA) and .851 save percentage lead the conference and rank 15th and 18th in the nation, respectively. Grady has broken a plethora of school records during his time at Middlebury, including career shutouts (40) and career saves (265), while currently sitting third in single-season shutouts (11). The goalie was named the NESCAC Defensive Player of the Year this season and earned a spot on the all-conference first team.

ABOUT #6 SUNY CORTLAND

• SUNY Cortland received an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament after claiming the SUNYAC Championship with a 1-0 victory over SUNY Oneonta.
• The Red Dragons are making just their second appearance in the NCAA Tournament and second in a row. The program is 2-1-2 overall during that span.
• SUNY Cortland has reached the NCAA third round twice, falling 2-1 to Stevens a season ago. 
• The Red Dragons opened the tournament with a 2-1 win over Alfred State before sneaking past Case Western Reserve University (Case Western) 5-3 in penalty kicks following a 1-1 draw. 
• SUNY Cortland enters the weekend with a 16-2-3 record and is unbeaten in its last eight games. 

RED DRAGONS TO WATCH

• SUNY Cortland features a high-powered offense, with four players tallying double-digit goals this season. Mateo Marra leads the way for the Red Dragons, tallying 33 points on the season (11G, 11A). The midfielder scored the team's lone marker against Case Western and assisted on the opening goal in the victory over Alfred State.
• The forward pairing of Matt Shultz and Jack Coleman have each started every match in which they've featured. Shultz is tied for the team lead in goals (11) and is second on the squad in both assists (seven) and points (29). Coleman has fired in 10 markers and has set up four tallies, for a total of 24 points on the year.
• Yasin Choukri rounds out the Red Dragon attack. The midfielder has played in all 21 games, and found the back of the net 10 times. The junior scored the game-winning penalty kick in SUNY Cortland's victory over Case Western.
• In defense, Cade Denlinger (0G, 5A) and Alex Lessman (2G, 1A) have each started every match this season and contributed five points. In goal, Jordan Ott has started all 21 contests for the Red Dragons, and boasts a .68 goals against average and .823 save percentage while keeping 10 clean sheets.

SERIES HISTORY

• The Panthers and the Red Dragons will meet for the first time in the history of the two soccer programs.
• There is one connection with the two programs, as assistant coach Rob Emmett graduated from SUNY Cortland in 2014 having played for the men's soccer team for three seasons.

ABOUT #13 AMHERST

• Amherst earned a spot in the NCAA third round after defeating SUNY Poly 2-1 and Stevens 1-0 in overtime.
• The Mammoths secured an automatic qualifier to the NCAA Tournament after downing Tufts 1-0 in the NESCAC Final. 
• This is Amherst's 21st appearance on the national stage and 10th in a row. The Mammoths are 41-15-10 in NCAA Tournament play.
• Middlebury and Amherst are familiar foes. If the teams meet in the quarterfinal round, it will be the 61st matchup with the Panthers owning a 26-21-13 edge. The squads have met three times in the NCAA Tournament, most recently in the 2021 quarterfinals, where the Mammoths emerged with a 1-0 victory.
• Mohammed Nuhu paces the squad in points (18) and goals (seven), while NESCAC Player of the Year Ada Okorogheye sits just behind him with 16 points and six markers. The pair have each set up four tallies this season. 
• Simon Kalinauskas highlights the Amherst backline, playing 1,556 minutes while scoring four times and registering three helpers.

ABOUT OCCIDENTAL

• Occidental reached the NCAA Tournament by winning the SCIAC automatic bid with a 3-0 victory over Redlands in the championship tilt.
• This is the Tigers' first NCAA Tournament appearance and they currently hold a 2-0 record after defeating the University of St. Thomas (Texas) 2-1 and Trinity (Texas) 4-1 to earn their spot in the third round. 
• If Middlebury and Occidental both reach the NCAA Quarterfinal, it will be the first meeting between the schools in men's soccer. 
• Andrew Notter leads the Tigers with 12 goals and 27 points this season in only 856 minutes of action. Oury Diane (7G, 6A) and Joey Schwartz (4G, 9A) complete Occidental's attacking trident, with 20 and 17 points, respectively. 
• Vincente Navarro has been a stalwart in defense for the Tigers, starting all 18 games he's featured in and pacing the team with 1,481 minutes played. 

TOURNAMENT INFORMATION

• NCAA Championship Interactive Bracket
• NCAA Championship Selection Show