First-Round Matches Set for Friday at 2025 CAC Men’s Soccer Championship
The 2025 Continental Athletic Conference Men's Soccer Championship kicks off with two first-round matches on Friday, November 7, at Georgia Gwinnett College's Grizzly Soccer Complex in Lawrenceville, Georgia.
Carolina University (North Carolina), the No. 4 seed, faces No. 5 seed Florida College at 5 p.m. before No. 3 seed Florida National University and No. 6 seed Hesston College (Kansas) conclude the opening day at 8 p.m.
Tournament host GGC, the top seed, and No. 2 seed Bellevue University (Nebraska) received first-round byes. They will begin the postseason event with semifinal matches on Sunday, November 9. The championship match is set for Tuesday, November 11, at 7 p.m.
The champion will earn the conference's automatic bid to the NAIA national tournament.
Georgia Gwinnett College (10-2-3) is ranked No. 12 in the latest NAIA Top 25 poll and closed out the regular season with a 3-0 road win against Thomas University (Georgia) on October 25. Ousmane Fall leads the Grizzlies with 14 goals while Alejandro Contrera has added eight goals and six assists to the team's offensive attack. Djordje Djurasinovic and Luka Colic have scored seven and five goals, respectively. Goalkeeper Victor Darub has stopped 42 shots and started all 15 matches this fall.
Bellevue (10-7-1), winner of the past five CAC titles, collected a 3-2 victory against Dakota Wesleyan University (South Dakota) to conclude the regular season on October 25. Adam Sherwood leads the Bruins with 10 goals and Jeremiah Hteh has added six goals. Okan Erkocu and Juan Lagares have each provided six assists. Goalkeeper Kaden Simpson has recorded 63 saves across 17 matches this fall.
Florida National (10-3-3) enters postseason play on a three-match winning streak. The Conquistadors went 4-1-0 against CAC competition this fall, including a 3-2 victory against Bellevue on September 27. Filipe Ribeiro has scored a team-high 14 goals and David Luque has nine goals to go along with nine assists. Juan Pugin has added eight assists and four goals to the team's offensive attack. Goalkeeper Vitor Caetano has posted a 1.11 goals against average and recorded 35 saves.
Carolina (7-4-2) is coming of a 2-0 loss against Johnson & Wales University (North Carolina) on October 29. The Bruins have scored 22 goals this season, led by Will McCamley and Lewis Jacklin each contributing eight goals. Karell Buitendijk and Samuel Richter have found the back of the net twice. Goalkeeper Joshua Wilson has started all 12 matches and has stopped 42 shots in 2025.
Florida College (7-8-2) earned a 2-2 draw against Pensacola Christian College (Florida) on October 31. The Falcons finished the regular season with a 2-1-1 record across their last four matches. Leo Hackett and Yorgen Torees have each scored five goals while Jhon Solis and John Solis have added three goals apiece. Goalkeeper Filip Borka has recorded 57 saves and started 12 matches.
Hesston (11-6-1), making its NAIA postseason debut, is unbeaten across its last 10 matches, including six straight triumphs. The Larks scored a 3-0 victory against Barclay College (Kansas) on October 28. Jaiden Fox Trevelyan and Alexander Radu are tied for the team lead with seven goals. Santi Llanos and Kenji Taira have both scored five goals while Yura Yamazaki is tops on the team with 13 assists. Goalkeeper Harry Morris has posted a 0.80 goals against average and made 27 saves across 11 matches.