NEWARK, N.J. (December 1, 2024) – Felician University has advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2024 NCAA Division II Men’s Soccer Championship tournament. Felician, the No. 6 seed in Super-Region 1, topped fellow Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference member Post University, 5-4, in a penalty-kick shootout after the teams tied, 3-3, in a third-round game hosted by Felician on Sunday afternoon at Frederick Douglass Field.
Felician (17-3-3) becomes the first CACC soccer team – men’s or women’s – to reach an NCAA round of eight. It is also the first time a Golden Falcon squad has advanced to an NCAA national quarterfinal in any sport.
Felician, the 2024 CACC champion, will next face super-region No. 1 seed University of Charleston on Saturday, December 7, in Charleston, W. Va., at a time to be announced. Charleston (20-1-1), ranked No. 2 in the latest national Division II coaches’ poll, defeated two-time defending national champion and super-region No. 5 seed Franklin Pierce University, 1-0, on Sunday.
No. 7 seed Post (13-5-5) overcame an early two-goal deficit to take a 3-2 lead during the 61st minute of Sunday’s action. The Golden Falcons received the equalizer on a bicycle kick by senior Massimo Girardi with 12 minutes, 24 seconds, left in period two, and neither team put a shot on frame for the balance of regular and extra time.
Felician, shooting second in the shootout, had missed on a chance to clinch when a player sent a shot high with score tied, 4-4. But in Round 6, Golden Falcon keeper Emanuele Moretti made a save, and Felician senior Manuel Otero followed with a conversion. Otero also had two assists in the match.
Felician amassed advantages of 21-7 in shots and 7-1 in corner kicks. Girardi scored twice and Hugo Rodriguez had the other Golden Falcon goal, with Kohta Yamanashi also registering two assists. Marc Ballart and Francisco Sousa scored and Ricardo Moreno made a career-best nine saves for the Eagles.
Felician is participating in the NCAA Tournament for the first time.
The Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference is celebrating the 20th anniversary of its affiliation with NCAA Division II. Conference institutions compete for championships in 18 sports – eight for men, nine for women, and one co-ed. The CACC contains 12 members in Connecticut, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. Membership includes Bloomfield College of Montclair State University, the University of Bridgeport, Caldwell University, Chestnut Hill College, Dominican University New York, Felician University, Georgian Court University, Goldey-Beacom College, Holy Family University, Post University, Thomas Jefferson University, and Wilmington University.