Three BIG EAST Men’s Soccer Teams Advance to the Round of 16 - Big East Conference Skip To Main Content

Big East Conference

The BIG EAST Conference The Official Website of The BIG EAST Conference

Members

Men's Soccer

Three BIG EAST Men’s Soccer Teams Advance to the Round of 16

Standings | Stats | Bracket
 
NEW YORK – On Sunday, four BIG EAST men’s soccer teams took the pitch in the Second Round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament, with Akron, UConn and Georgetown each securing victories on their respective home fields. Seton Hall came up short on the road against No. 11 seed Bryant, 1-0.
 
Up next, No. 13 seed UConn will travel to College Park to face No. 4 seed Maryland at 1 p.m. ET on Saturday, Nov. 29, while No. 7 seed Georgetown will return to Shaw Field to host No. 10 seed High Point at 5 p.m. On Sunday, Nov. 30, No. 14 seed Akron will return to its home pitch to battle Duke at 4 p.m.
 
Following the conclusion of Sunday’s results, the BIG EAST Conference and Atlantic Coast Conference are tied for the most remaining teams entering the Sweet 16, with a trio of teams apiece.
 
Three BIG EAST teams advancing to play in the Round of 16 is also tied for the most by the league since 2020, played during the spring 2021 season due to COVID, when Seton Hall, Georgetown and Marquette each advanced.
 
---
Akron 1, Notre Dame 0 | Full Recap | Box Score
Akron senior Matthew Paiva netted the game-winning goal in the 88th minute to lift the Zips to a dramatic 1-0 victory over Notre Dame at FirstEnergy Stadium. The win advances Akron to the Third Round of the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2018 where Akron will host Duke. On Sunday, the Zips and Irish battled through a scoreless opening stanza with Akron outshooting Notre Dame, 8-5, with both teams placing three shots on goal. Overall, Akron outshot Notre Dame, 14-11, for the game as the Zips put six shots on target.
 
UConn 3, Cornell 1 | Full Recap | Box Score
Despite going down 1-0 in the 37th minute, the Huskies rallied back with three-unanswered goals to advance to the round of 16 for the first time since 2013. Austin Brummett found an equalizer in the 43rd minute, before adding another in the final seconds of the opening 45 minutes, registering his second brace of the season and a total of 10 goals on the year. The Big Red attack continued to make a push for the equalizer of their own in the second half, however the UConn defense held strong to keep the ball out of the net. Redshirt-sophomore goalkeeper Kyle Durham made four of his seven saves in the second half to secure the win in net. The Huskies added an insurance goal in the 78th minute off the head of sophomore defender Alex Tupay, the first goal of his collegiate career.
 
Georgetown 2, UCF 0 | Full Recap | Box Score
In a back-and-forth affair between the BIG EAST and Sun Belt Tournament Champions, it was the Hoyas that prevailed with a 2-0 triumph behind a two-goal performance by Mitchell Baker. Scoreless through the opening half, it was the Knights that took advantage early in the second half, however the Blue & Gray defense continued to hold strong before Mateo Ponce Ocampo flicked a no look pass to Baker who buried home the go-ahead goal in the 69th minute. The sophomore striker added an insurance goal in the 80th minute, his 13th tally of the season, off a beautiful header on a Max Viera cross. Overall, the Hoyas outshot the Knights, 11-10, with both teams managing four on goal. In net, Tenzing Manske corralled four saves in the shutout.

Bryant 1, Seton Hall 0 | Full Recap | Box Score
After advancing out of the opening round with a penalty kick triumph against Siena, Seton Hall came up short in a road match against No. 11 seed Bryant, 1-0. Both sides struggled to muster offensive chances in the first half, leaving the match tied at 0-0 with not a single shot on goal through the first 45 minutes. The Bulldogs would put the Pirates down 1-0 in the 57th minute after a ball served into the penalty area was headed into the back of the net. In the final 20 minutes, a shift to a two-forward look gave the Pirates plenty of offensive pressure in their search for an equalizer. However, the Bulldogs held The Hall off every time, ending the Pirates' season.
 
BIG EAST – NCAA Tournament
First Round
Seton Hall 1, Siena 1 (SHU adv. PKs, 3-0)
West Virginia 3, St. John’s 2 (OT)
 
Second Round
No. 7 Georgetown 2, UCF 0
No. 13 UConn 3, Cornell 1
No. 14 Akron 1, Notre Dame 0
No. 11 Bryant 1, Seton Hall 0
 
Third Round – Saturday, Nov. 29
No. 13 UConn at No. 4 Maryland, 1 p.m.
No. 10 High Point at No. 7 Georgetown, 5 p.m.
 
Third Round – Sunday, Nov. 30
Duke at No. 14 Akron, 4 p.m.