Men's Soccer

Cardinals Host Rangers in Landmark Men’s Soccer Title Game

TOWSON, Md. - The Landmark Conference Men’s Soccer Championship will feature No. 2 Catholic University hosting No. 5 on Saturday, Nov. 8 at 3:30 p.m. on Carlini Field. The winner earns an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

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How They Got Here
  • Catholic, the second seed, earned a first-round bye and hosted sixth-seed Lycoming College on Wednesday, November 5. In the 30th minute, Carson Shamoo scored from the top of the box to give Catholic a 1-0 lead. Just three minutes later, Donik Elshani converted a pass from Tewodros to make it 2-0, giving Elshani his third goal of the season. Lycoming pressed in the second half, but Catholic kept control. In the 56th minute, Francesco Mattucci scored his first goal of the season off a loose ball, pushing the lead to 3-0. The Cardinals held the shutout to advance to the championship.
     
  • Fifth-seeded Drew upset top-seeded and 17th-ranked Scranton in the semifinals, advancing to the championship for the first time since 2021. After a 1-1 tie in regulation and two scoreless 10-minute overtimes, the Rangers won a penalty-kick shootout, 5-4, with Nick Venziale scoring the game-winning PK. Drew’s defense was key, including a season-high eight saves from junior goalkeeper Donovan Friedhoff. Junior Andrew Dunne scored the lone regulation goal in the sixth minute, while Scranton equalized in the 58th. Drew clamped down in overtime, allowing no shots, and prevailed in the shootout with tallies from Turkcan Curak, James Cahill, Lucas Czerniak, Nate Keller, and the decisive goal from Venziale.

Players to Watch: Catholic
  • Holden Woodings: 9 goals, 19 points
  • Ben Zimmer: 6 assists
  • Owen Allegro: 6 shutouts, 33 saves, 0.544 GAA
  • Defense: Has allowed just 9 goals all season

Players to Watch: Drew
  • Ignacio Martinez: 5 goals, 3 assists
  • Matt Munoz: 4 goals
  • James Cahill (Midfielder): 4 assists
  • Donovan Friedhoff: 56 saves, 0.98 GAA, 3 shutouts

Postseason History
  • This will be the second Landmark Championship meeting between the programs, the first having taken place in 2021, when the Cardinals won 2-0. Catholic is chasing its third straight title and eighth overall, while Drew is aiming for its third championship and first since 2017.
     
  • This marks the first time since 2022, and only the sixth time since 2007 that the Landmark men’s soccer championship match has not featured a No. 1 seed.