The St. Lawrence University men's soccer program enters the NCAA Tournament for the 25th time in program history and for the first time since the 2022 season after earning an at-large bid.

The Saints will take on Neumann in the first round, hosted by No. 16 Bowdoin, and it will be the first-ever meeting between St. Lawrence and the Knights.

The Scarlet and Brown, who are ranked No. 12 in the United Soccer Coaches Poll and No. 16 in the NPI, are in search of the program's second national title and first since 1999, when Mike Toshack was an assistant coach for the 22-0-0 Saints.

St. Lawrence enters the tournament with an 11-2-4 overall record. The Saints won the Liberty League regular-season title with a 5-1-3 conference mark and earned a first-round bye in last weekend's conference tournament.

The Saints routed Skidmore 4-1 in the semifinals behind standout performances from senior captains Baker Diaz and Nicholas Petrone to advance to the championship match, where they fell 1-0 to Vassar in a hard-fought title bout.

The Scarlet and Brown head to Brunswick, Maine, with some added hardware after the Liberty League announced its annual awards and All-League teams on Tuesday.

Senior Nicholas Petrone was named the Liberty League Performer of the Year, while sophomore goalkeeper Zach Amato earned Defensive Performer of the Year honors. Mike Toshack, along with assistant coaches Luke van Galen and Eric Shinnick, was named Liberty League Co-Coaching Staff of the Year. The honor is the third for Toshack, who last received the award in 2022.

Petrone is the first Saint since 2024 to win Player of the Year, and is the 19^th player in program history to receive the award. Amato is the first Defensive Player of the Year since Ben Woelfinger '23 was named Co-Defensive Player of the Year in 2023, and the overall Defensive Player of the Year in 2022. Amato is the seventh Saint to don the honor.

Petrone and Amato were First Team selections alongside sophomore defender Kenneth Mejia Lopez. It marks Petrone's third career All-League honor after earning Second Team recognition in 2024 and Honorable Mention accolades in 2025, while Amato and Mejia Lopez are making their All-League debuts.

Mejia Lopez emerged as a complete fullback for the Saints, making an impact all over the pitch. Along with his defensive responsibilities, the sophomore recorded nine points on two goals and five assists.

Gracing the Second Team are senior captains Baker Diaz and Dennis Argueta. Diaz earned All-League recognition for the fourth time in his career after being named Honorable Mention as a first-year and earning First Team honors in each of the past two seasons as a center back. After three seasons in defense, Diaz made the switch to striker and made an immediate impact.

Rounding out the All-League selections are Third Team honorees Sammy Bothwell, Grant Gilmer, and Kyle Reddish.

Petrone, who recorded three points in Friday's semifinal to increase his season total to 23, was the offensive catalyst for the Saints this season. The captain led the team with seven goals and nine assists, while his 23 points paced the Liberty League. His 1.44 points-per-game average also leads the conference.

The senior captain's seven goals are tied for third in the league, while his nine assists are tied for the conference lead. Petrone's nine assists this season are tied for the seventh most in a single season in program history and are the most by a Saint since Miles Levy '23 recorded 12 during the 2022 campaign. With three more assists, Petrone would move into the program's career top 10.

Amato has been a stalwart in goal for the Saints this season, posting an 11-1-4 record in 16 starts. The sophomore has recorded seven shutouts while posting a 0.58 goals-against average and a .873 save percentage. Both marks lead the Liberty League, while his seven clean sheets rank second in the conference. Amato has surrendered just nine goals all season, six fewer than the next-closest goalkeeper in the league. Nationally, he ranks 14th in Division III in goals-against average and seventh in save percentage.

Behind Petrone, Diaz is second on the team with 15 points on five goals and five assists, while Sammy Bothwell and Grant Gilmer have also reached double digits in points. Bothwell is tied for second on the team with five goals and four assists, while Gilmer's six assists rank second behind Petrone, and he has added three goals.

The Saints are making their 25th NCAA Tournament appearance and own a 29-20-5 all-time record in NCAA Tournament play. St. Lawrence last appeared in the tournament in 2022 and has advanced as far as the national semifinals twice, reaching the Final Four in 2002 and capturing the program's lone national championship in 1999.

The 1999 national championship team remains one of the most accomplished squads in Division III history, finishing the season 22-0-0 as the first team in Division III men's soccer history to complete an unbeaten and untied season en route to a national title. Current head coach Mike Toshack served as an assistant coach on that championship staff.

Wednesday's matchup will mark the Saints' first NCAA Tournament game since a penalty-kick shootout victory over Roger Williams in the opening round of the 2022 tournament sent the team to the Second Round, where they fell to No. 6 Amherst. A victory over Neumann would send St. Lawrence into the second round to face either host Bowdoin or Thomas (Maine).

Scouting Neumann
Neumann, the sixth-ranked team in Region V, enters the tournament after knocking off No. 14 Messiah, 1-0, to win its first MAC Commonwealth Championship in its inaugural season in the conference. The Knights have now won four straight conference championships after capturing the previous three Atlantic East titles.

The Knights, who entered Selection Monday as the No. 39 team in the NPI, are led by First Team All-MAC forward Jordan Illian, who has totaled 16 points on six goals and four assists this season. Josh Moreland has also been highly effective, recording five goals and two assists in 14 appearances exclusively off the bench.

Neumann's XI also features MAC Co-Defensive Player of the Year Chase Dougherty, a First Team selection who has added two goals and an assist. Joining Dougherty among the major award winners are Rookie of the Year Tim Koke, who also earned Second Team honors, and head coach Erik Temple, who was named Coaching Staff of the Year.

HOW TO WATCH
Live Video | Live Stats

WEEKEND SCHEDULE
First Round – Saturday, November 14 – Pickard Soccer Fields
No. 16 Bowdoin vs. Thomas (ME) – 11 a.m.
No. 12 St. Lawrence vs. Neumann – 1:30 p.m.

Second Round – Sunday, November 15 – Pickard Soccer Fields
Game One winner vs. Game Two winner - 1 p.m.

TICKET INFORMATION
First/Second Rounds and Regionals
$15 for adults and seniors, and children 3 and up
$5 for students with ID
Weekend Passes will be $25 and $8 (students with ID), respectively.
Free for children 2 and under