Press Release written by Nathan Foltz
NEWARK, Del. - - For the first time since 2021, the Wilmington University men's soccer team received an at-large bid into the NCAA Division II Men's Soccer Super-Region 1 Tournament.
The Wildcats received the No. 7 seed in the Super-Region 1 bracket and will face No. 10 Roberts Wesleyan on Friday, November 21, in a First Round matchup at Franklin Pierce University starting at 6:00 p.m. This is the seventh time in program history that the Wildcats have made the NCAA Division II Regional Tournament.
Friday's contest will be the first time the two teams face-off.
The winner advances to play in the Second Round against No. 2 seed Franklin Pierce on Sunday afternoon.
Tickets/Admission for NCAA Division II Super Region 1 Tournament:
Adults - $10.00 (cash or credit)
Senior Citizens, Students, and Children - $5.00 (cash or credit)
GPS Address for Franklin Pierce University:
40 University Drive
Rindge, NH 03461
Links to Follow the NCAA Division II Super Region 1 Tournament:
Live Stats: https://fpuravens.com/sidearmstats/msoc/summary
Live Video: https://www.ncaa.com/game/6529975
NCAA Division II National Tournament Links:
NCAA Division II National Tournament Bracket: https://www.ncaa.com/brackets/soccer-men/d2/2025
NCAA Division II Men's Soccer Home Page: https://www.ncaa.com/sports/soccer-men/d2
2025 NCAA DII Men's Soccer Championship Selection Show: https://www.ncaa.com/video/soccer-men/2025-11-17/dii-mens-soccer-2025-selection-show
NCAA Division II Digital Program: https://www.ncaa.com/DIIMensSoccer
Scouting the No. 7 Wilmington University Wildcats:
The Wildcats are making their seventh appearance in the NCAA Regional Tournament since joining the NCAA ranks for the 2004 season. All seven berths have been of the at-large variety.
Wilmington was ranked as high as 16th in the United Soccer Coaches DII National Poll on September 23, but dropped out of the rankings on October 21 and did not return. They are also ranked 5th in the latest United Soccer Coaches East Region Poll, dating back to November 11.
The Wildcats finished third in the CACC Regular Season, earning the third seed for the CACC Tournament. The men faced off with No. 6 Felician in the quarterfinals of the CACC Tournament, where they defeated the Golden Falcons, 3-2, in double-overtime at the WU Athletics Complex. Wilmington then faced No. 2 Bridgeport in the semifinals, but fell 4-2 in penalty kicks after finishing the second overtime tied 2-2.
The CACC Player of the Year for the second consecutive year is Theo Faillon, who leads the CACC and is tied third nationally in goals this year with 14. Among national ranks, he is also fifth in goals per game (0.82), tied-fourth in points (33), and tied-fifth in points per game (1.94). Michiharu Takanashi joined Faillon on the First Team All-Conference and is second on the team with 22 points and tied for second in the CACC with nine goals. Second-Teamer Alex Tarway (19), Shuntaro Morimoto (18), and Jhamaleek Porter (12) also have double-digit point totals for the Wildcats. Freshman Jacques Mason has one goal and leads the CACC in assists with seven.
The back line for the Wildcats is led by Second Team All-Conference defenseman Isaak Simic, who is joined by Mylan Le Baut, Sam Harrison, Ole Themsfeldt, and Till Rauch. They play in front of freshman goalkeeper Emil Lollike, who comes into the NCAA Tournament with a .769 save percentage and allowing an average of 1.20 goals per game, with 21 goals coming against him in 18 games.
Midfielder Tyrese Small was the other conference award winner for the Wildcats this year, as he earned a place on the Second Team All-Conference on the back of two goals and four assists while starting all 19 of the team's games.
Scouting the No. 10 Roberts Wesleyan Red Hawks:
The Red Hawks have had a strong season, sporting a 10-2-7 record overall on their way to a second place regular season conference finish and an East Coast Conference Tournament Championship, where they defeated Queens College 4-3 in penalty kicks after tying 1-1 to earn a Super Region 1 berth. Their last four games have been against Queens and St. Thomas Aquinas College, where they defeated STAC 1-0 twice (with the second coming in double overtime in the ECC Semifinals), lost to Queens 4-1, and tied in the Championship Game.
On the field, the Red Hawks are led by junior forward standout Archie Murphy, an All-Conference Second Teamer. He racked up 30 points on the season, tied for most in the ECC and tied for 10th in the country, with 13 goals and four assists. He's helped by fellow Second-Teamer Jack Hopson, who has 13 points with five goals and three assists, as well as Sebastian Guerrero, who has four goals and four assists.
On the defensive side, they are led by Takumi Horan, the sole All-Conference First Team representative for the Red Hawks. He played in all 19 games for Roberts Wesleyan and contributed a goal and an assist. Luke Hanes was a Third Team player, picking up a goal with two assists. They help protect goalkeeper Eric Jewson, the ECC Second Team All-Conference selection for the position, who has held teams to a 1.18 goals against average with a .827 save percentage that ranks second in the conference and 13th in the country while playing all but 10 minutes of game time during the year. He also has four solo shutouts, with another coming combined with his backup.
Wilmington in the NCAA Division II Super Regional 1 Tournament:
2009 (0-1): No. 3 Southern New Hampshire def. No. 2 Wilmington, 1-0 (2OT)
2013 (1-1): No. 6 Wilmington def. No. 3 Post, 2-1 (2OT); No. 1 Southern New Hampshire def. No. 6 Wilmington, 3-0
2015 (1-1): No. 6 Wilmington def. No. 3 Adelphi, 4-3, (OT); No. 1 LIU Post def. No. 6 Wilmington, 6-0.
2018 (1-1): No. 5 Wilmington def. No. 4 Le Moyne, 4-1; No. 1 Adelphi def. No. 5 Wilmington, 2-1.
2019 (0-1): No. 4 Franklin Pierce def. No. 5 Wilmington, 1-0
2021 (0-1): No. 6 Davis & Elkins def. No. 3 Wilmington, 4-2
Overall: 3-6
Season and All-Time Records vs. NCAA Division II Super Region 1 Opponents:
No. 2 Franklin Pierce University Ravens: 2025 – DNP; All-Time – 1-3-0 (last: 2019)
No. 7 Wilmington University Wildcats
No. 10 Roberts Wesleyan University Red Hawks: 2025 – DNP; All-Time – 0-0 (never played)
2025 NCAA Division II Super Region 1 Tournament Game Schedule:
(at Southern New Hampshire University, Manchester, New Hampshire)
Friday, November 21
No. 8 Post (8-1-7) vs. No. 9 Bridgeport (8-4-8) – 3:00 p.m.
Sunday, November 23
No. 1 Southern New Hampshire (14-1-2) vs. No. 8 Post/No. 9 Bridgeport winner – 3:00 p.m.
(at University of Charleston (W.Va.), Charleston, West Virginia)
Sunday, November 23
No. 4 Charleston (14-0-4) vs. No. 5 Adelphi (9-5-3) – 3:00 p.m.
(at Franklin Pierce University, Rindge, New Hampshire)
Friday, November 21
No. 7 Wilmington (11-3-4) vs. No. 10 Roberts Wesleyan (10-2-7) – 6:00 p.m.
Sunday, November 23
No. 2 Franklin Pierce (10-3-3) vs. No. 7 Wilmington/No. 10 Roberts Wesleyan winner – 3:00 p.m.
(at Bentley University, Waltham, Massachusetts)
Sunday, November 23
No. 3 Bentley (11-1-3) vs. No. 6 Gannon (11-2-4) – 1:00 p.m.