Press Release written by Nathan Foltz
RINDGE, N.H. - - A barrage of goals led the No. 7 seed Wilmington University men's soccer team to a dominating win over No. 10 seed Roberts Wesleyan University on Friday on the campus of Franklin Pierce University, as they defeated the Red Hawks, 6-2, in the first round of the NCAA DII Men's Soccer Championship.
The Wildcats, seeded seventh in Super Region 1, move on to the second round of the tournament, where they will face No. 2 Franklin Pierce on Sunday. It is their first NCAA Tournament victory since defeating No. 4 Le Moyne 4-1 in the first round in 2018 and their first appearance in the second round since 2021, when they lost to No. 6 Davis & Elkins at the WU Athletics Complex. The tenth-seeded Red Hawks, meanwhile, see their 2025 season end after winning the East Coast Conference Championship last Saturday.
The scoring started early for Wilmington, with Michiharu Takanashi striking first in just the fifth minute. Just outside the penalty box, Shuntaro Morimoto nudged a pass to Theo Faillon, who touched it with his back heel to Takanashi for a goal off the keeper's hands. Then, in the 22nd minute, Jacques Mason got a breakaway into the box ahead of three Red Hawk defenders, but couldn't get off a shot as the keeper came out and tackled him. The referee granted the Wildcats a penalty kick as a result of the play, and Theo Faillon came on to punch it in, marking his sixth penalty kick conversion of the year in as many attempts. His school record now stands at 14 total in 16 attempts.
Roberts Wesleyan scored in the 29th minute, but that's as close as they would get for the rest of the night. In the 35th minute, the Wildcats struck again, this time with Isaak Simic perfectly threading a ball up the middle to Jacques Mason between two defenders, who drilled a left-footed shot from ten yards out off the keeper and into the back of the net.
The Wildcats scored again in the first five minutes of the second half, this time thanks to Morimoto, who had help from Faillon and Mylan Le Baut. In the 56th minute, Alex Tarway took a pass from Jacques Mason and drove it home from way downtown, about 35 yards out, getting it just over the heads of the defenders and just under the crossbar in the upper left-hand corner. Ludvig Danielsson wrapped up the Wilmington scoring, driving one in off a pass from Takanashi in the 73rd minute for his second goal of the year.
The only offense Roberts Wesleyan could muster against the Wilmington defense in the second half was a 77th-minute goal.
In total, six different Wildcats notched goals, while Faillon had two assists and Morimoto, Simic, Le Baut, Mason, and Takanashi all had one. Emil Lollike played for the first 79 minutes, making one save and allowing two goals. Will Kiers came on for the final 11 and made one save.
Shots were 23-12 and 12-5 SOG in favor of Wilmington, while the corners were 8-4 in favor of Roberts Wesleyan.
The Wildcats will look to keep their season alive in the second round on Sunday, as they take on the Ravens of Franklin Pierce in Rindge. That match is set to kick off at 3:00 p.m.