MIDDLETOWN, CT. – For the first time since 2013, the Wesleyan men's soccer team, seeded #2 in the NESCAC Championships, will play host to the quarterfinal round as #7 Amherst College will make their way to Smith Field for a 1 p.m. kickoff.

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Cardinals Scouting Report

• Finishing the regular season with a 8-3-4 overall record as they ran the NESCAC 5-1-4, the 2025 Cardinals claimed their first outright Little Three Championship title since 2011 with standout victories over Amherst and Williams. The Cardinals rode a seven-game unbeaten streak.
• The Cardinals rank 18^th in the United Soccer Coaches poll and reached as high as No. 12 after the upset of No. 1 Williams.
• Making their 22^nd overall appearance in the championship and sixth in a row, the Cardinals hope to best last season's performance after falling in the quarterfinals to Williams in double overtime.
• Against ranked opponents, the Cardinals are 3-1-1, defeating No. 1 Williams, No. 21 Amherst, No. 7 Middlebury, with a loss to No. 5 Babson and a draw with No. 22 Tufts.
• Head Coach Geoff Wheeler returned 19 players, including nine starters, while welcoming a freshman class of 15.

Cardinals to Watch

• Returning to the limelight once again is the Cardinals' defense. Headlined by John SennMcNally '28, Zach Feldman '27, Dylan Clack '27, Riley Harvey '29, and Josh LaCorte '26, this back line has only allowed 11 goals and played a significant role in the unbeaten streak in the middle of the season.
• Harvey, a standout freshman defender, has been one of the highlights of this lineup.  Scoring two goals against Bates and Springfield, Harvey was named NESCAC Player of the Week following his game winner against the Bobcats. It's not often that an opponent gets behind Harvey. Harvey and SennMcNally have logged ironman minutes this season, leading all Cardinals.
• Aiden Londergan '27 surged in playing time this season as a starting midfielder and now sits as the Cardinals' scoring leader. Marking the best season of his career, Londergan exploded with six goals, three assists, and 15 points. Within the NESCAC he ranks fifth in goals and fifth in points. Londergan scored the first hattrick by a Cardinal in a decade against Trinity and rode a four-game scoring streak that earned him NESCAC Player of the Week.
• Returning to the lineup as a staple starter is last season's scoring leader Joshwin Jennings '27. Jennings holds three goals and leads all Cardinals with four assists. Quick on his feet down the left side, Jennings is always waiting to strike and will as he sits only behind Yousuf Saeed in shot count. Jennings is one of two Cardinals to score on the penalty kick.
• Like Jennings, Yousuf Saeed '27 will test every opportunity to score. Second in scoring with four goals and three assists, the junior forward leads all offensive players in field minutes. Saeed opened the season with a five-point game against Western New England. Within the NESCAC, Saeed ranks eighth in shots and ninth in shots on goal. Saeed joins Jennings with a successful penalty kick goal.
• Starting in goal is senior goalkeeper Mathis Blanc '26. Holding a standing 7-3-3 overall record in 14 starts, Blanc records a .838 save percentage with 57 saves and just 11 goals against. Facing 130 total shots, Blanc has five shutouts on the season and ranks first in the conference with 4.07 saves per game. Making a career-high eight saves against Middlebury, Blanc earned NESCAC Player of the Week honors. Blanc continues to be such a stronghold for the Cardinals in standout moments like the victory over the Ephs.

Mammoths Scouting Report

• Falling in as the #7 seed, the Mammoths closed the regular season with a 8-4-3 overall record, finishing 4-4-2 in conference play.
• The reigning NCAA National Champions, the Mammoths have fallen far from their December 2024 title finish. The Mammoths defeated Conn. in a penalty kick shootout, 0-0, PK 4-3. Beginning the pre-season ranked No. 1, the Mammoths now sit outside of the Top 25.
• The Mammoths opened the season with a seven-game unbeaten streak before falling to Bates. Coming off of a 1-0 victory over Trinity to close the season, the Mammoths are outshooting opponents 196-141.
• In Little Three play, the Mammoths finished in a scoreless draw with Williams before falling to the Cardinals.

Mammoths to Watch

• Mohammed Nuhu leads all Mammoths in scoring with six goals and three assists. Within the NESCAC, Nuhu leads in shots on goal and game-winning goals.
• Joining Nuhu, Leo Wilensky has three goals on the books for the Mammoths and looks to crack more against the Cardinals. Obed Opoku sits third in scoring with two goals and two assists.
• Riley Priddy, one of two players to see action in all 15 games, has one assist but is a standout on the back line for the Mammoths.
• In goal, Trey Sheppard looks to be the starter for the Mammoths. With a 4-3-3 record and four shutouts, Sheppard has seen 11 starts in 12 games. In those 12 games, Sheppard holds a .805 save percentage, making 42 saves on 88 shots faced while allowing just 10 goals. Sheppard is second in the NESCAC only to Blanc in saves per game at 3.50.

Series History

• Saturday's matchup will be the 108^th meeting between the two Little Three programs and a contentious one at that. The Mammoths have bested the Cardinals in 45 of those meetings.
• The Cardinals are 41-45-21 all time in meetings with the Mammoths and at home are 24-16-11.
• These clubs have met seven times in the NESCAC quarterfinal, and four times in the last six quarterfinal matchups. The Cardinals won the 2005 NESCAC title in a 3-2 victory over the Mammoths.
• The Cardinals beat Amherst for the first time in a decade during the regular season game en route to the Little Three Championship title.
• The last win at home came in 2014 in overtime.

Regular Season Matchup (Middletown, CT – Boxscore/Recap)

• In front of a rowdy crowd of Wesleyan soccer alumni, the Cardinals put on a showstopping performance on Oct. 4, downing the Mammoths 2-1. At the time the Mammoths were ranked 21^st.
• Londergan was the first to score for the Cardinals with seven minutes remaining heading into the half. Londergan was waiting down low as Jennings made the cross pass into the box from out left.
• Unhappy with the deficit, the Mammoths answered in the second half with just 10 minutes of play underway. Sam Davis tied the game up at one, knocking the ball over the line through an ensuing scrum.
• The catalyst to his own goal, Sam Wheeler drew a foul to award the Cardinals a free kick. Saeed took the initial shot while Wheeler scored from the left post with the rebounded ball.
• Blanc finished the game with six saves, Sheppard with one. Ford Cash led the offensive charge with four shots on goal.

NESCAC Tournament Information

• The top four seeds will host quarterfinal matchups on Saturday, Nov. 1. The tournament semifinals will be held on Saturday, Nov. 8, at the highest remaining seeds. The NESCAC Championship will be held on Sunday, Nov. 9, at the highest remaining seed.
• Visit the NESCAC website for Championship Central and the NESCAC Seeding Announcement