Cortland Sports Information Department
The Cortland men's soccer team has earned a berth into the 64-team NCAA Division III playoffs and will host a four-team regional on Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 11-12. The Red Dragons (15-2-2) will play Alfred State (17-3-1) in the first round Saturday at 11 a.m., with the other first-round game featuring Case Western Reserve (9-3-3) versus Hobart (12-5-2) at 1:30 p.m. The two winners will meet in the second round at Cortland Sunday at 1 p.m.
The regional champion will advance to a four-team sectional Nov. 18-19 at a site to be determined. The NCAA semifinals and finals will be held December 1 and 3 in Salem, Va.
Cortland, under 12th-year head coach Steve Axtell, will be making its 25th NCAA tournament appearance and seventh since 2014. The Red Dragons earned an NCAA automatic berth after defeating Oneonta, 1-0, in the SUNYAC championship game Saturday at Cortland.
Under Axtell, Cortland advanced to the NCAA "Sweet 16" in 2022, 2021, 2018, 2016 and 2014, tying for ninth nationally in those seasons. The Red Dragons won their tournament opener in 2017 and tied for 17th place. Overall, Cortland has nine top-five national finishes, including a second-place showing in 1977, a third-place finish in 1978 and a tie for third in 1982. Three of Cortland's previous NCAA tournament appearances came as a Division I program in 1960, 1964 and 1966 prior to the advent of Division III.
Three Cortland players have recorded double-figure goal totals this fall. Senior Mateo Marra (Ossining) has 10 goals and a team-high 10 assists for 30 points in 16 games. Junior Matt Shultz (Oneonta) has scored a team-best 11 goals along with seven assists for 29 points in 18 contests, and junior Yasin Choukri (Wilton, CT) has 10 goals and two assists for 22 points in 19 games. Senior Jack Coleman (Newark Valley/Maine-Endwell) has appeared in 15 games and has recorded nine goals and four assists for 22 points. Sophomore goalie Jordan Ott (Fort Worth, TX/Southwest Christian) has started all 19 games and has a 0.65 GAA, an .833 save percentage and 10 shutouts.
Alfred State earned an NCAA automatic berth after winning the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) tournament title. The Pioneers tied Mt. Aloysius, 1-1, in the championship game and claimed the title after winning penalty kicks, 4-3. Alfred State will be making its first-ever NCAA tournament appearance.
Case Western is making its second straight NCAA appearance and fifth overall. The Spartans advanced to the national quarterfinals in 2018 and the second round in 2006 and 2011. Hobart is in the NCAA's for the first time since 2019 and ninth time overall.
