BRUNSWICK, Maine – The Bowdoin College men's soccer team will play Connecticut College in the third round of the NCAA Division III Tournament Saturday at 1:30 p.m. on the campus of Tufts University.
 
The contest will be the second of two games at Tufts on Saturday as the host Jumbos will face Messiah in the early game at 11:00 a.m. Saturday's winners will play Sunday at 1:00 p.m. for a trip to the NCAA Division III semifinals in Salem, Va.
 
GAME COVERAGE
All games can be carried online at NCAA Champs Pass. 
 
TICKETS
Tickets can be purchased at the door in Medford. Cash or credit. Adults : $15 | Students/Seniors : $10 | Children under 2 : Free.
 
POLAR BEAR GAME NOTES
The Bowdoin College men's soccer team returned to the NCAA Tournament for the third time in the last four years and hosted a Regional for the second time in four seasons. Bowdoin easily dispatched Lyon (Ark.) College in the opening round before surviving UMass Boston, 3-2, on Sunday to advance to the Sweet Sixteen for the third time in program history (2010, 2022).
 
The Polar Bears finished third in the NESCAC standings and ranked ninth nationally in the Division III NPI to earn an at-large bid. Led by 12th-year head coach Scott Wiercinski (114-52-44, .647), Bowdoin is making its 11th NCAA Tournament appearance all-time and sixth under his direction.
 
After a challenging stretch to close September (1-2-2), the Polar Bears surged through October, going unbeaten and unscored upon during a six-match winning streak before tying top-ranked Tufts 0-0 in the regular-season finale.
 
NESCAC Player of the Year Tyler Huck has been the centerpiece of Bowdoin's success, leading the team with 13 goals and eight assists. Over his four-year career, Huck has totaled 34 goals, 19 assists, and 87 points – he is one goal shy of the school's career goals mark (35) and one point shy of its all-time scoring mark (88), records both held by Nick Figueiredo '08.
 
Defense has been Bowdoin's calling card this fall. The Polar Bears allowed just eight goals in the regular season and none to non-conference opponents. The back line features First Team All-NESCAC selection Jack Banks, Second Team honoree Liam Myers, and goalkeeper Alex Ainsworth, who posted six shutouts.
 
BOWDOIN vs. SECTIONAL OPPONENTS
Bowdoin has never faced Messiah in men's soccer but the two other sectional teams are familiar NESCAC foes. The Polar Bears tied both Connecticut College (1-1 on Sep. 13) and Tufts University (0-0 on Oct. 28) earlier this season. The recent games between the Polar Bears and Camels could not be closer; the teams have tied their last four matches dating back to October of 2022. Bowdoin and Tufts have also tied their last three matches over the last two years, including a 1-1 deadlock (and 4-3 Bowdoin PK win) in the NESCAC quarterfinals last fall.