BOSTON – Following the program’s first #AEMSOC Championship since 2021, Vermont will make its fourth consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament as the Catamounts will host Iona in a First Round game on Thursday, Nov. 21.
Vermont (11-2-5) will square off against the Gaels (11-4-3) at 6 p.m. in Virtue Field. Iona earned an automatic bid as the MAAC Champion after defeating Rider 1-0 in overtime on Sunday. This marks the 8th consecutive full season in which an #AEMSOC soccer program has hosted at least one contest. The winner of Thursday’s matchup will face No. 7 Hofstra on Sunday at 5 p.m.
2024 NCAA Men’s Soccer Bracket
Iona has won seven straight contest and only surrendered two goals over that span. The MAAC top seed outscored its first two opponents in the conference tournament 6-1 before taking down Rider 1-0 in OT. Iona and Vermont have three common opponents this season. UVM beat Fairfield and Bryant twice, while tying Binghamton. Iona lost to both Bryant and Binghamton, while playing to a draw with Fairfield.
The Catamounts enter the NCAA Tournament 7-1-1 over their past nine contests. They are also 7-0-4 in Virtue Field this season, highlighted by a 2-1 victory over Bryant on Sunday to clinch the conference title. The team is averaging 1.94 goals per game and is led by Yaniv Bazini and Maximillian Kissel who each have eight goals. Sydney Wathuta ranks second in the nation with 12 assists while Niklas Herceg is 7-1-2 in net this year with a 0.79 GAA and .810 save percentage.
Vermont has reached at least the third round of the NCAA Tournament each of the past two seasons. In 2022 the team beat Quinnipiac, SMU and UCLA before falling to eventual national champion Syracuse 2-1 in the NCAA Quarterfinals. Last year the team downed Rider and then UCF before falling to West Virginia in the third round.
The winner of Thursday’s contest will advance to face the host and No. 2-seed Northwestern (19-1) on Friday at 1 p.m.
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