Courtesy of Mike Atherton
Connecticut College’s men’s soccer team is no stranger to the NCAA Championship tournament. The team won a national championship in the 2021 season, and their eyes are set on the same outcome this year. The Camels finished the 2024 regular season with eight wins, five ties, and two losses. They headed into the NESCAC Championship tournament as the sixth-ranked team in the conference, facing third-ranked Amherst in the first round. Connecticut College pushed past the Mammoths, outshooting them 5-4 in a penalty contest. In the conference semifinals, the Camels were up against the fourth-ranked Williams College Ephs, where they came out victorious with a score of 2-1. With this win, the team secured a spot in the conference final for the first time since the 2022 season.
In the NESCAC conference championship, the Camels pushed past second-seeded Middlebury College to secure their first-ever conference title in program history. Marco Perugini ’27 put Connecticut College on the board first, with a rocket from the top of the 18-yard box in the 22nd minute. The Panthers answered with an equalizer just five minutes later, as Colin Dugan ’27 took the corner for Middlebury and connected with Ari Klayman ’27 for a header goal. The Camels regained the lead in the 55th minute with a header goal by Gavin Vanden Berg ’26. Connecticut College was able to extend their lead with under fifteen minutes to go in the game. Elliot Spatz ’26 picked up a loose ball, beat two defenders, and ripped a shot from the top of the box to make the game 3-1. Middlebury had their fair share of chances; however, Camels’ goalkeeper Peter Silvester ’25 was a brick wall. This conference victory secured a spot in the NCAA tournament for Connecticut College.
Silvester shared with TCV that “the regular season had ups and downs, teaching us the importance of never getting too high or too low. Throughout the tournament, we never got ahead of ourselves, and during the inevitable low points in games, we never let our focus slip.” The Camels used the rollercoaster of the regular season and applied these lessons to their tournament play. Silvester added that “winning the first NESCAC championship for the men’s soccer team has been a goal of ours since I was a freshman. We’ve come close a few times before, so achieving it this year felt even more special, especially considering how difficult our road to the final was.” Spatz also noted the special feeling he felt after winning the NESCAC, coining it “indescribable.” Spatz added that “it’s always a nice feeling putting Conn on the map whenever it can be. People know who we are, but don’t always give us the respect we deserve. Being the first men’s team to win a NESCAC title is cool, but there will be more.” The Camels were not finished after their success in the conference tournament, as their attention immediately shifted to the first round of the NCAA tournament.
Connecticut College earned the opportunity to host both the first and second rounds of the tournament on Freeman Field. The Camels easily took care of their first opponent, Suffolk University. They jumped to an early lead with Matt Scoffone ’25 finding the back of the next five minutes in. After many chances, Connecticut College doubled their lead thanks to Spatz in the 32nd minute. The Camels did not let off in the second half, scoring early once again. Perugini found the ball on the edge of the box and let one rip to give his team a 3-0 lead. Jorge Mendo ’25 tacked on one more for the Camels, dribbling past two Suffolk defenders and scoring in the 82nd minute. The Rams were able to earn one goal back, with Erik Van Even ’25 putting them on the board in the 84th minute. However, the Camels held on to advance to the second round, where they would face No. 19 Franklin and Marshall just a day later.
These two teams faced each other last season in the second round, with the Camels advancing in PKs. This year would prove to be a similar outcome. The match was slow until Vanden Berg found the feet of Scoffone, who was able to fire the ball past goalie Nolon Booth to give the Camels the 1-0 lead. The Camels scored a second goal late into the first half, when Luke Cibelli ’25 found Spatz, who stepped around his defender and beat Booth. F&M recorded two shots on the goal during the first half, but Silvester stopped both, allowing Conn to go into halftime with a 2-0 lead. The Camels were relentless in the second half as well. They were able to add one to their lead just twelve minutes in. Perugini blocked a pass in the box, and Vanden Berg picked it up and found the back of the net. Franklin and Marshall were unable to answer in the final thirty minutes, and Connecticut College secured the victory and advanced to the Sweet Sixteen for the fourth time in five seasons.
The Camels traveled to Fredericksburg, Virginia to face No. 14 Kenyon College in the Sweet Sixteen. The two teams battled back-and-forth for the entirety of the regular 90 minutes. Kenyon opened the scoring in the 11th minute when Eamon Dujakovich ’25 found the back of the net. However, Connecticut College responded just three minutes later. Sam Boehm ’25 crossed the ball to Vanden Berg, who hit it home past Kenyon’s Jack Pedreschi ’25. The two teams went into halftime with one apiece. In the second half, both defenses were playing well, but Kenyon was able to break the silence in the 76th minute. However, the Camels were not done. Once again, they answered three minutes later in the 79th minute. Rye Jaran ’25 took an awarded freekick for Connecticut College, beating Pedreschi to tie the game up. The remaining ten minutes were scoreless, sending the match into overtime. Perugini and Jack Kelesoglu ’25 both recorded shots for the Camels in extra time, but both were stopped. After 110 minutes of competition, the game remained tied, and the fate of each team became dependent on a penalty kick shootout. Scoffone converted the first kick for the Camels. “PK” Silvester was able to save the first shot from Kenyon. Perugini was the next Camel to step up to the spot, and he found the net. Dujakovich’s effort for Kenyon hit the crossbar, but Spatz scored for the Camels. With a 3-0 lead, Connecticut College held their breath as Kenyon’s third kicker stepped up. The Camels watched as the ball soared over the head of Silvester and sent them to the Elite Eight.
Connecticut College and No. 10 Denison University battled for 90 minutes in the Elite Eight matchup. The Big Red scored first, as Henri Heyes ’26 found the back of the net in the 13th minute. Conn answered in the 29th minute, as Alessandro Horvath Diano ’25 connected with Spatz, who beat Denison goalkeeper Tommy Prokos ’25 to tie the game. Six minutes later, Spatz earned another one, receiving the ball from Jack Lavorel ’25 and firing home in the 35th minute. The Camels’ defense held strong throughout the remainder of the game. With five seconds remaining, Denison’s Hail Mary shot forced Silvester to come up with a big save to close out the game and punch the Camels’ ticket to the Final Four. Connecticut College has advanced to the NCAA DIII Final Four for the second time in program history. The Camels will face the Generals from Washington and Lee University in the national semifinal in Las Vegas on December 5, 2024.
