2024 CAC Men’s Soccer Championship Tournament Starts Saturday
Six teams from across the country are set to compete for the 2024 Continental Athletic Conference Men's Soccer Championship when a five-day tournament begins on Saturday, November 9, at Georgia Gwinnett College's Grizzly Soccer Complex in Lawrenceville, Georgia.
First-round matches feature No. 3 seed Carolina University (North Carolina) playing No. 6 seed Florida National University on Saturday at 5 p.m. That will be followed by No. 4 seed Talladega College (Alabama) facing No. 5 seed Washington Adventist University (Maryland) at 8 p.m.
Top-seeded Bellevue University (Nebraska) and tournament host GGC, the No. 2 seed, received first-round byes to the semifinal round.
Bellevue will face the winner of the Talladega-Washington Adventist contest in the first semifinal on Monday, November 11, at 11 a.m. Then, GGC plays the winner of the Carolina-Florida National match at 2 p.m.
The championship match is scheduled for Wednesday, November 13, at 4 p.m. The titlist will earn the league's automatic bid to the NAIA national tournament.
Bellevue (13-2-2) is the four-time defending champion, defeating Florida National in the final each of the past three seasons. The Bruins won both of their matches against CAC opponents this fall. Matias Daniel-Doren and Jeremiah Hteh are tied for team-high honors with each scoring six goals. Obeni Mubake and Edwin Cisneros have both scored five goals. Goalkeeper Taariq Ganga has posted a 0.84 goals against average and made 48 saves in 17 matches.
Georgia Gwinnett College (10-5-2) went undefeated in three matches against CAC teams in 2024 and is unbeaten in its last six matches. Alejandro Contrera leads the team with 10 goals and Ciro Damine has tallied seven goals. Juan Hermenegildo added six goals to the team's balanced offensive attack. Goalkeeper Dagoberto Romero has posted a 1.39 goals against average and made 42 saves in winning 10 matches in 2024.
Carolina (10-1-2) went unbeaten across three CAC matches, with two victories. Luke Spillane-Davis leads the team with eight goals while Zaid Santo and Karell Buitendijk have each scored four goals this fall. Goalkeeper Joshua Wilson has posted a 1.18 goals against average and made 21 saves in 10 matches.
Talladega (4-5-2) went 2-2 in conference matches. Tavar Lawrence leads the team with 18 goals scored this season and Christopher Syms added four goals. Goalkeeper Ivroy Smith has posted a 1.41 goals against average and made 20 saves in eight matches.
Washington Adventist (4-4-4) posted a 1-0-3 record against CAC opponents in 2024. Marcos Hernandez Molina leads the team with seven goals scored this season. Alessandro Peroglio and Joao Campana each added four goals this fall. Goalkeeper Gregorio Capponi has posted a 2.68 goals against average and made 60 saves in 12 matches.
Florida National (4-7-2) won two of its three matches against conference teams. Filipe Sette Ribeiro leads the team with five goals and Marcos Bakale scored three goals this season. Goalkeeper Juan Manuel Fermoselle has posted a 1.65 goals against average and made 25 saves in 11 matches.