Coming off their 0–1 loss to Amherst, nationally ranked no. 15, the previous weekend, the Cardinals were looking for Little Three revenge with their matchup against Williams on Saturday, Oct. 12 at home for Senior Day.

“Prior to the Williams game, we had a little bit of a rough patch,” defender Will Geballe ’26 said. “But something we talked about was that we played probably three of the best teams in the country (no. 2 Middlebury, no. 5 Tufts, and Amherst) there and put in a good performance in all three of them. And really, I don’t think the results gave us justice. So it was important to stay positive in our approach to the Williams game. There was a lot to play for.”

In another stellar performance from the defensive unit, the Cardinals held the Ephs scoreless, earning goalkeeper Mathis Blanc ’26 his sixth shutout of the season. Unfortunately, despite recording 10 shots, with 3 each by captain and forward Chris Porte ’25 and midfielder Yousuf Saeed ’27, the Cards could not find the back of the net and the game ended in a 0–0 tie. 

“It was a little disappointing tying, especially because I honestly felt we were the better team,” forward Joshwin Jennings ’27 said. “But the biggest thing our captains enforce for all players is focus on the task at hand. So we were always focused on the next game. We had so much belief in each other. We knew we were having a good season. The biggest thing is, how can we continue that?” 

The next weekend, the Cards headed up to Brunswick, Maine for another NESCAC matchup against Bowdoin. The Red and Black got off to a hot start, with a goal from Porte assisted by midfielder Will Martin ’26 16 minutes into the game. But the Polar Bears responded with an equalizer 12 minutes later, tying the game up 1–1 at the half. Bowdoin then pulled ahead with another goal at the 61-minute mark. But with fight still left in them, defender John SennMcNally ’28 netted his first career goal with 15 minutes remaining, earning the Cardinals a 2–2 tie.

“Bowdoin is a really good team every year,” defender Zach Feldman ’27 said. “We knew that, but we also knew they were beatable, and we backed ourselves. I think that game was a little challenging just because of how much we dominated in the first half and then held on towards the end of the second half. So honestly a 2–2 result wasn’t too upsetting for us, I’d say.”

The Cards then faced their first non-conference matchup in three weeks with an away match against Eastern Connecticut State University on Wednesday, Oct. 23. Despite dominating the game statistically with 26 shots, 6 shots on goal, and 12 corner kicks to the Warriors’ 2 shots, 1 shot on goal, and 3 corner kicks, the game ended in a 0–0 draw.

“We completely dominated that game,” defender Dylan Clack ’27 said. “We just couldn’t put it in the back of the net. It was pretty frustrating. The only thing I’d say, speaking to our mindset during the game, we knew we were supposed to win that game. So going into halftime not having scored, I think we kind of panicked a little bit and maybe we got less patient and more urgent, which could have actually harmed our chances of scoring.”

Luckily for their Cards, just three days later on Saturday, Oct. 26, they were given the opportunity to avenge their midweek underperformance as they faced Colby in their final home match of the season. This game had major implications in terms of securing a spot for the Cards in the NESCAC Tournament. But on a personal level, it was the first time the Cardinals would be meeting the Mules since Wesleyan’s former associate head coach Greg Cumpstone had assumed his new position as Colby’s head coach.

The Cardinals got on the board first with a goal from defender Josh LaCorte ’26 assisted by Geballe less than two minutes into the game. 70 minutes later, the Mules netted one of their own to tie it up 1–1. But, not to be deterred, the Cards responded brilliantly with a goal from Porte assisted by Geballe and captain and midfielder Colin Campbell ’25, clinching a 2–1 victory and their bid to NESCACs. For his game-winning goal, Porte was awarded NESCAC Player of the Week honors for the first time in his career.

“It’s a testament to our resilience as a team to come back and score like that,” Clack said. “When you’re in the lead and you protect the lead, that’s one thing. But going down and having the mental fortitude to keep fighting, keep believing—that was a great team win.”

In their final regular season matchup, Wes took on Conn. College on Tuesday, Oct. 29. The game was a completely dominant showing by the Cards as they netted their first goal from a Jennings penalty kick just 16 minutes into the game and never looked back. 11 minutes later, Martin scored another with an assist from Porte to put the Red and Black up 2–0 at the half. Saeed then tacked on a third with an assist by Feldman to give them a commanding 3–0 lead. The Camels netted one of their own at the 75-minute mark off a penalty kick but could not make up the deficit with just 15 minutes to go, giving Wes a 3–1 victory and bumping them up to fifth in the NESCAC standings. 

“I knew they would be a good team, but we had played them in the off season,” Clack said. “We had a spring scrimmage against them and we beat them. So I think that we had some confidence going in and it was a complete performance. That’s exactly what our coach said after the game: ‘I think that’s the most complete game of soccer we played this year.’”

After gaining momentum from the win against the Camels, the Cards had five days to prepare for Williams in the NESCAC Quarterfinals. With their regular season matchup ending in a tie, the Cards were confident that they could give the Ephs a run for their money and make their first semifinal since 2015. The team was confident but knew they needed to be focused and put their best foot forward.

“I know we were feeling good,” Jennings said. “But our captains enforced this ideology in us where it’s like, only focus on the task at hand. Don’t look back. Don’t look forward. Don’t hold your head too high.”

The game started with offensive fireworks as the Ephs’ offense scored with a throw-in into the box only 95 seconds into the game. Wesleyan was not deterred, and only a minute later Porte danced through defenders in the box and set up Saeed at the top of the box. Saeed netted the equalizer at 2:41, erasing the Ephs’ quick offense.

“Williams is a team that we’d had pretty good results against, and I think we performed so well,” Geballe said. “We conceded really early, and then we responded straight away. I think it’s a testament to the character of our team and how far we’ve come. Being able to climb back into a game so quickly and [with] such high stakes is amazing.”

After the early exchange of goals, the two teams were locked with neither getting the edge. In the first overtime, the Cards outshot the Ephs 7–0 but were not able to net anything, moving the match to a second overtime period. In the 102nd minute, the Ephs got a break and notched their only shot of overtime for a game-winning goal, eliminating the Cards from NESCAC Playoff contention.

The loss shook the team and more than anything made them unsure of their future. While they were confident that they had done enough to make the DIII Men’s Soccer NCAA Tournament, they wouldn’t be sure until the field of 64 was announced.

“At that point, we had no control over where we landed,” Feldman said. “And our ranking was changing daily based on the results that are happening, so we have to show up to training every day with the expectation we’re gonna make it, but no certainty, which is very difficult. I think we dropped down to our lowest at no. 22 and then back up to no. 16, which was where we ended. So, a range of emotions, but it was all worth it when we watched the selection show that following Monday and found out we made it.”

For the first time since 2012, the Red and Black were headed to the NCAAs with an at-large bid in recognition of their season and how well they played against talented opponents. In their first-round matchup, the Cards were set to play the University of Saint Joseph on Saturday, Nov. 16, a virtual unknown who the Cards had never faced. 

“We didn’t know who they [University of Saint Joseph] were, but they had a really good record,” Geballe said. “They just won their conference championship. So the approach to that game was, we know we’re the better team, but it’s important to not be too confident and overlook what they had accomplished this season, because every team that makes the tournament is there for a reason.”

The match started quietly with neither team scoring in the first half, but four minutes into the second half, LaCorte notched his third goal of the season, giving the Cards a 1–0 lead. The defense kept the lead, and in the 67th minute, Jennings chased down a long pass from captain and forward Lucas Ruehlemann ’25 and netted an insurance goal from 10 yards out. The 2–0 margin held and the Cards sealed their ticket to the second round as Blanc recorded his eighth shutout. 

“It was a great feeling, couldn’t have gone better that first game,” Jennings said. “I mean, it’s all about trust and belief. The back line did a great job keeping a clean sheet that game. They kept giving it to the offensive guys, and we kept driving at them.”

The very next day, the Cards took on no. 11 Babson College in the second round. Unlike the Saint Joseph match, the Cards knew what to expect from Babson as they played them early in the season in a tough 0–0 tie. With a back-to-back, they would have to grind out the match, but the Cards were confident that they could challenge the Beavers.

The game started similar to their regular season matchup with the first half ending scoreless. However, early in the second half, the Beavers snuck a goal past Wes to take a 1–0 lead. The offense kept the pressure on and outshot the Beavers in the second half, but ultimately could not find a goal to tie the game and extend their season.

“It’s frustrating, just because we know what we’re capable of,” Feldman said. “And while Babson is a really good team by their record, we felt like we could have come out of that game with something more. But I think that experience, especially for the younger guys, [is] something that will really help us going forward, seeing what it’s like to compete and win at that level.”

For the first time since 2015, three Cardinals—Clack, Feldman, and Porte—earned All-NESCAC honors on the second team for their stellar seasons. While the Cards did not go quite as far as they hoped, the season brought the program forward and set up a winning culture for the seasons to come.

Jennings spoke on his hopes and expectations for the team.

“I think the big thing about Wesleyan men’s soccer is that we have so much trust in each other,” Jennings said. “We know we have the players, the talent to perform at any given day, and this season, [we] proved it. We’re going to grind through the spring, as we always do, and play a ton of soccer, and keep building that trust and chemistry that is necessary to have more successful seasons and successful games. I’m so excited for what’s to come.”

Erin Byerly can be reached at ebyerly@wesleyan.edu.
Ethan Lee can be reached at ejlee@wesleyan.edu.