This weekend, five Wesleyan teams competed in NCAA tournaments, and a sixth competed in a NESCAC Tournament. If you missed any of the action, read below to see how your favorite Cardinals did on Division III’s highest stage of competition.
Field Hockey
After a heroic NESCAC playoff run that saw the Wesleyan field hockey team reach its first-ever conference final, the team earned the no. 7 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament. Their first-round matchup took place on Hicks Field on Wednesday, Nov. 12, against the Marywood University Pacers. The Cardinals’ offense exploded, outshooting Marywood 39–0 en route to a dominant 7–0 victory.
Next up was a trip to Babson College for a Sweet Sixteen showdown with the Hamilton Continentals on Saturday, Nov. 15. Earlier in the season, the Cards had suffered a pair of early three-goal defeats; after avenging one of them against Tufts in the NESCAC semifinals, they now had a chance to do the same against the Continentals.
Wesleyan seized control early, dominating possession from the opening whistle. Ten minutes into the action, NESCAC Rookie of the Year Emily Smith ’29 weaved her way into the circle and swung a cross-circle pass to Leila Feldman ’28, who was waiting at the back post to flick it into the net. The Red and Black carried this momentum into the second quarter, drawing seven penalty corners and recording six shots on goal, but they were unable to extend their lead.
Coming out of halftime, they faced an energized Hamilton side that pushed numbers forward, but the Cards’ formidable midfield and back line denied any genuine threats from reaching goalkeeper Audrey Pace ’26. Pace did not face a single shot on goal, securing her 10th clean sheet of the season. Feldman’s early goal proved the difference, sending Wesleyan to the D-III Quarterfinals.
The next day, Wesleyan faced the hosts and no. 3 overall seed Babson Beavers, their seventh top-10 opponent of the season. The Beavers entered Sunday 21–1 riding a 17-game win streak. The matchup quickly settled into a defensive battle. Babson controlled the early stages and broke through three minutes into the second quarter on a penalty corner. From there, the Cards pushed back and controlled much of the remaining play, outshooting the Beavers 9–3 and earning two more penalty corners. Two of them came in the final minute, where Wesleyan generated a pair of quality looks but was ultimately turned away, falling 1–0. While a Final Four berth would have been sweet, the Cards closed out the 2025 campaign with the most wins, most shutouts, longest win streak, and fewest goals allowed in program history. They also claimed the Little Three title for the first time since 2003, finished as NESCAC Runner-Up for the first time, and earned their first NESCAC Elite Eight appearance.
Men’s Soccer
This weekend, Wesleyan’s campus was filled with men’s soccer action, as the Cardinals played host to three other teams for the first two rounds of the NCAA National Championship tournament. On Saturday, Nov. 15, they kicked off against Lehman College in a match that strongly favored the Red and Black. The Cards found the back of the net in the 11th minute, as a header by Riley Harvey ’29 put Wes up 1–0. This began an onslaught by the Wesleyan offense, as they put four goals in the back of the net in the first 45 alone. Two of their best scorers, Joshwin Jennings ’27 and Yousuf Saeed ’27, put the second and third goals in the back of the net, and Niall Fergus ’27 scored the first goal of his college career before half. The second half was more of the same for the Cards, highlighted by Chris Bates’ ’29 first career goal and two from Will Martin ’26, scoring four more goals and cruising to an 8–1 victory.
The next day, Wesleyan squared off against Rowan University to properly defend home field and advance to the next round. The Cards and the Profs went back and forth throughout the first half, with each team in striking distance of scoring but barely missing. Right before the half, Rowan took a 1–0 lead on a botched return to goalie Mathis Blanc ’26. Heading into the second, the Red and Black were eager to even the score. But the Profs took charge out the break, scoring in the first 90 seconds and seizing a 2–0 advantage. While the Cardinals’ premier goal scorers Aiden Londergan ’27, Jennings, and Saeed all took shots on goal, they couldn’t get it past the Profs’ defense. Ultimately, Wes’ sensational season came to an end with a 2–0 loss.
Women’s Soccer
On Saturday, Nov. 15, Wesleyan women’s soccer earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament beginning with a first-round matchup against No. 21 New York University. The two teams had never played each other, but the Cards knew they were facing a formidable NYU squad who, coming off of two years making it to the Sweet 16, would not go down easily.
While the Cards had the offensive edge in the first half, outshooting the Violets 8–4, neither team was able to find the back of the net, and the game went to half scoreless. Only three minutes into the second half, NYU broke through on a goal after a corner to take a 1–0 lead.
With 40 minutes left to save their season, the Cards got to work, applying pressure and putting up four shots before captain Riley Buehler ’26 got one through to tie the game at one apiece. NYU pressed hard to get the lead back, putting up eight shots before the end of regulation, but they were not able to find a goal. During the two 10-minute overtime periods, neither team was able to put together a push strong enough to break the defense, and so the game went to penalty kicks: the first PKs for the Cards since 2023 and the first for the Violets since 2017. Sheridan Snow ’28 and Zoey Fagnan ’26 both converted their kicks as the first two for Wesleyan, and NYU made their first, but goalkeeper Molly Brumbach ’26 saved their second attempt to give the Cards the edge. Both teams made their next two—Buehler and Lily Jebejian ’26 scored—but up 4–3, Waverly Meyers ’26 missed a potential match-winner, allowing the Violets to tie it up with a make. The Violets’ attempt screamed towards the top of the goal and hit off the crossbar for a miss, sending the Cards through to the second round.
Wes faced off against a familiar foe, No. 3 Tufts, in their second round match on Sunday, Nov. 16. The Jumbos grabbed the lead with an 18th minute goal, and as hard as the Cards offense worked to produce chances, they couldn’t get momentum. In the 76th minute, the Jumbos scored again, sealing a 0–2 loss for the Cards.
This season marked the fifth time in five years the Red and Black have made the NCAA Tournament as the program firmly establishes itself on the national level.
Men’s Cross Country
The men’s cross country team has strongly improved over the course of the 2025 season. On Saturday, Oct. 18, the Red and Black finished 23rd out of 34 competing institutions at the Conn. College Invitational. They bounced back stronger, earning their best finish in 15 years at the 2025 NESCAC Championship, finishing fourth out of 11 competing institutions. Headed into this weekend, the Cardinals capitalized on their success from NESCACs on the national scale.
On a windy Saturday, Nov. 15, the team performed excellently at the 2025 Mideast Regional Championship. They placed fourth out of 26 total competing institutions. The Red and Black finished with 109 points, trailing close behind Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Williams, and Middlebury, with Amherst closing the Top 5.
Dylan Cote ’28 placed fifth out of 179 competitors, receiving his second career All-Region and All-New England honors. He was the top runner for the Cardinals, crossing the finish line at 25:17.5. Noah Mahoney ’27 placed ninth out of total competitors with 25:22.3, receiving his third career All-Region and All-New England honors. Alex Kermath ’26 received his second All-Region and All-New England honors, placing 18th with the finishing time at 25:33.3. Finally, Liam Calhoun ’26 crossed the finish line at 25:56.7, placing 35th and earning his third All-Region honors.
The Cardinals, as a whole team, qualified for the NCAA National Championship, so all runners will travel to Spartanburg, S.C. for the final this upcoming Saturday, Nov. 22.
Women’s Cross Country
The women’s cross country team has steadily improved over the season. After their sixth-place finish at the NESCAC Championships on Saturday, Nov. 1, they continued to build on their success this past weekend in Canton, N.Y. at the NCAA Mideast Regional Championship.
On Saturday, Nov. 15, the Red and Black finished eighth out of 25 colleges at the Mideast Regional. The entire team reflected an incredible strength and capability, but a couple Cardinals deserve a shoutout. While many of the Cards turned in great performances, Chase Cerrell ’28 and Stephanie Ager ’26 stood out, as both earned All-Region and All-New England honors.
Cerrell, now a two-time double honoree, placed 22nd and crossed the finish line at 22:40.1. Ager, now a fourth-time double honoree, placed 24th and crossed the finish line at 22:43.6. Clare Mahedy ’29 was the Cards’ third top 50 performer, placing 40th and crossing the finish line at 23:05.2 in her first college regional performance.
Ager and Cerrell both qualified for the Cross Country National Championships, and both will head down to Spartanburg, S.C. to compete this Saturday, Nov. 22. It will be Ager’s fourth National Championship race and Cerrell’s second.
Volleyball
After two straight wins against Bates, the first to clinch the right to host the NESCAC tournament and the second a first-round victory, the Cards hosted Colby, Williams, and Tufts on Friday, Nov. 14, with the conference championship on the line. Tufts had handed the Cards one of their two losses, and their only NESCAC loss, just two weeks earlier in a five-set thriller.
The Red and Black dominated the opening set 25–14, powered by four 4+ point runs. They hit .259 as a team while holding the normally potent Jumbos offense to .027. Tufts responded in the second set, with Akpevwe Akpoigbe recording six kills to lead a 25–19 win.
The third set was tightly contested, with both teams trading runs. Leading 20–19, the Cards faltered with four errors in a five-point stretch, allowing Tufts to take the set. The fourth set saw Wesleyan fall behind 15–11, but they surged back by winning eight of the next ten points to pull ahead 19–17. The Jumbos’ offense ultimately proved too powerful and balanced, edging out a 25–22 win to secure a second straight victory in Middletown.
For the Cards, it marked a disappointing end to NESCAC play after finishing 10–2. Still, a 20–3 season earned them the right to host the NCAA Division III Regionals from Nov. 20 to 22. They will face NYU in the first round on Thursday night, a rematch of an early October meeting that Wesleyan swept after a 25–4 opening set. A win would set up a matchup with the winner of Ithaca College and Plymouth State University. If they advance through the first two rounds, they will likely meet NESCAC foe Colby, whom they beat 3–1 in Middletown in September.
Max Forstein can be reached at mforstein@wesleyan.edu.
Sam Weitzman-Kurker can be reached at sweitzmankur@wesleyan.edu.
Ethan Lee can be reached at ejlee@wesleyan.edu.
Grace Lee can be reached at glee01@wesleyan.edu.
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