The Ohio Wesleyan University men's soccer team will face Catholic (D.C.) in a first-round game of the NCAA Division III tournament at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, Va., it was announced by the NCAA on Monday.

In the other first-round game, Mary Washington will host William Peace (N.C.) at 11 a.m. on Saturday.  The advancing teams will meet in a second-round game at 1 p.m. on Sunday.

Ohio Wesleyan (11-4-3) shared the North Coast Athletic Conference championship with a 6-0-2 record.  The Battling Bishops lost in the semifinals of the NCAC tournament and received an at-large bid to the NCAA Division III championship.  Ohio Wesleyan will be making its NCAA-record 45th Division III playoff appearance and its 51st overall NCAA playoff appearance.  The Battling Bishops won the NCAA Division III national championship in 1998 and 2011 and have made 10 appearances in the national semifinals.

Senior forward Franklin Rodriguez (Santiago, Dominican Republic/Berkshire (Mass.)) leads the Bishops with 9 goals this season, senior forward Jaggar Brooker (Powell/Olentangy Liberty) has 8 goals and 12 assists, and junior forward Christopher Guerra (Columbus/Worthington Kilbourne) has compiled 7 goals and 3 assists.  Junior Sam Whitman (Baltimore, Md./Friends School of Baltimore) has started all 18 games in the Ohio Wesleyan goal, recording a 0.93 goals-against average and 4 shutouts.

Catholic (10-5-5) won the Landmark Conference championship, defeating Elizabethtown, 2-1, in the semifinals and downing top-seeded Juniata, 2-1, in the championship game.  The Cardinals finished second in the Landmark regular-season standings with a 5-0-4 record.  Catholic is making its fourth consecutive NCAA Division III tournament appearance and its ninth overall appearance.  Ohio Wesleyan and Catholic have met once on the soccer pitch, that coming in the first round of the 2010 NCAA Division III tournament, when Ohio Wesleyan won by a 2-1 score in York, Pa.

Junior forward Holden Woodings scored to wipe out a 1-0 deficit in the championship game, and sophomore midfielder Corey Magro headed home the game-winner of a cross from senior defender Liam Giblin with 3:20 left in regulation time.  Woodings leads the Cardinals with 15 goals and 2 assists on the season, while senior midfielder Hayden Lim has 2 goals and 5 assists.  Sophomore Owen Allegro has started 17 games in the Catholic goal, posting 5 shutouts and recording a goals-against average of 0.99.

Mary Washington (17-1-2) won the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference championship, advancing on penalty kicks after a 1-1 tie with Salisbury in the semifinals and defeating Christopher Newport, 3-2, in overtime in the championship game.  Mary Washington was ranked No. 1 in the United Soccer Coaches poll dated Oct. 29.  The Eagles are making their third consecutive NCAA Division III tournament appearance and their 15th overall Division III appearance.  Mary Washington advanced to the national semifinals in 1997 and 2022.  Ohio Wesleyan and Mary Washington have met once in the NCAA Division III tournament, that coming in the second round of the 2022 tournament, when the Eagles won a 1-0 decision in Fredericksburg, Va.

In Sunday's tournament final, senior forward Carter Berg scored the game-winner 2:40 into overtime to give the Eagles the win.  Berg had scored to erase a 1-0 deficit and senior midfielder Joel Albritton scored less than 2 minutes into the second half to give Mary Washington a 2-1 lead, but Christopher Newport tied the game with 1:48 to go.  Berg leads Mary Washington with 14 goals and 7 assists this season, and Sammy Amorose adds 12 goals and 6 assists.  Freddy Rogers has started all 20 games and has compiled a goals-against average of 0.87 with 8 shutouts.

William Peace (9-6-3) won the USA South championship with wins over Methodist (3-0), North Carolina Wesleyan (2-1 in overtime), and Brevard (2-1 in overtime), the Pacers' first conference championship in any sport.  William Peace compiled a 3-3-1 record during USA South regular-season play.  William Peace is making its first-ever NCAA Division III playoff appearance.  Ohio Wesleyan and William Peace have never met on the soccer pitch.

Senior forward Jorge Lemus scored the game-winner 1:27 into overtime to give William Peace the win over Brevard and earn tournament Most Valuable Player honors.  Lemus leads the Pacers with 10 goals and 3 assists on the season, while junior forward Ausar Omwenga has 6 goals and 3 assists.  Junior Ayden Miller has started the last 6 games in the Pacer goal, yielding only 3 goals and compiling a goals-against average of 0.49 while winning all 6 decisions.

The advancing team from Sunday's second-round game will compete in the third round and quarterfinals, scheduled to be played on November 23-24 or 24-25 on the campus of one of the competing institutions.

NCAA championship release
NCAA championship bracket (interactive)
NCAA championship bracket (printable)