Courtsey of Brian Beard

In a climactic ending to its season, the men’s soccer team (8–6–5; 2–4–4 NESCAC) traveled to Texas last weekend for the NCAA DIII Tournament. After a 3–0 shutout win over Hardin-Simmons University (12–6–2), the team fell to Trinity (Texas) University (19–0–3) in the second round 0–3.

While the team ended its regular season ranked eighth in the NESCAC and lost to Middlebury College (16–1–3; 7–0–3 NESCAC) in the NESCAC semifinals, it earned an at-large selection to the NCAA Tournament based on the strength of their schedule.

In the first round of the tournament, the team came out strong against Hardin-Simmons with multiple scoring opportunities that didn’t fall. The Polar Bears dominated in the first half, coming out with 11 shots compared to Hardin-Simmons’ five. However, at the end of the half, the game remained in a 0–0 tie.

“We had a couple of chances that went missing,” Head Coach Scott Wiercinski said. “That can be frustrating, but at the same time, it was encouraging, because we knew that we [were] getting chances. If we just kept sticking to the plan, we would get more.”

As the pressure mounted, the Polar Bears finally broke through with 20 minutes left with a goal by Tyler Huck ’26, the team leader in scoring for the season.

“I think there was kind of this big sigh of relief when the first one went in,” Huck said. “I think Hardin-Simmons were a little defeated at that point. They’d obviously been fighting hard to stay in the game and keep it tied.”

After Huck’s goal, the Polar Bears gained momentum by sticking to an aggressive approach for the remainder of the game.

“The attitude and the energy of our opponent changed,” Wiercinski said. “I think they were a little bit discouraged, and it was great that our guys continued to be really aggressive and take advantage of some of that.”

Seven minutes after the first goal, the Polar Bears capitalized on their lead, clinching the victory with two successive goals by Arthur Dos Santos ’28 and Kamar Burris-Khan ’27 in the 77th and 78th minute, respectively. The shutout bolstered the team’s confidence heading into the second round of the tournament against Trinity.

“[The game] was super fun for everyone involved, and [there was] just a lot of positive energy in those last 20 minutes,” Huck said.

The following day, the team found difficult competition in their matchup against Trinity, who remain undefeated throughout their regular and postseason play. While the Polar Bears struggled to generate offensive opportunities, the back line worked to keep the game competitive.

“It definitely wasn’t our best day in terms of the quality of our passing and our possession, and mostly due to the quality opponent,” Wiercinski said. “But I was proud at the end of the game. Even though we lost, the guys played really hard, and I thought they represented Bowdoin quite well.”

Despite their second-round loss, the team enjoyed the challenge of adapting to the new level of play.

“We are so familiar with NESCAC teams and the rosters of our NESCAC opponents,” Wiercinski said. “Over the last three weeks, we had played many of the top teams in our conference that we were super familiar with. So to play somebody new and fresh, out of the conference and out of the region was enjoyable and exciting.”

The Polar Bears’ NCAA Tournament appearance marks their first since 2022. In 2022, the team finished the regular season on top of the NESCAC with a 6–1–3 record and advanced to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament. Looking ahead to next season, the Polar Bears hope to reassert their dominance in the conference and reclaim their spot at the top of the NESCAC.

“I think the past two years, we felt like we haven’t really got to our full potential as a team,” Huck said. “I think going into next season, we all want to be as prepared as possible and ready to get to that level early on in the season.”

Overall, the team’s success in the tournament, marked by its shutout against Hardin-Simmons, will carry them through the off-season as they prepare for next year.

“I hope we can continue to mature from this experience and this kind of level of play,” Wiercinski said. “I think we felt all season that we were a good enough team to play in the NCAA Tournament and beat the best teams in the country. I think going to the tournament and having some success should bolster the guys in the off-season.”