For the second year in a row, Dickinson Men’s Soccer made waves in the NCAA tournament by competing in the Elite 8 round. These last two seasons have been nothing short of historic for the Men’s Soccer Team, and while their playoff run ended on Sunday, November 23, their accomplishments continue to grow.
In the 2024-2025 fall season, the Red Devils made their first appearance in the Sweet 16 round and hosted both the round of 32 and Sweet 16 at home. Participating in the NCAA playoffs is a feat in and of itself (of 415 Division III men’s soccer teams, only 64 go to the tournament), but hosting is an added honor. Home field advantage is critical in this competitive tournament, and it certainly helped the men advance to the Elite 8 round last season.
This season, the men have continued to push the limits. Before the NCAA playoffs began, the Red Devils completed their regular season with zero losses, going on to win the Centennial Conference Championship – something the team has not done since 2011. They also had a resounding eight members of the team earn all-conference awards. Notably, these awards include Saul Iwowo ’26 earning Offensive Player of the Year and the coaches earning Coaching Staff of the Year, both for the second straight year.
Heading into the NCAA playoffs after winning the conference championship established a sense of accomplishment and capability, and they carried that high through this weekend.
After beating Lynchburg 1-0 in the Sweet 16 round, the Red Devils stepped onto the field on Sunday looking to clinch a spot in the Final Four. This Elite 8 match-up between the Red Devils and Emory University was the definition of a ‘nail-biter.’ The 90 minutes of regular play saw impressive shots on net balanced by extraordinary defensive plays on both ends. Emory held control of the game for much of the first half, but Red Devil goalkeeper Nick Potter ’26, along with his defensive unit, kept them at bay. The Red Devils maintained possession for a significant portion of the second half, but the Emory goalkeeper made multiple critical saves to take the game into overtime.
Overtime in men’s soccer is almost an entirely different game:it is a golden-goal style ten minute period, meaning the first to score wins the game immediately. This creates an unusual sense of urgency in this game known for its steady endurance and calculated patience. Despite demonstrations of speed and urgency by the Red Devils , two overtime periods yielded no goals, and the game moved to the final portion of a tied playoff game: penalty kicks.
Playoff rules provide a round of five alternating penalty kicks from each team.If the score remains tied, the game again becomes sudden death: a scored goal met by the opponent’s miss wins the game. Over their round of five penalty kicks, Dickinson’s Potter ’26 showed composure and resilience, making a brilliant save. Despite the Red Devils’ hunger, Emory was able to score on four of the PK’s while Dickinson’s shooters only netted three.
Despite this tantalizing end to the season, Dickinson Men’s Soccer has racked up a series of incredible accomplishments these past two years, earning tremendous exposure for Dickinson College on the national stage.