SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The 11^th seeded Bryant University men's soccer team will face the Seton Hall Pirates in the second round of the 2025 NCAA Division I men's soccer championship on Sunday evening at 6:00 p.m. 90 minutes. One ball. One opportunity.

The NCAA Division I men's soccer second round is headed to the state of Rhode Island for the first time in a decade. Ocean State soccer enthusiasts previously had to look back to 2014 as the last time a program from Rhode Island hosted in the second round of the tournament.

Sunday's match marks the second NCAA men's soccer championship berth for head coach Ruben Resendes and the Bryant Bulldogs. The Bulldogs received an at large bid for their efforts during the season, ultimately being the first DI team to earn an at-large selection in school history. The Black and Gold are on a quest to earn their first win in the men's soccer championship, progressing further into the tournament than any previous Bryant team.

Bryant currently has a 16-2-2 record on the season with the only losses coming against Vermont. The squad has been ranked in the United Soccer Coaches Top 25 since their big win against UMass in September. The Black and Gold remained in the heat of the rankings for two months straight, climbing as high as No. 2 in the country. The Black and Gold have made their presence known on the pitch, currently ranked fourth in the nation in winning percentage and eighth in the nation with a goal differential of +29. 10 different student athletes have scored for the Black and Gold this season.

Seton Hall enters this contest eager to compete after surviving a late comeback attempt from Siena last Thursday night. Thursday's match resulted in a firm Pirate win in penalty kicks after no goals had been scored since the 89^th minute. Seton Hall are back in the tournament for the first time since 2022. It is their 14^th appearance in program history and their combined NCAA record is 9-14.

Opponent: Seton Hall
Location: Smithfield, R.I. (Beirne Stadium)
Kickoff: Sunday, November 23 – 6:00 p.m.
Watch: ESPN+
Livestats: LiveStats

Series History:

• Bryant and Seton Hall have never matched up against each other in a Division I soccer setting.

Notes and Notables:

• Bryant has outscored opponents 41-12 so far this season, averaging 2.05 goals per game. Bryant has held opponents to 0.6 goals per game this season.
• The Black and Gold are 2-0 against Big East opponents so far this season, 2-8-1 all time.
• Head coach Ruben Resendes has a 42-10-8 record at Bryant in three seasons. In the nine seasons prior to his arrival, Bryant men's soccer won a total of 41 games. The Bulldogs hold a record of 19-6-2 at home over the last three seasons.
• Bryant goalkeepers Enzo Carvalho and Ramon Camejo have combined for a save percentage of 78.9%
• Jaime Amaro leads the America East with four game-winning goals, seven assists, 10 goals and 27 points. Amaro has tied the program record for most assists in the season. Amaro is one point away from tying the record for most points in the season and one goal away from tying the record for most goals in a season.
• Mamadi Jiana and Paco Fernandez are both in the top 10 in goals in the conference, at third and sixth, respectively.
• Marc Pitarch Bayot has the second-most assists in the America East. Pitarch Bayot is one assist away from tying the school record for most assists in a season.
• Fermin Rodriguez and Tiago Dias each have five assists on the season, the fourth most in the conference.

About the Pirates:

• The Pirates finished their Big East campaign in sixth with a conference record of 3-1-4.
• Agustin Resch recorded his third goal of the season in the first round of the tournament against the Saints.
• Mikkel Lejibowicz leads the team with seven goals so far this season. The Maryland transfer from Denmark has three more goals scored than any other Pirate this season.
• Pirate netminder Matias Molina made one save in regular time and had two critical saves to get the sweeping penalty kick win.