BURLINGTON, Vt. – Vermont (13-2-5) has advanced to the NCAA Third Round for the third straight season and will face the WCC Champion San Diego (15-2-2) Sunday evening at 8 p.m. (5 p.m. PT) from Torero Stadium in San Diego, California.
 
Tickets for Sunday's contest are still available at go.uvm.edu/torero. The UVM Alumni Association is inviting fans to a pregame tailgate in the parking lot beginning at 3:30 PT. All the action will be broadcast live on ESPN+ with Jack Cronin and David Gentile on the call.
 
RELATED LINKS
Buy Tickets
CatamounTV: Preview – Coach Dow | Bazini | Murray
Watch Live – ESPN+
Live Stats
NCAA Tournament Bracket
 
THIRD ROUND FEELS RIGHT

• Vermont is one of just four teams making their third consecutive Third Round appearance in the NCAA Tournaments. The Catamounts are joined by Marshall, Stanford and Indiana.

SEVEN UP

• The Catamounts lead all teams in the NCAA Tournament with seven goals for in this tournament. Yaniv Bazini has scored three goals for Vermont in the 2024 tournament.
• Vermont has won seven games in the last three NCAA Tournaments. 

INSIDE THE MATCHUP

• San Diego's .842 winning percentage is the second best in the NCAA.
• The Toreros were ranked third in the last United Soccer Coaches Poll on November 5.
• San Diego has advanced in the NCAA Tournament with a pair of 1-0 wins: Nov. 21 over UC Davis and Nov. 24 at No. 10 Duke.
• San Diego claimed their third straight WCC Championship with a 1-0 win over LMU on Saturday, November 16.
• San Diego is a perfect 8-0-0 on the road this season, but both of their losses and draws have come at home at Torero Stadium.
• The Toreros have yet to trail at halftime in any match this season and are 8-0-1 when leading at the break. 
• The San Diego offensive attack is led by senior forward Samy Kanaan, he has nine goals and two assists this season for 20 points. He has scored five game-winners.
• His teammate junior midfielder Cesar Bahena has eight goals this and four game-winners.
• Sophomore goalkeeper Donovan Parisian has recorded a clean sheet in six of his last seven appearances. Against Duke and UC Davis in the NCAA Tournament he has combined to make 10 saves.
• Sunday will be San Diego's third NCAA Third Round appearance and second time hosting. In 1992 the Toreros hosted and defeated Indiana 2-0 on their way to the College Cup where they would fall in the NCAA Championship Game to Virginia.
• In 2012 San Diego topped Tulsa on the road 2-1 in the Third Round before falling in the quarterfinals at Georgetown.
• Sunday will be the Toreros first meeting with an America East opponent since 2010. San Diego is 5-2-1 all-time against AE opponents. Boston University defeated the Toreros in 2002 and UAlbany matched the feat in 2008. Stony Brook (2002) is the only other current or former AE school to face San Diego.

CATAMOUNTS HEADING BACK TO SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

• This weekend will be the Catamounts second trip to San Diego this season. On Labor Day Weekend the UVM traveled to face UC Irvine (1-1 Tie) and San Diego St (1-0 Win).
• The Toreros also faced the Aztecs and Anteaters this season. San Diego hosted and defeated their crosstown rivals on August 26 by a score of 3-0. They traveled to UC Irvine and won 1-0 on September 13.

NCAA TOURNAMENT HISTORY

• UVM's NCAA Tournament berth is its 14th in program history. The Catamounts are 11-12-2 and have advanced to the quarterfinals twice in program history in 2022 under Coach Dow and in 1989.
• In their last two appearances during the 2022 and 2023 tournament the Catamounts have won at least two games.
• The Catamounts are 7-1-0 all-time at home in the NCAA Tournament. UVM's only loss at home came in the 2021 First Round against Villanova.
• With the Catamounts fourth straight NCAA Tournament berth Head Coach Rob Dow becomes the second coach in program history to lead UVM to the NCAAs four times along with Paul Reinhardt (1975, '77, '78, 1981).
• The Catamounts are the first Vermont athletic program to make four straight NCAA Tournament appearances.
• From 1992-94 the women's basketball team made three straight appearances and was the first program at UVM to complete the feat. The men's basketball team did so from 2003-05 and 2022-2024.
• In 2022 the Catamounts defeated the 11-seed SMU on the road in the second round by a score of 3-2. Max Murray scored twice in 15 minutes in that contest to complete a two-goal comeback.
• In 2023 the Catamounts topped the 12-seed UCF on the road in the second round by a score of 3-2 in overtime. Yaniv Bazini had a goal and an assist for Vermont.
• Last weekend the Catamounts topped the seven-seed Hofstra 2-1 with David Ismail's highlight reel game-winner in the 53rd minute. 

CATAMOUNTS JUST KEEP ON ROLLING

• Since 2021 the Catamounts are 21-0-0 when scoring three or more goals.
• Vermont's current .775 winning percentage is tied for fifth best in the NCAA.
• The Catamounts offense and depth has come through time and time again this season. UVM has scored 17 goals in the 76th minute or later and 13 goals in the 83rd minute or later this year.
• The Catamounts are a +25 in terms of goal differential this season, which is first in America East and eighth best in the NCAA.

MAJOR AWARDS FOR THE CATAMOUNTS
Sydney Wathuta – AE Midfielder of the Year

• First Catamount in program history to receive this honor
• Leads the league and ranks third nationally with 11 assists.
• Helped the Catamounts rank first in goals per game (1.94) and scoring margin (1.1)

Zach Barrett – AE Defender of the Year

• Anchored a Catamount defense which gave up a league-low five goals in America East action.
• Third Catamount to be honored as Defender of the Year and first since Connor Tobin in 2008.
• Scored game-winning goal in 2-0 win over NJIT 

AE Coaching Staff of the Year – Rob Dow, Brad Cole, Rory Twomey, Brendan Pulley & Mack Walton

• Led Catamounts to a share of the regular season title for the first time since 2019
• Led America East in goals with 31 and tied for first with +17 differential

WHAT'S NEXT

• The winner of Sunday night's contest will advance to the NCAA Quarterfinals and face the winner of Sunday's 5 p.m. contest between Kansas City and No. 2 Pittsburgh. The NCAA Quarterfinal matches will be contested on Friday, December 6 or Saturday, December 7.

For news and updates about the Vermont men's soccer program, follow @UVMmsoccer on Instagram, X, and Facebook, and visit UVMathletics.com.
EastRise Credit Union is the presenting sponsor of Vermont Soccer