Six unseeded teams advance to Sweet 16 after Sunday upsets reshape bracket
The NCAA Men's Soccer Tournament bracket was upended Sunday as unseeded programs eliminated the tournament's top three seeds in a second-round collapse that reshapes the path to the College Cup.
Hofstra delivered the day's biggest result, defeating No. 1 overall seed Vermont 3-2 in Hempstead, N.Y. The Pride overcame a deficit and scored twice in the final 25 minutes to end the Catamounts' season. Vermont entered Sunday having lost just once all season.
UNC Greensboro completed another upset in Charlottesville, eliminating No. 2 Virginia 4-3 on penalty kicks after a 2-2 draw. The Spartans converted four straight attempts from the spot to advance past the Cavaliers.
Duke knocked off No. 3 Princeton 2-1 in Durham. The Blue Devils scored twice in the second half to overcome an early deficit and eliminate the Tigers.
Three other unseeded teams advanced. Washington blanked No. 5 SMU 1-0 in Dallas. Saint Louis defeated No. 6 Indiana 1-0 in Bloomington. Grand Canyon won 2-1 at No. 9 San Diego.
Six unseeded teams will play in next weekend's Sweet 16.
Seeded Teams Survive
No. 4 Maryland needed penalty kicks to escape North Carolina after a 1-1 draw in College Park. The Terrapins converted from the spot to advance.
No. 8 Portland outlasted Denver 5-4 on penalties after a 2-2 draw. Kyle McGowan equalized for Denver in the 76th minute to force overtime, but the Pilots held firm through two extra periods before prevailing in the shootout.
Georgetown defeated UCF 2-0, while UConn handled Cornell 3-1. High Point survived West Virginia 3-2 in a high-scoring affair.
Akron, Bryant, Stanford, and Furman all advanced with 1-0 victories. NC State defeated Marshall 2-0.
What's Next
Maryland stands as the highest remaining seed. Georgetown and Portland enter the Sweet 16 as dangerous contenders on opposite sides of the bracket.
Hofstra will host a third-round match. UNC Greensboro, Washington, Duke, Saint Louis, and Grand Canyon also advanced as unseeded teams.
Sixteen teams remain. Ten seeded. Six unseeded.
Second Round Results — Sunday, Nov. 23
Hofstra 3, No. 1 Vermont 2
UNC Greensboro 2, No. 2 Virginia 2 (4-3 PKs)
Duke 2, No. 3 Princeton 1
No. 4 Maryland 1, North Carolina 1 (PKs)
Washington 1, No. 5 SMU 0
Saint Louis 1, No. 6 Indiana 0
No. 7 Georgetown 2, UCF 0
No. 8 Portland 2, Denver 2 (5-4 PKs)
Grand Canyon 2, No. 9 San Diego 1
No. 10 High Point 3, West Virginia 2
No. 11 Bryant 1, Seton Hall 0
No. 12 Stanford 1, Kansas City 0
No. 13 UConn 3, Cornell 1
No. 14 Akron 1, Notre Dame 0
No. 15 NC State 2, Marshall 0
No. 16 Furman 1, Western Michigan 0
Tournament Schedule
Third Round (Sweet 16)
Saturday, Nov. 29
No. 4 Maryland vs. No. 13 UConn, 1 p.m. ET
No. 8 Portland vs. Grand Canyon, 4 p.m. ET
No. 10 High Point vs. No. 7 Georgetown, 5 p.m. ET
Sunday, Nov. 30
No. 16 Furman vs. Hofstra, 1 p.m. ET
No. 14 Akron vs. Duke, 4 p.m. ET
Saint Louis vs. No. 11 Bryant, 6 p.m. ET
UNC Greensboro vs. No. 15 NC State, 6 p.m. ET
No. 12 Stanford vs. Washington, 8 p.m. ET
Quarterfinals
Friday, Dec. 5 – Saturday, Dec. 6
College Cup (Cary, N.C.)
Semifinals: Friday, Dec. 12
Championship: Monday, Dec. 15