LATHAM, N.Y. – Penn State Abington will make its return to the NCAA Division III Men's Soccer Championship after capturing the 2026 United East Conference title. The Nittany Lions (13-4-4) will face nationally ranked No. 4 Tufts University (10-3-5) on Saturday, November 14, at 11:00 AM in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. The contest will take place at Tufts University in Medford, Mass..

Penn State Abington earned the United East's automatic qualifying bid following a 2-0 victory over No. 2 Penn State Harrisburg in Saturday's conference championship. The victory marked the Nittany Lions' third conference championship and first since 2018, having previously captured back-to-back North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) titles in 2017 and 2018.

Abington wasted little time establishing control in the championship contest, striking in the fourth minute. After earning a corner kick, Amerr Yagoub delivered a well-placed ball to the far post, where Shane Lachawiec rose to meet it. Lachawiec redirected a header past the Harrisburg goalkeeper to give the Nittany Lions an early 1-0 advantage.

The Nittany Lions carried their one-goal advantage into halftime before doubling their lead in the 70th minute. Joe Mahon connected with Nick Lachawiec, who headed the ball into the back of the net to extend Abington's advantage to 2-0.

Penn State Harrisburg continued to apply offensive pressure throughout the closing minutes, but the Abington defense held firm. Goalkeeper Hector Ortiz finished with seven saves to preserve the shutout and secure the conference championship.
Defender Shawn Dixon was named the United East Championship Tournament MVP after anchoring an Abington defensive unit that allowed just one goal in three postseason contests. Dixon played all 90 minutes of the championship game, helping the Nittany Lions secure their second shutout of the conference tournament.

Penn State Abington entered the United East Championship as the No. 1 seed after completing a perfect 8-0 conference regular season. The Nittany Lions opened postseason play with a 4-0 quarterfinal victory over No. 8 Cairn University before earning a dramatic 2-1 double-overtime victory over No. 4 St. Mary's College of Maryland in the semifinals. Abington capped off its championship run with Saturday's victory over Harrisburg, outscoring its three tournament opponents 8-1.

The Nittany Lions enter the NCAA Tournament riding a six-game winning streak and a 16-match unbeaten streak, having not suffered a defeat since September 12. Abington has posted a 13-0-3 record during that stretch.

The Nittany Lions will face a formidable opponent in Tufts University, which enters the NCAA Tournament ranked No. 4 nationally after capturing its second consecutive New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) Championship. The Jumbos earned their automatic qualifying bid with a 1-0 victory over Amherst College on Sunday, November 8, securing their fifth conference championship in program history.

Tufts secured the championship victory in the 53rd minute when Ben Brown headed home a corner kick delivered by Ellis Denby. Goalkeeper Nikola Antic recorded seven saves to preserve the shutout, his seventh of the season. The Jumbos advanced through the NESCAC quarterfinals and semifinals via penalty shootouts before defeating Amherst in the championship contest.

Offensively, Tufts has been led by senior Xavier Canfin, who has recorded a team-high 16 points on five goals and six assists, including four game-winning goals. Henry Brown has added five goals and two assists for 12 points, while Ben Brown has contributed three goals and five assists for 11 points. The Jumbos have outscored their opponents 37-13 this season, averaging 2.06 goals per contest while holding opponents to just 0.72 goals per game.

Tufts enters the national tournament with an accomplished NCAA postseason history, including four national championships in 2014, 2016, 2018 and 2019. The Jumbos are making another NCAA Tournament appearance after advancing to the national championship game in 2025.

The winner of Saturday's matchup will advance to the second round of the NCAA Division III Men's Soccer Championship on Sunday, November 15.

NCAA Division III Men's Soccer Championship – First Round
Penn State Abington (13-4-4) vs. No. 4 Tufts University (10-3-5)
Saturday, November 14 – 11:00 AM
Medford, MA  / Tufts University

2026 NCAA Division III Men's Soccer Championship: VIEW COMPLETE BRACKET