The SLU men’s soccer team advanced to the NCAA quarterfinals for the first time since 2021. (Photo: Thomas Grove)
| NCAA Men’s Soccer | 1 | 2 | OT 1 | OT 2 | OT 3 | Final (PKs) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SLU (12-2-8) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 (4) |
| #11 Bryant (17-2-3) | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 (2) |
SCORING SUMMARY
| Time | Team | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 17:57 |  | Quinten Blair (3) Assisted By: Jack DiMaria. |
| 21:05 |  | Fermin Rodriguez (4) Assisted By: Paco Fernandez , Fernando Delgado. |
| 42:52 | | Muslim Umar (2) Assisted By: Jorge Veintimilla. |
| 55:28 | | Quinten Blair (3) Penalty Kick. |
SMITHFIELD, RI — The Saint Louis University men’s soccer team earned its first trip to the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight on Sunday, when it prevailed in a penalty kick shootout over Bryant University.
The Billikens and Bulldogs played to 2-2 draw through regulation and three overtimes, before the match went to PKs. During that session, Saint Louis scored on all four of its attempts, while Bryant only scored twice and could only watch as the SLU celebrated its victory.
The Billikens advance to the NCAA Quarterfinals and will face the No. 14 overall seed Akron on Saturday, December 6, at noon at FirstEnergy Stadium in Akron, Ohio. The advancing team will move on to the 2025 NCAA Men’s College Cup, December 12 and 15, at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, N.C.
SLU, which is unbeaten in its last 13 matches, improved to 12-2-8 on the season. Its last loss was on September 23 against the same Akron team the Billikens will play on Saturday. Saint Louis is making its first NCAA quarterfinal appearance since 2021.
Bryant was the second-straight seeded team the Bills defeated in the NCAA Tournament. Last weekend, SLU topped No. 6 Indiana to reach its Sweet 16 match against No. 11 Bryant.
In Sunday’s game that was played in a steady rain, the Billikens received a pair of goals from Quinten Blair. He started the scoring in the 18th minute off a corner kick initiated by Jack DiMaria.
The Bulldogs tacked on two goals later in the first half and led 2-1 at halftime.
SLU’s equalizer came on a PK in the 56th minute. Theo Franca was taken down in the box to create the chance. Blair buried it for his second goal of the game and his fourth of the season.
After two overtime sessions went scoreless, the advancing team was decided via a penalty-kick shootout.
Both teams converted in the first two rounds, with Blair and DiMaria scoring for SLU.
Abonnel made a save to begin round three, and JC Cortez followed and converted for SLU.
The Bryant shooter and SLU’s Tanner Anderson made good in round four for the Bills, setting up a must-make situation for Bryant in round five. Abonnel guessed correctly on the attempt, corralled the ball, and propelled the Billikens into the NCAA quarterfinals.
2025 SLU BILLIKENS MEN’S SOCCER SCHEDULE
| Date | Time | At | Opponent | Location | Results |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 21, 2025 (Thursday) | 7 pm | Home | South Florida | Hermann Stadium | Draw 0-0 (0-0-1) |
| August 24, 2025 (Sunday) | 7:30 pm | Home | #5 SMU | Hermann Stadium | W 1-0 (1-0-1) |
| August 30, 2025 (Saturday) | 7 pm | Home | Seton Hall | Hermann Stadium | W 1-0 (2-0-1) |
| September 3, 2025 (Wednesday) | 7 pm | Away | #4 Indiana | Bloomington, Ind. | L 1-0 (2-1-1) |
| September 7, 2025 (Sunday) | 6 pm | Home | SIU-Edwardsville | Hermann Stadium | W 2-1 (3-1-1) |
| September 12, 2025 (Friday) | 7 pm | Home | #9 Portland | Hermann Stadium | T 1-1 (3-1-2) |
| September 16, 2025 (Tuesday) | 7 pm | Home | Missouri State | Hermann Stadium | T 1-1 (3-1-3) |
| September 20, 2025 (Saturday) | 6 pm | Away | Duquesne | Pittsburgh, Pa. | W 1-0 (4-1-3) |
| September 23, 2025 (Tuesday) | 6 pm | Away | #10 Akron | Akron, Ohio | L 3-0 (4-2-3) |
| September 27, 2025 (Saturday) | 6:30 pm | Home | La Salle | Hermann Stadium | W 2-1 (5-2-3) |
| October 4, 2025 (Saturday) | 7 pm | Home | Dayton | Hermann Stadium | T 0-0 (5-2-4) |
| October 8, 2025 (Wednesday) | TBA | Away | George Washington | Washington, D.C. | W 2-0 (6-2-4) |
| October 11, 2025 (Saturday) | 6 pm | Away | VCU | Richmond, Va. | W 2-0 (7-2-4) |
| October 18, 2025 (Saturday) | 7 pm | Home | Fordham | Hermann Stadium | W 3-2 (8-2-4) |
| October 25, 2025 (Saturday) | 3 pm | Away | Loyola Chicago | Chicago, Ill. | T, 1-1 (8-2-5) |
| October 29, 2025 (Wednesday) | 7 pm | Home | Blackburn | Hermann Stadium | CXL |
| November 1, 2025 (Saturday) | 7 pm | Home | Rhode Island | Hermann Stadium | T, 1-1 (8-2-6) |
| November 7, 2025 (Friday) | 7 pm | Home | #8 La Salle | Hermann Stadium | W, 2-0 (9-2-6) |
| November 12, 2025 (Wednesday) | 7 pm | Home | #4 Davidson | Hermann Stadium | W, 1-0 (10-2-6) |
| November 16, 2025 (Sunday) | 12 pm | Home | #2 Dayton | Hermann Stadium | T, 1-1 (10-2-7) |
| November 20, 2025 (Thursday) | 7 pm | Home | Kentucky | Hermann Stadium | W, 2-1 2OT (11-2-7) |
| November 23, 2025 (Sunday) | 11 am | Away | #6 Indiana | Bloomington, IN | W, 1-0 (12-2-7) |
| November 30, 2025 (Sunday) | 5 pm | Away | #11 Bryant | Smithfield, RI | T, 2-2 (12-2-8) |
| December 6, 2025 (Saturday) | 12 pm | Away | #14 Akron | Akron, OH |