There are a bunch of local soccer players who will be playing in the NCAA men’s and women’s Division III tournaments this weekend.
The University of Saint Joseph-West Hartford men won the Great Northeast Athletic Conference tournament and earned an automatic bid. The Blue Jays will take on intrastate foe Wesleyan University-Middletown at Babson College on Nov. 16 at 1 p.m. Babson, the host, plays St. John Fisher. The winners of those two matches meet on Nov. 17. Like USJ, Babson and St. John Fisher captured conference championships. Wesleyan is the only at-large bid.
Locals on the USJ roster are: sophomore Ryan Riviezzo (Wolcott, Wolcott High School); sophomore Nate Gabriel (Naugatuck, Holy Cross); Ryan Dattilo (Southington, Holy Cross); freshman Landon Coelho (Naugatuck, Holy Cross); freshman Justin Cardinale (Wolcott, Wolcott); and freshman Aidan Peterson (Cheshire, Holy Cross).
The Western Connecticut State University men captured the Little East Conference tournament championship on penalty kicks and earned the automatic bid. The Wolves play Franklin & Marshall College at Connecticut College-New London on Nov. 16 at 1:30 p.m. Connecticut College, the host, plays Suffolk University. The winners of those matches meet on Nov. 17.
Locals on the WCSU roster are: senior Kadin Talho (Waterbury, Holy Cross) and sophomore Giuseppe Mongelluzzo (Waterbury, Holy Cross).
The Skidmore College women earned an at-large bid, and they have Burlington junior Madison Hallet on their roster. Hallet played her high school soccer at Lewis Mills. Skidmore takes on Case Western Reserve University on Nov. 17 at 1:30 p.m. in the Messiah Regional in Grantham, Penn. Messiah University, the host, takes on Gordon College.