CLEVELAND, Ohio — Transylvania University men's soccer opened the 2026 NCAA Division III Men's Soccer Championship with a 2-1 victory over Hope College on Friday afternoon at DiSanto Field in Cleveland, Ohio.
The Pioneers improved to 14-2-3 overall, using two first-half goals and an outstanding defensive performance from goalkeeper
Ethan Drew to secure their place in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Stone Work opened the scoring in the 31st minute, finding the back of the net at the 30:00 mark to give Transylvania an early 1-0 advantage. The Pioneers doubled their lead less than nine minutes later when
Nick Haskins scored in the 39th minute at 38:43, extending the advantage to 2-0 heading into halftime.
Transylvania's defense faced pressure throughout the opening period, but Drew delivered three saves to preserve the two-goal advantage entering the break. Hope increased its offensive pressure in the second half, recording 18 shots as the Flying Dutchmen attempted to overcome the deficit.
Drew continued to anchor the Pioneers defensively, making several critical stops to maintain Transylvania's advantage. Hope broke through in the 77th minute when Seth Walters scored at 76:12 off an assist from Jackson Mindling, cutting the Transylvania lead to 2-1.
The Flying Dutchmen continued to press in the closing minutes, including two attempts that struck the crossbar, but Transylvania held firm to secure the NCAA Tournament victory. Drew finished with a season-high 10 saves across 90 minutes, facing 26 total shots while allowing just one goal.
Offensively,
Cole Varela led the Pioneers with four shots, while Work and Haskins each converted their lone shots on goal into scores. Hope held a 26-8 advantage in total shots and a 6-2 edge in corner kicks, but Transylvania's first-half efficiency and defensive resilience proved decisive.
With the victory, the Pioneers advance to the second round of the NCAA Division III Men's Soccer Championship, where they will face host Case Western Reserve University on Saturday, November 14, at 2:00 p.m. at DiSanto Field in Cleveland, Ohio.
Transylvania University is a proud member of NCAA Division III and the HCAC. To keep up to date with all of Transylvania Athletics, check out our website at transysports.com and follow @TransySports on Instagram.
