What you need to know about DII men’s soccer’s semifinal teams

The DII men’s soccer championship heads to the Sportsplex in Matthews, North Carolina for the 2024 semifinals and championship match. We have a program making its semifinals debut, two programs that have plenty of semifinals experience and the two-time defending national runner-up.

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CSU Pueblo’s impressive three-year run rolls onward

There aren’t many instances in the history of of DII men’s soccer where a team made the championship match three years in a row. Seattle Pacific did it four times in a row from 1983-86 and… well, that’s it. CSU Pueblo has the chance to make its third consecutive championship match — obviously a feat that is in rarified air in DII men’s soccer.

The one downside is that CSU Pueblo was on the losing end of these previous two national runner-up campaigns. Now, the Thunderwolves are gaining momentum at the right time. They have won five in a row, which includes taking the RMAC tournament, and then winning back-to-back shutouts to reach the semifinals yet again. Defender Dylan Zavatini has also gained some momentum, scoring goals in consecutive games, including what ended up the game-winner in the quarterfinals. 

The Thunderwolves have quite a bit of star power. Caio Oliveira was the RMAC offensive player of the year — second in the RMAC in goals and points while leading the conference in assists — while Shjon Andrews won defensive player of the year — the third year in a row he has won the award, an RMAC first. The experience and talent make CSU Pueblo a strong contender yet again.

McKendree makes program history
 

McKendree Athletics

What a run for the Bearcats. Last week they won their first third round game in program history, and they kept going, advancing to their first national semifinals in program history. McKendree defeated No. 1 Saginaw Valley State, 2-1, to advance.

The Bearcats hope the adage that defense wins championships holds true. McKendree remains undefeated on the season, now 15-0-7. The Bearcats have posted 14 shutouts in 22 games, giving them the No. 1 shutout percentage in DII men’s soccer. Christian Herluf has been in net for everyone of those shutouts, making him the DII leader. Matteo Schubert — the GLVC defender of the year — helped the cause for Herluf, leading a defense which has allowed just 0.45 goals per…