Trinity University Men's Soccer will play host for the first and second rounds of the NCAA III Soccer Playoffs this weekend.
 
The Tigers (12-2-3) earned an At-Large bid to the tournament after making an appearance in the SCAC Tournament Final on Sunday. To get there, the Tigers defeated Southwestern 3-0 with goals by Louis Instrall (London, England / Hampton School) and Braden Shuey (Frisco, Texas / Wakeland). In the championship game, the Tigers tied with the University of St. Thomas 0-0, but ultimately were defeated in penalty kicks. However, the Tigers go into the tournament as one of the top offensive teams in the country. The Tigers rank 15th nationally in scoring offense (3.00), 35th in total points (138), and 25th in shots on goal per game (8.59). 
 
Preview - Tigers vs Comets
 
The Tigers will face off against the Comets of the University of Texas-Dallas on Saturday, November 11th at 5:00 PM. The Tigers and Comets have met up previously this season and the Tigers defeated the Comets 4-1. All-time, the Tigers are 12-2-2 against the Comets, taking 9 of the last 10 matchups.
 
On the Texas-Dallas Comets: The Comets finished the regular season 10-6-4 (4-3-1 ASC). The Comets earned an automatic bid to the tournament after defeating Concordia (TX) in penalty kicks for the ASC Championship. Offensively, the Comets have struggled a little bit, only averaging 1.95 goals per game. The Comets have two team members who lead the team with six goals each. The Tiger offense will aim at the Comet goalkeeper, who has a 1.04 goals-against average this season. 

Key To The Game
 
Get The Ball To The Top: The Tigers have the plethora of goal scorers at the top, including 2023 SCAC Offensvie Player of the Year Chen Adjei (Euless, Texas / Trinity).  The Tigers have more than just one weapon, though. The Tigers also have junior forward Michael Meese (Williamsburg, Virginia / Jamestown) and sophomore Adam Knutson (Dripping Springs, Texas / Dripping Springs), who are second and thirds on the team in terms of points and goals. The Tigers have one of the top scoring offenses in the country and multiple players that can score the ball at any moment. Look for the Tigers to play in the opposing half for much of the game and take plenty of shots. 

Looking Ahead - NCAA Playoffs Round Two
 
With a win, the Tigers will move on to the second round of the NCAA Playoffs against the winner of the St. Thomas versus Occidental match on Sunday, November 12th at 7:00 PM.