SALEM, Va. – Under a sky heavy with winter blue and lit by the glare of championship-day anticipation, the No. 5 Trinity University Men's Soccer team (20-2-1) saw its remarkable season end in heartbreaking fashion, falling 2–1 in overtime to top-ranked Tufts University (20-1-3) in Sunday's NCAA Division III National Championship at Donald J. Kerr Stadium.

Where Friday's semifinal had been a slow-burning chess match, Sunday's title bout opened with a crackle of energy. Trinity strode into the match with conviction, snapping into tackles, tracking runners, and stringing together confident possession spells that set an aggressive tone. The Tigers went at Tufts early, earning two corners inside the opening ten minutes and firing off a flurry of shots that forced the Jumbos to retreat deeper than they preferred.

The breakthrough came in the 27th minute, born from the kind of persistence and opportunism that defined Trinity's postseason run. After an initial shot from Daniel Urquidi (Round Rock, Texas / Round Rock) was parried into traffic, senior defender Luke Chandler (Glasgow, Scotland / Balfron) reacted first, driving the rebound into the net from close range to ignite the Tigers' sideline. It capped a first half in which the Tigers outshot the Jumbos 8-2, earned three corners to Tufts' one, and managed the rhythm of the match with near-total control. With the early goal and a 1-0 lead, Trinity carried itself with the poise of a team unafraid of the moment.

Tufts, who throughout the half were unable to solve Trinity on the floor, continued to steer the match into a different mode, one defined by direct play, long diagonals, and constant aerial duels. For the first time all tournament, the Tigers were drawn into mimicking the opponent's style, abandoning stretches of their possession-based identity out of necessity. The match became stretched, scrappy, and physical. Clearances replaced buildups. Knockdowns replaced patterns. And the territorial advantage slipped away.

With the new rhythm favoring Tufts' size and verticality, the Jumbos poured forward. Trinity's back line, Alex Baltov (Shreveport, Louisiana / Caddo Parish Magnet), Luke Mayfield (Dallas, Texas / JJ Pearce), Chandler, and Urquidi, absorbed wave after wave of pressure, while goalkeeper Jayden Schell (Dallas, Texas / Plano) delivered a series of outstanding second-half saves. Yet the barrage never slowed. Tufts unleashed 16 shots and earned six corner kicks after halftime, forcing the Tigers to defend deep and clear countless long deliveries.

For a long time, it looked as though Trinity's resilience would carry them over the line. But with four seconds left in regulation, and after multiple blocked attempts in a frantic penalty area, Tufts defender Mateo Bargagna pounced, lashing a half-volley from outside the box into the top left corner. The stunning equalizer leveled the match at 1-1 and silenced a Tigers side that had defended superbly all half.

The late goal swung overtime sharply in Tufts' favor. Just five minutes into the extra period, a swift counterattack released Xavier Canfin, who calmly slotted home the golden goal to secure a 2-1 victory for the Jumbos.

The result was agonizing for a Trinity team that had played a near-perfect first half, executed its game plan brilliantly, and then fought through a second-half landscape entirely on Tufts' terms. Schell's seven saves, Chandler's first-half strike, and the unwavering commitment of the defensive unit defined the Tigers' performance on the national stage.

Schell, Julian Lopez (Austin, Texas / St. Stephen's Episcopal), and Samuel Theiss (Dripping Springs, Texas / Dripping Springs) were each named to the Final Four All-Tournament Team, a testament to their outstanding contributions across both the semifinal and final.

A title slipped away in the final seconds, but Trinity's 2025 squad, marked by identity, emotional steel, and a first-half masterclass in the national final, cements itself as one of the most memorable teams in program history and among the greatest NCAA Division III sides ever assembled.