| Pregame Interview - Head Coach Matt Wilkerson & Larry Duke |
HANOVER, Ind. – The Hanover men's soccer team advanced to the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 for the first time in program history after defeating Lynchburg 2-1 in the opening round followed by nationally ranked Emory 1-0 in the second round.
 
UNDER WILKERSON: Under the guidance of head coach Matt Wilkerson, the Panthers have posted a 109-57-20 overall record, including a 64-17-9 Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference mark. With Wilkerson at the helm, Hanover has also appeared in the NCAA Division III National Tournament on three separate occasions including the 2016, 2019, and 2021 season.
 
IN THE POST SEASON: The Panthers claimed the HCAC automatic bid after defeating Defiance in the Tournament Championship in penalty kicks. After a 0-0 double overtime battle, the Panthers and Yellow Jackets went to pk's that saw Hanover on the wrong end of a 3-1 deficit. However, sophomore Luciano Salemi (Indianapolis, Ind.) stepped up big for the Panthers as he made a key save that helped propel HC to the sudden death penalty kick victory.
 
THE MATCH-UP WITH MESSIAH: Messiah enters the weekend at 18-1-2 overall after defeating Mount Aloysius College 2-0 in the opening round before taking down Kenyon 2-1 to advance to the Sweet 16. They finished the regular season ranked no. 8 nationally and will kick-off against the Panthers on Saturday at 3:30 PM.
 
NCAA TOURNAMENT SITE: The Panthers will hit the road for Lexington, Va. as no. 1 ranked Washington & Lee plays host to the round of 16 as well as the quarterfinals contests. The Generals open the weekend on Saturday at 1:00 PM taking on no. 24 ranked Christopher Newport University.