Rollins and Midwestern State are the last two teams standing in the DII men's soccer championship. The Tars look to keep the national championship in the Sunshine State Conference after Lynn won last year, while Midwestern State looks to make program history. Either way, DII men's soccer will see a first-time national champion in 2025.
FOLLOW: 2025 DII men's soccer championship: Bracket, schedule, scores
Let's take a look at some of the numbers and players you need to know for Sunday's championship showdown.
How to watch the DII men's soccer championship
The DII men's soccer match is typically the No. 1 vs. No. 2 seed. In fact, it has been No. 1 vs. No. 2 four times in the past five years. This year it is No. 3 Midwestern State vs. No. 4 Rollins. The two face off at 5 p.m. ET on Sunday, Dec. 14, from Weidner Field in Colorado Springs, Colorado. You can watch all the action right here on krikya18.com.
Midwestern State vs. Rollins, by the numbers
| Stats to know | Midwestern State | Rollins |
|---|---|---|
| Scoring offense | 2.0 | 2.2 |
| Goals against average | 0.71 | 1.6 |
| Assists per game | 1.9 | 2.1 |
| Saves per game | 3.0 | 3.6 |
| Goal differential | 30 | 14 |
Midwestern State made the NCAA DII tournament on the heels of its fifth straight Lone Star Conference title, entering the final match at 18-3-3. The Mustangs have also been on a tear since that Lone Star Conference tournament began; they have posted five shutouts in six LSC and DII tournament matches.
The Mustangs, as you may have figured out, are powered by a top-10 scoring defense in DII. Jake Morris has been minding the net throughout the entire tournament run. He's made 17 saves during both tournaments, including five in the 3-0 semifinal win over Southern New Hampshire. He has a pair of First Team All-LSC defenders in front of him in Davis Mays and Jaime Villagomez, as well as a trio of stud midfielders in Liam Pritchard (the LSC midfielder of the year), Alan Rivera (the LSC newcomer of the year) and Cooper Tea, all of whom made First-Team All-LSC.
The scoring is led by Parker Plaxco, who earned All-American honors. His 13 goals are top 10 in DII and his 31 points are 12th most in the division. Dereck Espinal has been on fire, with a goal in each of his last three tournament games. It sure seems like the Mustangs have the depth and balance to win a title.
The Tars enter the tournament sitting at 14-4-5. It is the first time Rollins is in the championship match since 2010, when it lost to Northern Kentucky, 3-2. The Tars have had an interesting run to the championship game. Thanks to an upset train in Super Region Two, Rollins avoided many of the top seeds en route to the regional championship, taking down No. 4-seeded West Florida, No. 8 Flagler and No. 6 Mississippi College by a total score of 9-2. In the semifinals, the Tars stunned Fort Hays State, which was 20-0-3 heading into the match.
Rollins will have its hands full. Though the Mustangs are defensive-minded, they can score goals, and Rollins allows quite a few. The Tars are ranked 123 in team goals allowed and own the 30th-ranked goal differential in DII, which is a far cry from Midwestern State's No. 9 ranking. However, that hasn't been the case in the tournament. Keeper Kilian Vallant has been sharp under duress, allowing just those two goals opposite a very impressive 19 saves, nearly five per game. Defender Hayden Judge had yet another All-SCC campaign, helping to shut down the opposing offenses thus far.
The offense is led by the freshman sensation Justin Nelson. He has scored a goal in three straight games, including the game-winner in the upset over Fort Hays State. He leads the team in goals (10) and points (25) and has four game-winners on the season. The Tars will need him at his best and to keep that goal-scoring streak alive on Sunday.
Midwestern State vs. Rollins: Prediction time
Talk about a match that can go either way. Rollins is scorching hot, while Midwestern State seems to be intent on not allowing goals. Midwestern State faced a tougher road to this match, but Rollins was impressive against one of the best teams in all DII. We could look to momentum, but both have it by the boatload.
Rollins has been here before as a program, and the South Region/Super Region Two has been one of the most dominant in DII men's soccer this century. The old adage says defense wins championships, and Midwestern State has, statistically speaking, one of the best. I'm very torn, so it will come down to one mistake, and which team capitalizes on it.
Prediction: Rollins 2, Midwestern State 1
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