UTICA, NY -- The Alfred University men's soccer team played its final match of the 2025 season, ending it with a 1-1 draw at SUNY Poly.

Alfred finishes the year with a 4-8-4 record overall, with an Empire 8 record of 2-4-4. With results elsewhere plus the Saxons draw on Wednesday night, they fall just short of making the Empire 8 tournament for the second year in a row.

"We were on the wrong side of four one-goal games in the conference and that really hurt us," Head Coach Garret Eldridge said. "I can't thank the seniors enough for their hard work and commitment to the program."

AU didn't go down without a fight, however. Xavier Bowman (Hampstead, MD/Manchester Valley) drew a foul on the near sideline, leading to a nice free kick opportunity in a dangerous area. Rodrigo Perez (Pelencia, Spain/IES Victorio Macho) whipped one in, and fellow Spaniard Jesus De La Torre (Malaga, Spain/The Woodstock Academy) got on the end of it before the Poly goalkeeper for the early lead in the 26th minute.

The goal by De La Torre was the first of his collegiate career. He led the Saxons in shots with four, three of them on target. Bowman had an additional two shots, both on frame. Hamza Kromah (Margibi, Liberia/Western Reserve Academy) tacked on three shots, with one on goal. Other shot takers included Cameron Daley (Montreal, Quebec, Canada/South Kent School), Dennis Hayes V (Ferndale, MI/Berkley), and Duje Boric (Mali Losinj, Croatia/XII Gymnasium) off the bench.

Bowman had a golden opportunity to bring the Saxons ahead from the penalty spot in the 76th minute. However, the Wildcats' netminder was up to the task, one of seven saves to keep AU out of the net more than once.

At the other end, Tyler Mulholland (Lancaster, PA/Manheim Township) wrapped up his junior year with three saves. He was unable to do much with a penalty kick conversion by SUNY Poly in the 52nd minute. He also had to fight off an onslaught of Wildcats chances as they looked for a winner, but both teams settled for a point. 

For the first year under new leadership, the Saxons are primed to keep growing and developing for years to come. If a few chances had gone their way, AU would be in the conversation in a postseason push. Instead, Eldridge and his side will head into the offseason hungry for more next fall.

"I'm super excited for the future of our program," Eldridge said. "We have a good group of young players and cannot wait to get to work with this this offseason."