St. Mary’s College of Maryland men’s soccer team defeated Penn State Abington 1-0 on October 4, 2025, in United East Conference play at Jamie L. Roberts Stadium in St. Mary’s City. First-year forward Matthew Kuwik scored the game’s only goal in the 75th minute, marking his first career game-winner and helping the Seahawks to their third straight victory. St. Mary’s improved to 6-5-1 overall and 3-0 in conference, while Abington dropped to 2-6-3 overall and 1-1 in the league. The match was a rematch of the 2024 United East championship, which St. Mary’s won 2-0.
Action centered between the penalty boxes throughout the contest. In the first half, Abington goalkeeper Brendan Werner, named the conference’s Defensive Player of the Week earlier that week, made three saves on eight shots faced, including two direct attempts at the post. All six of Abington’s first-half shots missed the target. The Nittany Lions held a 6-5 edge in second-half shots. Kuwik broke the deadlock at 74:35, collecting the ball outside the right side of the box, dribbling past one defender, and firing a shot that split two others into the top right corner for his second goal of the season. Abington challenged St. Mary’s junior goalkeeper Zack Reed in the 87th minute when Frankie Rafferty attempted a chip over his head, but Reed secured the save to preserve the shutout.
St. Mary’s held a 13-12 advantage in total shots and a 6-1 margin in shots on goal. The Seahawks edged Abington 5-4 in corner kicks. Abington committed 12 fouls and received three yellow cards, compared to 10 fouls and four yellows for St. Mary’s. Two offsides were called on Abington, with five on St. Mary’s.
Reed, a Leonardtown native, finished with one save for his second shutout of the season, improving his record to 4-2. Franco Reyes led St. Mary’s with three shots, two on goal. Sam Santos, William Marbray, and Kuwik each added two shots, with Kuwik and two others placing one on target. Werner recorded five saves for Abington, which saw its two-game win streak end. Rafferty paced the Nittany Lions with four shots, one on goal.
With the win, St. Mary’s sits alone atop the United East Conference standings with nine points through three games, ahead of Penn State Harrisburg and Penn State Berks. The Seahawks entered the season as the preseason favorite in the conference poll, receiving 13 first-place votes after claiming the 2024 title.
Abington’s 2025 schedule began with non-conference games, including a 3-0 win over Gwynedd Mercy on September 17 and a 2-1 victory against Penn College on October 1 to start league play. The Nittany Lions’ roster features players like Werner, a senior from Philadelphia, who has started all games this season with a goals-against average under 2.00 entering the match.
Penn State Abington, part of the Pennsylvania State University system since 1950, competes in 13 sports and serves a commuter campus in suburban Philadelphia. The men’s soccer team, under head coach David Castellanos since 2018, has reached conference playoffs in recent seasons but seeks its first title. Abington’s defensive approach, highlighted by Werner’s weekly honor, limited opponents to few quality chances despite the loss.
This victory extends St. Mary’s home unbeaten streak to five games at Jamie L. Roberts Stadium, a 1,000-seat facility named for a former coach and equipped with natural grass and lighting for evening matches. The stadium overlooks the St. Mary’s River, providing a scenic backdrop in Southern Maryland’s coastal community.
St. Mary’s next travels to Notre Dame of Maryland on October 7 in Baltimore for a 2 p.m. kickoff, followed by a match at Keystone on October 11 in La Plume, Pennsylvania, at 2 p.m. Abington hosts Penn College on October 9 at 3 p.m. These games factor into seeding for the conference tournament, set for late October.
