St. Mary’s College of Maryland men’s soccer team extended its winning streak to five games with a 3-1 victory over Keystone College on October 11, 2025, in La Plume, Pennsylvania, maintaining a perfect 5-0 record in United East Conference play. The Seahawks, now 8-5-1 overall, outshot the Giants 28-6 in their first-ever meeting, with junior forward Sam Santos scoring twice and assisting once for a career-high five points. Keystone dropped to 2-10 overall and 0-4 in the conference during the afternoon matchup at the Giants’ turf field.
The scoring opened at 13:23 when Santos headed in a cross from junior forward Lucas Evans from outside the right penalty box, directing it into the left side of the net for his second goal of the season. That 1-0 lead held through halftime. Early in the second half, at 46:36, Santos struck again, one-timing a cross from senior defender Jack Nelson from the left side into the lower left corner, marking his third goal of the year. Keystone narrowed the gap at 75:39 when Lenskey Raoul scored on a loose ball, finishing into the right side for his fifth goal of the season and avoiding a shutout. St. Mary’s responded at 80:07 with an insurance goal from Nelson, assisted by sophomore midfielder Zach Blaum and Santos, for Nelson’s third goal of the campaign.
Team statistics highlighted St. Mary’s dominance, with the Seahawks recording three goals to Keystone’s one, 28 shots to six, 13 shots on goal to four, three saves to 10, eight corner kicks to three, two offsides each, and 10 fouls to eight. Junior goalkeeper Zack Reed made three saves to improve to 5-2 on the season, while Keystone’s Kolten McVean tallied 10 stops in the loss. Individual leaders for St. Mary’s included Santos with seven shots, three on goal, two goals and one assist; Nelson with four shots, two on goal, one goal and one assist; Evans with four shots, all on goal, and one assist; and Blaum with one assist. For Keystone, Raoul led with the goal, while Leo Arrieta paced the team with four shots, two on goal.
The win positioned St. Mary’s alone atop the United East Conference standings with 15 points, as the league uses a points system awarding three for victories and one for ties. Other early standings as of October 12 showed teams like Penn College at 1-0-2 in conference play, Cairn at 1-0-1, and Notre Dame of Maryland at 1-1, though full updates reflect St. Mary’s lead following the weekend’s results. The conference, which expanded to 13 teams for men’s soccer in 2025, seeds its postseason tournament based on regular-season points, with tiebreakers including head-to-head outcomes and goal differential. St. Mary’s entered the season ranked first in the preseason coaches poll, receiving significant first-place votes after capturing back-to-back titles in 2023 and 2024, including NCAA tournament appearances.
Santos, a 6-foot-1 junior from Columbia, Maryland, and Oakland Mills High School, transferred to St. Mary’s after playing at Elmhurst University in 2023 and Howard Community College in 2024. At Oakland Mills, he earned All-State nominee honors as a senior and two-time Second Team All-Howard County recognition as a three-year varsity player and team captain. At Elmhurst, he appeared in 11 games, scoring his first collegiate goal, and at Howard, he started 13 of 14 contests, tallying six goals and six assists for 18 points while earning Second Team NJCAA Division II All-Region 20 accolades. Majoring in biochemistry with a business administration minor, Santos has integrated into the Seahawks’ offense, contributing to their high rankings in conference goals and assists.
Reed, a 6-foot-4 junior from Leonardtown, Maryland, and Leonardtown High School, has anchored the defense with multiple shutouts this season, including a recent blanking of Valley Forge where he recorded his first solo clean sheet. A 2023 Leonardtown graduate, Reed majored in business and has made key saves in tight contests, such as five in a 3-2 loss to Lynchburg earlier in September. His local ties exemplify St. Mary’s recruiting focus on Southern Maryland talent, with players like him fostering community connections in areas like Leonardtown, known for its proximity to the college in St. Mary’s City.
Keystone, transitioning from the Colonial States Athletic Conference where it won titles in 2018 and 2019, has faced rebuilding challenges this season, conceding multiple goals in recent losses while relying on players like Raoul for offensive sparks. The Giants’ program emphasizes development in northeastern Pennsylvania, contrasting with St. Mary’s Southern Maryland base.
Upcoming for St. Mary’s: a road game at Penn State Berks on October 15 at 5 p.m., followed by a home contest against Cairn on October 18 at 3 p.m., featuring Senior Day and Hawktoberfest activities. These matches could further solidify their path to another conference championship and postseason berth.
