St. Mary’s College of Maryland men’s soccer secured the No. 4 seed in the 2026 United East Conference Men’s Soccer Championship Tournament with a 3-1 victory over Cairn University on Oct. 24, 2026, in Langhorne, Pennsylvania. Zach Blaum recorded one goal and two assists, and the win ensured a home playoff game for the Seahawks.
The victory extended St. Mary’s unbeaten streak to four matches. Head coach Alun Oliver also earned his 150th career victory, improving his record since taking over in 2011 to 150-112-28.
Blaum Powers Seahawks’ Offense
St. Mary’s took the lead in the seventh minute when senior defender Ethan Wright scored his second career goal off an assist from Blaum. Cairn University equalized in the 15th minute through Brock Burres, and the teams entered halftime tied 1-1.
Blaum put the Seahawks back in front in the 55th minute with his team-leading 10th goal of the season, assisted by senior forward Lucas Evans.
Later, Blaum assisted first-year midfielder Caleb Phillips, who scored at 76:14 to complete the scoring and give St. Mary’s a 3-1 advantage.
Seahawks Dominate the Match
St. Mary’s held a 19-7 advantage in shots and a 10-4 edge in shots on goal. The Seahawks also led Cairn 6-3 in corner kicks.
Blaum finished with five shots, including one on goal, along with his goal and two assists. Senior captain and goalkeeper Zack Reed made three saves, improving to 4-4-1 on the season. Cairn goalkeeper Xander Jakeway recorded seven saves.
Home Quarterfinal Awaits St. Mary’s
The Seahawks will host No. 5 seed Penn College in a United East Conference Men’s Soccer Championship Tournament quarterfinal on Oct. 31, 2026. The match is scheduled for 5 p.m. at Jamie L. Roberts Stadium in St. Mary’s City, Maryland.
St. Mary’s won the United East tournament in 2023 and 2024. The quarterfinal will mark the start of the Seahawks’ 2026 tournament schedule.
Maryland Sports Blog Take
Blaum supplied one goal and two assists in St. Mary’s three-goal performance, while Wright and Phillips also scored. The Seahawks backed that production with advantages in shots, shots on goal, and corner kicks.
Oliver’s 150th career victory and the No. 4 seed added milestones to the result. St. Mary’s enters the United East tournament with a home quarterfinal against Penn College.
Source: Original report
