CARLISLE, Pa. — Alexander Hirjoi (Gr., Elks Grove Village, Ill.), Roman Rosser (Gr., San Diego, Calif.) and Leyton Kraft (Sr., Pearland, Texas) each contributed three goals for hat-tricks to share Player of the Game status as Texas Division Champion/No. 12-ranked Texas A&M University outmatched Mid-Atlantic Division Champion/No. 15 Pennsylvania State University, 13-5, in the opening round of the 2025 Men’s National Collegiate Club Championship.
Competing at the Carlisle YMCA Aquatic Center, the Aggies – who hold prior Seventh (2024), 13th (2016), Ninth (2009), 13th (2007), 15th (2002) and 15th (2001) Place finishes – gained an early lead in the first quarter and never looked back as Texas A&M punched the program’s ticket to a quarterfinal showdown with No. 1/Sierra Pacific Division Champion California State University-Chico at 11:20 a.m. Eastern on Saturday, November 8. Chico State earned its spot in the quarterfinals by eluding Big Ten Division Champion/No. 8 the University of Michigan by a 10-9 score in overtime during the second game of the 30-game, 16 team championship weekend.
Penn State falls into the consolation side of the championship bracket as the Nittany Lions will take on the Wolverines of Michigan at 8:40 p.m. later this evening. Due to its loss to Texas A&M, PSU – which has previously finished Seventh (2022), 10th (2024), 11th (2023), 10th (2017), Seventh (2016), 10th (2015), Eighth (2014), 11th (2012), 10th (2009), 12th (2005) and Second (1998) at the National Collegiate Club Championship – can not finish higher than Ninth Place in the final tournament standings.
Leyton Kraft drew first blood in the game by swishing a shot with 6:28 left in the first quarter to stake Texas A&M to an early lead. Nathan Weaver (Gr., London, Ontario) flushed a response for Penn State at 5:12 to level the damage at one-all before Channing Miller (Jr., Houston, Texas) (3:31), Leyton Kraft (3:14) and Rosser (2:38) put the Aggies in front to stay with a trio of tallies to acquire a 4-1 lead.
Danny Crump (Sr., Blue Bell, Pa.) chipped PSU’s deficit down to a pair prior to the conclusion of the first quarter by lining home a five-meter penalty shot at the 1:58 mark to set the scoreboard at 4-2.
Rosser (3:19), Logan Kraft (So., Pearland, Texas) (2:58) and Hirjoi (2:41) began to put the game out of Penn State’s reach as the Aggies accounted for a 3-0 outburst in the second quarter to provide Texas A&M a 7-2 margin heading into halftime.
Crump snapped Texas A&M’s scoring run with 5:37 remaining in the third quarter, but Travis Thames (So., Pearland, Texas) (2:28), Rosser (2:02) and Hirjoi (1:29, man-up) answered with a flurry of offense to widen the chasm between the teams to 10-3.
Crump struck again at 1:12 with another penalty shot strike before Blake Stanczewski (Fr., Harleysville, Pa.) dented the twine one second after a man-up opportunity expired to close Penn State within 10-5 heading into the fourth quarter.
The final seven minutes were the exclusive domain of the Lone Star state contingent as Leyton Kraft (5:12, man-up), Hirjoi (4:19, man-up) and Thames (1:57) tacked on insurance markers for the 13-5 final score.
For Penn State, Crump led the way with a hat-trick to accompany solo scores by Weaver and Stanczewski.
Hirjoi (three), Rosser (three), Leyton Kraft (three) and Thames (two) recorded multi-goal games to combine for 11 of the Aggies’ 13 scores. Logan Kraft and Miller put away single tallies.
| 1st Q | 2nd Q | 3rd Q | 4th Q | – | FINAL | |
| No. 15 Pennsylvania State University | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | – | 5 |
| No. 12 Texas A&M University | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | – | 13 |
| Texas A&M Goals: | Alexander Hirjoi (3); Roman Rosser (3); Leyton Kraft (3); Travis Thames (2); Logan Kraft; Channing Miller | |||||
| Penn State Goals: | Danny Crump (3); Nathan Weaver; Blake Stanczewski | |||||
| Exclusions: | Texas A&M – 9 ; Penn State – 8 | |||||
| Advantage Opportunities: | Texas A&M – 3-for-8 ; Penn State – 1-for-9 | |||||
| Sprints: | Texas A&M – 4-for-4 ; Penn State – 0-for-4 | |||||
| Cards/Misconducts: | None | |||||
| Officials: | Kevin Jauregui, Raheem Brown | |||||
Texas A&M University’s Travis Thames (#10) stalks Pennsylvania State University’s Blake Stanczewsi (#19
Pennsylvania State University goalkeeper Anirudh Iyer (#1) anticipates a shot
Texas A&M University’s Travis Thames (#10) & Pennsylvania State University’s Aiden Hood (#12)
Texas A&M University’s Parker Hett (#3) pursues Pennsylvania State University’s Kegan Clark (#20)
