Going up against one of the tougher schedules in Division III, the Emory University men's soccer team posted a 9-4-5 overall record during the 2021 season and qualified for the NCAA postseason for the second time under Head Coach Cory Greiner.

The Eagles won nine games for the third consecutive season and finished fourth in the University Athletic Association with a 3-2-2 conference record. Emory had its most All-Region selections since 2010 with three players being honored by the United Soccer Coaches and saw six players recognized by the UAA at the end of the season.

The Eagles were led by its staunch defensive unit that finished the year 34^th in Division III in goals-against average and allowed one goal or fewer in 15 contests including seven clean sheets.

The backline shined during the early stages of the year as Emory went 8-1-4 in its first 13 games and were 4-1-2 in the opening month of September, picking up crucial non-conference wins over Lynchburg and No. 15 Christopher Newport.

October continued in strong fashion as the Eagles went unbeaten across the first six matches of the month including a dramatic come-from-behind win in the closing minutes thanks to two late goals from senior Charlie Scruton to defeat Chicago in the UAA opener.

Sitting 8-1-4, the Eagles dropped two of its final three matches of the regular season to Brandeis and Rochester to push its record to 9-3-4, leading to a NCAA at-large selection. The first postseason berth since 2017.

Emory was chosen to host the first rounds of the NCAA tournament, welcoming Centre, Lynchburg and Hanover to Atlanta for the first weekend. The Eagles drew the Colonels of Centre in the opening round, paving the way for one of the more dramatic wins of the season.

Emory and Centre played to a 1-1 tie across 110 minutes of action, forcing the game to penalty kicks to decide a winner. The Eagles won the penalty shootout 4-3 on successful makes from Nate Sampson, Alejandro Gomez, Scruton and Max Mehlman and advanced to face Hanover in the second round. The Panthers held Emory off the scoreboard despite the Eagles outshooting HC, 11-6. Hanover picked up the clinching goal in the 58^th minute to win the defensive battle.

Following the conclusion of the season, Mehlman along with fellow seniors Josh Berman and Jack Hudson were named to the All-Region team with Berman earning First Team kudos. The trio were also All-UAA selections along with Sampson, Scruton and Gomez.

Sampson and Scruton lead the offensive charge with five goals and one assist to finish with 11 points apiece. Berman registered a team-leading 1,716 minutes as the defensive anchor while Hudson made a name for himself as one of the top keepers in the nation, posting 65 saves, six shutouts and a 0.75 GAA.

The Eagles earned the following honors during the 2021 season: 

2021 Emory team leaders:

Emory in the final NCAA Division III statistical rankings (out of 406 ranked teams):

Eagles in the final NCAA Division III individual statistical rankings (top-200 players ranked):