UPSL Premier Mid-Atlantic playoff results
South Conference teams enjoy success in the Quarterfinals
It was the South Conference getting the better of their North Conference foes in the Fall 2025 UPSL Mid-Atlantic quarterfinals played Saturday, November 22. The South swept all four matches across North and South Carolina to advance into the semi-finals.
Soda City, the SC United Heat, Charleston United, and the Coastal Kings all advanced to the semi-finals in a dominant display for the Mid-Atlantic South Conference over their northern neighbors. Semi-final matches will be hosted at Soda City and the SCU Heat over the weekend of December 6 and 7.
Playoff Results:
N4 AC Raleigh 1-4 S1 Soda City: Irmo HS, Irmo, SC.
N3 Combine Academy 1-2 S2 SCU Heat: Southeastern Freight Lines, Columbia, SC.
S4 Coastal Kings 3-1 N1 Pro-Finish FC: OrthoCarolina Sportsplex, Pineville, NC.
S3 Charleston United 2-1 N2 North Carolina FC: WRAL Soccer Park, Raleigh, NC.
Soda City needs extra time to advance 4-1 over AC Raleigh
Jose Flores scored an extra-time hat trick after Troy J Paul had given Soda City a lead very late in Irmo to advance Soda into the semifinals. After playing a scoreless and uneventful first half, the match took its first major turn in the 76th minute when AC Raleigh was reduced to 10-men after a late tackle ended up as a red card. This numerical advantage allowed Soda to turn up the pressure and just miss the opening goal on several occasions. Soda’s Troy Paul scored what looked like the game-winner in the 90th minute off a long-range shot but AC Raleigh was able to rally just seconds later leveling the match in the 90+1 minute off a wild scramble inside the PK box to send this match to extra time. It was all Soda and all Jose Flores in the extra time period as he scored in the 100th minute tapping in a low, driven cross, the 107th minute off a long ball/back pass misplayed by the Raleigh defense, and the 112th minute off another long ball he took solo down the flank before slotting the ball into the back post side netting.
Two second-half goals lift the SC United Heat 2-1 over Combine Academy
The stingy Combine Academy defense was on full display Saturday night in Columbia as the visitors turned aside numerous South Carolina United Heat attacks in the first half of their playoff quarterfinal. Against the run of play, Luca Clausse scored for the visitors just before the half to have Combine dreaming of an upset result over the Heat. The Heat had other ideas, and scored in the 60th and 80th minutes off goals from Mehdi Dioury and Midou Faye to claim the win and advance into the next round with this furious second-half comeback.
Coastal Kings upset Pro-Management FC 3-1 on the road in Charlotte
The hottest team in the UPSL Mid-Atlantic region kept on winning Saturday night in the Charlotte suburbs as they shocked No. 1 seed Pro-Management 3-1. Wilmar Gonzalez Aguinaga, Christopher Comber, and Zack Hargreaves scored the goals for the visitors. The Kings have been in playoff mode the last few match days and have been facing playoff elimination every time they have stepped on the pitch. Huge wins over the Heat and Charleston to close out the regular season saw the Kings crash the playoff party at the expense of Mint Hill and the Kings have not disappointed in the postseason with this massive win at Pro-Management.
Charleston United scores twice in the second half to defeat NCFC
NCFC looked to be on their way to a win Saturday night in Raleigh but the visitors from the Lowcountry would complete the southern conference sweep with some late-goal drama of their own. Charleston scored a pair of late goals from Kemar Edwards and Eli Pilcher in the 70th and 90th minutes to erase the NCFC lead and grab the road result.
Soda City will host Charleston United in the semi-finals while the South Carolina United Heat will host the Coastal Kings. Soda defeated Charleston 5-0 in Irmo in late September while the Kings defeated the Heat 4-3 in Columbia in early November. It’s UPSL Playoff time and Columbia, South Carolina will be the center of the UPSL Mid-Atlantic soccerverse for the semi-finals in early December.