Men's Soccer | 11/4/2026 6:57:02 PM
No. 1 seed SUNY Geneseo (14-4-1) and No. 7 seed Hartwick College (8-10-0) will meet in the 2026 Empire 8 Men's Soccer Championship after advancing in semifinal action on Wednesday, Nov. 4. SUNY Geneseo defeated No. 5 SUNY Brockport, 1-0, while Hartwick defeated No. 3 Nazareth University on the road by a score of 2-0.
SUNY Geneseo, the defending E8 Champion, is looking for its second straight league title, while Hartwick is in the E8 Championship game for the first time since joining the league in 2019. Hartwick, a former Division I power, won the 1977 NCAA Championship.
The Knights of Geneseo will host Hartwick from College Stadium at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 7. The winner will receive an automatic berth into the 2026 NCAA Division III Men's Soccer Championship Tournament, which begins on Nov. 13-15.
SUNY Geneseo and Hartwick met earlier in the regular season from College Stadium with the Knights earning a 2-0 home win. Charlie Sorensen and Aiden Lodie scored for Geneseo. Hartwick enters Saturday’s game riding a five-game winning streak, while Geneseo has won nine consecutive contests.
NO. 1 SUNY GENESEO 1, NO. 5 SUNY BROCKPORT 0
SUNY Geneseo men's soccer team is heading back to the Empire 8 Championship for the second consecutive year after a hard-fought 1-0 victory over SUNY Brockport this afternoon.
Aidan Lodie netted the game-winner, extending the Knights' winning streak to nine games as they improve to 9-2 in conference play and 14-4-1 overall. Brockport has its season end with a 6-7-3 mark.
The Knights and Golden Eagles traded pressure early, but Geneseo broke through in the 18th minute when
Aidan Lodie connected on a scissor kick, sending the ball past the Brockport goalkeeper to give the Knights a 1-0 lead. It was his eighth goal of the season and fourth game-winning tally.
Jace DiPalo looked to add to the advantage late in the first half, but his shot rolled just wide of the net as Geneseo carried its one-goal lead into halftime.
The second half saw both teams battle for scoring opportunities, but the Knights' defense held firm.
Ali Shabani and
Franco Visone each put shots on target in back-to-back attempts, but Brockport goalkeeper AJ Nelson turned them away. Geneseo maintained its advantage through the final whistle to secure the 1-0 win and punch its ticket to the championship.
Max Crothall kept the Golden Eagles off the scoreboard with three saves, recording his seventh shutout of the season.
NO. 7 HARTWICK 2, NO. 3 NAZARETH 0
No. 7 Hartwick shut out third-seeded Nazareth University, 2-0, in the Empire 8 Conference Tournament semifinals at Golden Flyer Stadium. The win marks their fifth straight and third straight on the road, as they previously upset second-seed Utica last weekend and closed out the regular season the weekend before with a win at Keuka.
Sophomore
Wilson Mount (Atlanta, Ga./Midtown) sealed the Hawks' win with a goal late in the final minute of play as junior
Devin Chandler (Wylie, Texas/Wylie East) picked up his team-leading ninth assist of the year. The game's opening goal was an own goal on a brilliant cross near the net from Mount.
Hartwick goalkeeper junior
Nils Ole Petersen (Greiz, Germany/Ulf-Merbold-Gymnasium Greiz) made nine saves to earn his third straight shutout victory and second in the playoffs.
Despite being outshot 22-7, the Hawks made the most of their opportunities, putting two shots on goal and getting their final shot on goal to go to seal the victory. The Golden Flyers also had nine corner kicks to Hartwick's two.
The first half saw Nazareth generate the majority of the scoring opportunities, putting up 10 shots while Hartwick only attempted three. Both defenses stood tall, however, with the game remaining scoreless heading into the break.
Hartwick broke through just over six minutes into the second half, taking a 1-0 lead in the 52nd minute on an own goal. Mount had a great cross towards the net that deflected off a Golden Flyer player for the Hartwick lead.
The Hawks continued to withstand pressure from the Golden Flyers, who finished with 22 shots, including nine on target. Petersen delivered a standout performance between the posts, making six saves in the second half to preserve the shutout.
The Hawks added some insurance in the closing minutes. With just 41 seconds remaining in regulation, Chandler set up Mount on a throw in and the junior found the back of the net with a header over the goalkeeper to extend the advantage to 2-0 and seal the victory.
2026 Empire 8 Men's Soccer Championship Tournament Schedule
Saturday, October 31 – First Round (at Higher Seed)
No. 1 SUNY Geneseo defeated No. 8 Houghton University, 2-0 – BOX SCORE
No. 7 Hartwick College defeated No. 2 Utica, 2-0 – BOX SCORE
No. 3 Nazareth University defeated No. 6 Alfred University, 2-1 – BOX SCORE
No. 5 SUNY Brockport defeated No. 4 St. John Fisher University, 2-1 – BOX SCORE
Wednesday, November 4 – Semifinals (at Higher Seed)
No. 1 SUNY Geneseo defeated No. 5 SUNY Brockport, 1-0 – BOX SCORE
No. 7 Hartwick College defeated No. 3 Nazareth University, 2-0 – BOX SCORE
Saturday, November 7 - Championship Final (at Highest Remaining Seed)
No. 7 Hartwick College at No. 1 SUNY Geneseo – 3 p.m. – VIDEO/LIVE STATS