Men's Soccer | 11/7/2026 7:38:00 PM
GENESEO, NY - The top-seeded SUNY Geneseo men's soccer team captured its second consecutive Empire 8 Championship title this afternoon, defeating No. 7 seed Hartwick, 1-0, in overtime on Saturday afternoon from College Stadium. Aidan Lodie delivered the championship-winning goal, lifting the Knights to back-to-back conference titles and capping off a dominant postseason run. Geneseo improves to 15-4-1 overall record, entering the NCAA Tournament on a 10-game winning streak. Hartwick had its season end with an 8-11 mark. The Knights earn the Empire 8's automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament and will find out their opponent and site at 11 a.m. Monday, Nov. 9 when the NCAA Division III Men's Soccer selection show is aired at www.ncaa.com.
The first half featured a defensive battle, with both teams looking to establish their offense but neither able to break through. The teams headed into halftime deadlocked at 0-0.
Geneseo came out firing in the second half, recording four shots in the opening minutes while continuing to dictate the pace of play. Michael Ruggiero put two dangerous attempts on target, narrowly missing the goal on both occasions as the Knights continued to press for the breakthrough. Despite their offensive pressure, neither team found the back of the net, sending the championship into overtime.
The Knights carried that momentum into the extra period, and it didn't take long for the breakthrough to come. in the 5th minute, Franco Visone gained possession deep in Hartwick territory and sent a ball into the box, where Lodie chipped it over the advancing goalkeeper and into the net. The golden goal sealed the 1-0 victory and secured Geneseo's second straight Empire 8 Championship.
Geneseo out-shot Hartwick, 16-6, including 11-2 in the second half and overtime.
Aidan Lodie was named the Empire 8 Tournament MVP after scoring the game-winning goal in both the semifinal victory over Brockport and the championship win over Hartwick.
Max Crothall recorded his 15th win of the season and eighth shutout, leading the Empire 8 in single-season shutouts.
The Knights secured their second consecutive Empire 8 Championship, following last season's historic run that brought Geneseo its first conference title since 2006.
Hartwick was the second No. 7 seed to make the Empire 8 Championship game in the last three seasons. The Hawks won their final three games of the regular season to earn a postseason berth before knocking off No. 2 Utica University and No. 3 Nazareth University on the road in E8 Tournament, both by identical 2-0 scores.
Geneseo will learn its NCAA Tournament fate Monday morning when the NCAA Division III Men's Soccer Selection Show airs at 11 a.m. on NCAA.com.