Men's Soccer | 10/29/2026 10:30:00 AM
SUNY Geneseo, Utica University, Nazareth University, St. John Fisher University, SUNY Brockport, Alfred University, Hartwick College, and Houghton University will compete for the 2026 Empire 8 Men’s Soccer Championship, which starts on Saturday, Oct. 31 and wraps up Saturday, Nov. 7, with all games played at the higher seed.
All eight teams will be in action for opening round play on Saturday, Oct. 31, as No. 1 SUNY Geneseo will host No. 8 Houghton, No. 2 SUNY Utica hosts No. 7 Hartwick, No. 6 Alfred travels to take on No. 3 Nazareth and No. 5 SUNY Brockport makes the trip to face No. 4 St. John Fisher. The winner of SUNY Geneseo vs. Houghton will take on the winner of St. John Fisher vs. SUNY Brockport on Wednesday, Nov. 4 in one semifinal, while the winner of Utica vs. Hartwick will face the winner of Nazareth vs. Alfred in semifinal action, also on Nov. 4. The two semifinal winners will meet for the 2026 Empire 8 Championship on Saturday, Nov. 7 at a time to be determined.
The league champion receives an automatic berth into the 2026 NCAA Division III Men’s Soccer Championship, which begins with first and second round action the weekend of Nov. 13-15.
2026 Empire 8 Men's Soccer Championship Tournament Participating Teams
No. 1 – SUNY Geneseo (27 points, 9-2-0 E8, 12-4-1 Overall)
No. 2 – Utica University (22 points, 7-3-1 E8, 9-6-2 Overall)
No. 3 – Nazareth University (22 points, 7-3-1 E8, 9-4-1 Overall)
No. 4 – St. John Fisher University (20 points, 6-3-2 E8, 7-5-3 Overall)
No. 5 – SUNY Brockport (20 points, 6-3-2 E8, 7-6-3 Overall)
No. 6 – Alfred University (19 points, 5-2-4 E8, 8-3-4 Overall)
No. 7 – Hartwick College (15 points, 5-6-0 E8, 6-10-0 Overall)
No. 8 – Houghton University (14 points, 4-5-2 E8, 7-6-4 Overall)
Top-seed and defending E8 Champion SUNY Geneseo enters the Empire 8 Tournament with a balanced attack and one of the league’s stingiest defenses. The Knights have scored 31 goals in 17 games while allowing just 15 and have recorded six team shutouts. Aidan Lodie leads Geneseo with seven goals and 15 points, including three game-winning goals. Feranc Bagi has added five goals, while Jace DiPalo has four. Michael Ruggiero has contributed three assists, while Owen Burke and Eric Carnes have four apiece. Goalkeeper Max Crothall owns a 0.95 goals-against average, a .792 save percentage and five solo shutouts. The Knights have a league-best 12 wins and went 9-2-0 in E8 regular season play.
Utica University is the No. 2 seed in the E8 Tournament for the third time in program history (2007 and 2013), having finished 7-3-1 in league play. Felix-Assa Loselose leads the Pioneers with six goals and two assists for 14 points, including three game-winning tallies. Carter Cookinham has four goals, while Mao Nkurunziza and Braeden Arias have three assists apiece. Goalkeeper Zachary Accetta has been among the Empire 8 and Division III’s best, recording a 0.59 goals-against average, .907 save percentage, 78 saves and six shutouts. He is third nationally in save percentage Utica has conceded just 16 goals in 17 games and is in the E8 Tournament for the 11th time.
No. 3 Nazareth University enters the postseason with one of the most potent offenses and strongest defenses in the conference. The Golden Flyers have scored 28 goals in 14 contests and conceded just 12. Samuel Burton, the 2025 Empire 8 Rookie of the Year, leads the team with seven goals and 14 points, while Tyler Warmington and Joey Weaver have five goals and two assists apiece. Mason Stanco has three goals and a team-best four assists for 10 points. Goalkeeper Bryan Tirado has posted six shutouts, a 0.85 goals-against average and a .788 save percentage. Nazareth is in the E8 Tournament for the tenth straight season and 19th time in program history.
No. 4 seed St. John Fisher University will look to make its second championship run in three seasons. Adam Grover battled back from an early season injury to score all nine of his goals on the season in 11 league games. He leads the E8 in goals and points in league play with three game-winning goals. Jack Tamburino has supplied three assists and a pair of goals. Goalkeeper Parker Stusek has made 76 saves with a .800 save percentage, a 1.30 goals-against average and three solo shutouts. Fisher is in the E8 Tournament for the seventh straight season and 17th time in program history.
No. 5 SUNY Brockport will look to make another deep postseason run behind one of the Empire 8’s most explosive offenses. Ryan Mathis leads the Golden Eagles with eight goals, three assists and 19 points, including four game-winning goals. Mathis also has a league-leading 68 shots. Khadim Amar has contributed five goals and two assists for 12 points, while Trevor Lagarde is among the league leaders with seven assists. Goalkeeper AJ Nelson has recorded four shutouts and 57 saves with a 1.40 goals-against average. The Golden Eagles advanced to the Empire 8 Championship game last season and earned a semifinal berth in 2024.
No. 6 seed Alfred University will look to use a balanced attack and dependable goalkeeping to advance in the Empire 8 Championship, as the Saxons are making their first E8 Tourney appearance since 2023. Alfred, who enters with a 7-3-4 overall mark has seven players who have scored between six and 10 points. Hamza Kromah has five goals in 11 appearances, while Jesus De La Torre has 10 points on three goals and four assists in 10 games. Xavier Bowman and Lawrence Taylor each have three goals and two assists. Tyler Mulholland has anchored the defense in goal with a 1.07 goals-against average, .750 save percentage and four shutouts. The Saxons are in the E8 Tourney for the tenth time in program history.
No. 7 Hartwick College will look to continue its postseason tradition behind a productive offensive duo, as Wilson Mount leads the Hawks with seven goals and 16 points, while Devin Chandler has three goals and six assists for 12 points. Mount has registered 49 shots and 24 shots on goal, while Chandler has 39 shots. Jon Smith and Muhammad Traore have three goals and seven points apiece. Goalkeeper Nils Ole Petersen has made 40 saves in 11 appearances with a 1.59 goals-against average. Hartwick earned a postseason berth on the final day of the regular season and are in the tourney for the fifth straight season.
No. 8 Houghton University enters the Empire 8 Championship with the conference’s highest-scoring offense, having netted 41 goals in 17 games. Nata Souza leads the Highlanders with six goals and a league-best eight assists for 20 points, which also leads the league. James Fay has added six goals and three assists for 15 points, while John Fay has six assists. Houghton has totaled 33 assists and will seek to capitalize on its attacking depth. Joshua Smith has handled much of the goalkeeping work, recording a 5-4-4 record in 14 appearances. The Highlanders are in the E8 Tourney for the fifth time in program history and made the E8 title game in 2021.
First round opponents SUNY Geneseo and Houghton met recently on Oct. 21, with the Knights earning a 2-0 home win. Utica defeated Hartwick by a score of 2-0 at Gaetano Stadium on Sept. 23. Nazareth earned a 1-0 win on the road at Alfred on Sept. 23. St. John Fisher and Brockport met on Oct. 21 with the two teams playing to a 2-2 draw at Growney Stadium.
SUNY Geneseo is looking to repeat as E8 Champions, while Nazareth is looking for its sixth league championship. St. John Fisher is aiming to win its fourth league title and second in the last three years, while Alfred will try to win its third E8 crown and first since 2003. Utica, Brockport, Hartwick and Houghton are all looking for their first league championship.
This weekend's championship schedule is below. For the most up to date information on this year's championship, visit
www.empire8.com and follow the Empire 8 Conference on X and Instagram (@Empire8).
2026 Empire 8 Men's Soccer Championship Schedule
Saturday, October 31 – First Round
No. 8 Houghton at No. 1 SUNY Geneseo – 12 p.m.
No. 7 Hartwick at No. 2 Utica – 6 p.m.
No. 6 Alfred at No. 3 Nazareth – 2 p.m.
No. 5 SUNY Brockport at No. 4 St. John Fisher – 11 a.m.
Wednesday, November 4 – Semifinals (at Higher Seed)
Winner of SUNY Geneseo/Houghton vs. Winner of St. John Fisher/SUNY Brockport – TBD
Winner of Utica/Hartwick vs. Winner of Nazareth/Alfred – TBD
Saturday, November 7 - Championship Final
Winner of Semifinal Game 1 vs. Winner of Semifinal Game 2 at Highest Remaining Seed – TBD
Admission
$10.00 – Adults
$5.00 – Seniors
$2.00 – Students (with ID from competing institution)
Free – Children under 12