EDISON, NJ (Nov. 6, 2026) —The 2026 Metro Men’s Soccer Championship gets underway Saturday afternoon with two first round matchups. The 39th edition of the championship begins with (3) Quinnipiac hosting (6) Merrimack at 1 PM
ET in Hamden, Connecticut, before (4) Sacred Heart welcomes (5) Niagara for a 6 PM ET kickoff in Fairfield, Connecticut. 2026 regular-season champion (1) Fairfield and (2) Marist earned first round byes and await their semifinal opponents (Wednesday, Nov. 11). Following first-round competition, the championship will reseed the remaining teams, with the No. 1 seed facing the lowest remaining seed and the No. 2 seed meeting the highest remaining seed. The 2026 championship final takes place on Saturday, Nov. 14, with the winner earning the Conference’s automatic qualifier (AQ) to the NCAA tournament. All matches will air on ESPN+.
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Team Previews
2026 Metro Men's Soccer Championship
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(1) Fairfield
10-3-3 overall | 8-2 Metro | 24 pts.
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Seeking sixth conference title.
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Season leaders
| Points |
Cristiano Carlos |
16 |
| Goals |
Cristiano Carlos |
5 |
| Assists |
Cristiano Carlos |
6 |
| Saves |
Evan Chomow |
46 |
Head coach
Krystian Witkowski
3rd season | 21-17-13
Started coaching career at Marist where he assisted from 2013-16.
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Notes
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Leads the Metro in total goals with 30 on the season. |
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Has made 13 appearances in the conference championship final. |
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Evan Chomow leads the conference in goals-against average (0.945). |
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Posted a five-game winning streak during the month of October. |
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Last captured the Metro Championship title in 2017. |
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(2) Marist
8-3-5 overall | 6-2-2 Metro | 20 pts.
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Seeking fifth Metro championship.
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Season leaders
| Points |
Chris Verheul |
22 |
| Goals |
Chris Verheul |
9 |
| Assists |
Caio Cavaletti |
8 |
| Saves |
Alex Murania |
61 |
Head coach
Matt Viggiano
21st season | 146-184-48
Named Metro Coach of the Year in 2021.
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Notes
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Last captured the Metro Men's Soccer Championship title in 2021. |
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Leads the conference in total assists (32) and total points (92). |
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Caio Cavaletti leads the conference in total assists (8). |
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Has appeared in five Metro Championship final games. |
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Finished the regular season on a four-game winning streak. |
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Last championship season, lost in the Semifinals to Sacred Heart in OT (4-3). |
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(3) Quinnipiac
7-6-2 overall | 5-3-2 Metro | 17 pts.
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Seeking sixth conference title.
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Season leaders
| Points |
Taehyeon Lim |
27 |
| Goals |
Taehyeon Lim |
12 |
| Assists |
Remy Barone |
4 |
| Saves |
Alexander Hansen |
66 |
Head coach
Eric Da Costa
22nd Season | 172-174-64
Longest-tenured men's soccer coach in Quinnipiac's NCAA history.
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Notes
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Taehyeon Lim leads the Metro in points per game (2.00) and total goals (12), making him one of the conference's most productive offensive players. |
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Ranks second in the conference in shots per game (14.47). |
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Also ranks second in shots on goal per game (6.53). |
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Recorded three shutouts this season. |
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(4) Sacred Heart
6-5-7 overall | 4-2-4 Metro | 16 pts.
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Seeking first Metro Conference Title since joining the conference in 2024.
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Season leaders
| Points |
Danny Istambouli |
14 |
| Goals |
Danny Istambouli |
6 |
| Assists |
Brady Poor |
4 |
| Saves |
Anthony Suarez |
50 |
Head coach
Anthony Anzevui
5th season | 36-32-20
Won 2025 conference Coach of the Year.
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Notes
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Won the 2025 Regular-Season Championship. |
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Finished the regular season on a three-game winning streak, carrying momentum into the postseason. |
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Recorded six shutouts on the season, including four during the final stretch of the regular season. |
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Faced Niagara on Nov. 17, with the Purple Eagles earning a 3-2 victory. |
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Since joining the Metro Conference in 2024, the Pioneers have qualified for the postseason every year. |
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Recorded a season-high eight points against Manhattan on Oct. 28. |
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(5) Niagara
5-6-4 overall | 4-3-3 Metro | 15 pts.
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Seeking second Metro Conference Title
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Season leaders
| Points |
Tommy Mittelstadt |
11 |
| Goals |
Tommy Mittelstadt |
5 |
| Assists |
David Silva |
3 |
| Saves |
Grant Wyles |
71 |
Head coach
Bill Boyle
11th season | 8--157-23
Posted the best home record in program history in 2025 with a record of 6-0-1
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Notes
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Closed out the regular season with a shutout against local rival Canisius. |
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Recorded a team-high 24 shots against Mount St. Mary's on Oct. 28. |
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Leads the Metro in saves per game (5.00). |
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Grant Wyles leads the conference in total saves (71). |
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Faced Sacred Heart on Nov. 17, earning a 3-2 victory. |
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(6) Merrimack
5-3-9 overall | 3-1-6 Metro | 15 pts.
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Showing first post season performance since joining the conference in 2024.
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Season leaders
| Points |
Jonathan Kratz |
9 |
| Goals |
Jonathan Kratz |
4 |
| Assists |
Ziad Barakat |
4 |
| Saves |
Matteo Malaguti |
50 |
Head coach
Tony Martone
45th | 437-326-79
One of the longest running tenured coach in NCAA Men's Soccer history
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Notes
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Matteo Malaguti leads the Metro in shutouts with six on the season. |
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Seeks the program's first Metro Championship title since joining the season in 2024. |
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Head coach Tony Martone has spent his entire coaching career at Merrimack. |
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Closed out the regular season with a 1-0 victory over Quinnipiac. |
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Metro Conference | TheMetro.org | @MetroConfSports
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2026 Metro Men's Soccer Championship
No. 1 and No. 2 seeds receive byes to the semifinal. The higher seed hosts each match*
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The bracket is reseeded after the first round: The No. 1 seed faces the lowest remaining seed and the No. 2 seed faces the highest remaining seed. Highest remaining seed is defined as the team closer to the No. 1 seed. |
| *As a departing member institution, Fairfield University is not eligible to host Conference championships in 2026-27 per Conference bylaws. When Fairfield is the higher seed, the contest moves to its opponent's campus. |
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Metro Conference |
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TheMetro.org |
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@MetroConfSports |
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| The 2026 Metro men's soccer champion earns the Conference's automatic qualifier (AQ) to the NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Championship. All matches streaming on ESPN+. |