EDISON, NJ (Nov. 7, 2026) –– The 2026 Metro Women's Soccer Championship kicks off Sunday with a pair of first-round matchups, both at noon ET, and both rematches of regular-season meetings. The 35th edition of the championship opens with (4) Siena hosting (5) Manhattan in Loudonville, New York, while (3) Fairfield travels to (6) Marist in Poughkeepsie, New York.
Siena enters on a roll: unbeaten in seven of its last eight matches, with program records for conference wins (eight) and team shutouts (11). The Saints took the Sept. 5 conference opener from Manhattan, 1-0, on Hickey Field. The Jaspers are back in the field for the first time since 2024, when they won a first-round match at Siena as the No. 5 seed.
Across the bracket, Fairfield brings the Metro's most dangerous attack into Poughkeepsie. The Stags led the league in goals (45) and all of Division I in shots per game (21.8), and they beat Marist 5-1 on Oct. 6. Marist answers with goalkeeper Samantha Graf, who has started all 17 matches in net this season.
Regular-season champion (1) Quinnipiac, claiming its third title and first since 2023, and (2) Niagara earned first-round byes and await their semifinal opponents on Thursday, Nov. 12. With defending champion Sacred Heart out of the field, the Metro will crown a different women's soccer champion for the third consecutive year. Following first-round play, 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 Sunday, Nov. 15, with the winner earning the Conference's automatic qualifier (AQ) to the NCAA Division I Women's Soccer Championship. All matches will air on ESPN+.
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Team Previews
2026 Metro Women's Soccer Championship
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(1) Quinnipiac
11-3-2 overall | 9-2-1 Metro | 28 pts.
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Third Metro regular-season championship in program history.
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Season leaders
| Points |
Morgan Cupo |
26 |
| Goals |
Morgan Cupo |
10 |
| Assists |
Morgan Cupo |
6 |
| Saves |
Olivia Jarvis |
66 |
Head coach
Dave Clarke
28th season | 246-195-52 (.557)
2023 Conference Coach of the Year
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Notes
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Bobcats seek third Metro championship (first since 2023). |
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After falling to Niagara in the conference opener, QU won three straight to jump start its title push. |
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The Bobcats went unbeaten with four victories in its final five outings. |
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With seven goals in Metro appearances, graduate student forward Morgan Cupo is fourth in the Conference in goals scored. |
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Junior goalkeeper Olivia Jarvis is second in the Metro with 51 saves. |
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QU has allowed only eight goals in Metro matches. The Bobcats' goals allowed per game is just .67. |
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(2) Niagara
11-3-2 overall | 8-2-2 Metro | 26 pts.
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Last appeared in championship final in 2022.
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Season leaders
| Points |
Caitlyn Gratton |
33 |
| Goals |
Caitlyn Gratton |
15 |
| Assists |
Naiya Johnston |
7 |
| Saves |
Julia Poissant |
64 |
Head coach
Donny George
Second season | 17-11-4 (.594)
Previously served as an assistant coach with the Purple Eagles (2021-22). Was with the program for 2022 Conference championship final appearance.
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Notes
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Plus-7 goal differential in conference outings. |
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Seeking second Metro crown (2006). Purple Eagles have appeared in the championship final five times. |
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Posted a 6-2-2 record in final 10 matches to close the 2026 campaign. |
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Caitlyn Gratton has scored early and often for Niagara with 10 conference play goals, including four game winners. |
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The junior's 23 statistical points in conference games leads all Niagara players. |
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Niagara goalkeeper Julia Poissant owns four shutouts this season, including against Sacred Heart on Oct. 10, a contest in which she faced a season-high 23 shots. |
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(3) Fairfield
10-6-2 overall | 8-3-1 Metro | 25 pts.
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30th all-time championship appearance, eighth consecutive.
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Season leaders
| Points |
Payton Zaun |
26 |
| Goals |
Payton Zaun |
8 |
| Assists |
Payton Zaun |
10 |
| Saves |
Alyssa Gluting |
54 |
Head coach
Dave Barrett
Ninth season | 96-46-19 (.655)
Three-time Metro Coach of the Year
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Notes
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Led the conference in points (131), goals (45) and assists (41), all top-20 nationally. |
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Led Division I in shots per game (21.8) and ranked second in shots on goal per game (9.2). |
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Balanced attack: 17 players with at least a point, 11 with at least a goal, five with five or more goals. |
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Payton Zaun led the Metro with 10 assists (11th nationally) and the Stags with 26 points. |
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(4) Siena
12-4-2 overall | 8-3-1 Metro | 25 pts.
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Three-time conference champion (2010, 2015, 2020-21).
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Season leaders
| Points |
Catherine Rogers |
26 |
| Goals |
Catherine Rogers |
11 |
| Assists |
Briana Neary |
5 |
| Shutouts |
Cate Burns |
11 |
Head coach
Steve Karbowski
28th season | 240-214-64 (.525)
Longest tenured head coach in Siena history. Longest active tenured Metro women's soccer head coach. Three-time Conference Coach of the Year (2001, 2002, 2020-21).
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Notes
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Third straight postseason trip and 24th all-time conference championship appearance (15-17-4). |
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Unbeaten in seven of their last eight matches (6-1-1) since the start of October. |
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First 12-win season since the 2015 conference championship run. |
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Set program records with eight conference wins and 11 team shutouts. |
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Cate Burns owns the program single-season record with 11 clean sheets. |
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Beat Manhattan 1-0 in the Sept. 5 conference opener, but is 1-2 all-time against the Jaspers in the postseason. |
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(5) Manhattan
10-3-3 overall | 7-2-3 Metro | 24 pts.
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First Metro Championship appearance since 2024.
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Season leaders
| Points |
Lauren Ahearn/Olivia McMaster |
17 |
| Goals |
Lauren Ahearn |
8 |
| Assists |
Five tied |
3 |
| Saves |
Molly Brunk |
47 |
Head coach
Brendan Lawler
17th season | 105-138-41 (.442)
2015 Conference Coach of the Year
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Notes
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Clinched its first Metro Championship berth since 2024 with a 1-0 win over Iona in the regular-season finale. |
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Lost just twice in 12 Metro matches (7-2-3) and three times overall (10-3-3). |
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Senior goalkeeper Molly Brunk has 26 career shutouts. |
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2-1 all-time against Siena in the championship, including a first round win at Siena as the No. 5 seed in 2024. |
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(6) Marist
7-9-1 overall | 7-4-1 Metro | 22 pts.
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Season leaders
| Points |
Ariana Mullin |
10 |
| Goals |
Four tied |
3 |
| Assists |
Ariana Mullin |
4 |
| Shutouts |
Samantha Graf |
6 |
Head coach
Nicole Pacapelli Ciano
Fourth season | 18-37-14 (.362)
Led Marist to a program-record nine-match unbeaten streak in 2025; was on Binghamton's 2022 America East Coaching Staff of the Year.
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Notes
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Ariana Mullin leads the team with 10 points on three goals and four assists. |
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Mullin, Margaret Johnson and Marissa Foster share the team lead with three goals each. |
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Samantha Graf started all 17 matches in goal with five shutouts, a 1.35 goals against average and a .733 save percentage. |
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Trails the all-time series with Fairfield 8-11-8 (6-9-6 Metro); the Stags won the Oct. 6 meeting 5-1. |
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Metro Conference | TheMetro.org | @MetroConfSports
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2026 Metro Women'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 women's soccer champion earns the Conference's automatic qualifier (AQ) to the NCAA Division I Women's Soccer Championship. All matches streaming on ESPN+. |