LOUDONVILLE, NY and POUGHKEEPSIE, NY –– A penalty save and a sudden-death shootout highlighted two thrilling first-round matches Sunday in the 2026 Metro Women’s Soccer Championship, as No. 4 seed Siena and No. 3 seed Fairfield advanced to the semifinals. After the bracket reseeds, Siena visits top-seeded regular-season champion Quinnipiac at 1 PM ET on Thursday, Nov. 12, and No. 2 seed Niagara hosts Fairfield at 6 PM ET. Both semifinal contests stream on ESPN+.

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(4) Siena 1, (5) Manhattan 0
Cate Burns stopped a first-half penalty kick and posted a Metro-best 12th shutout as fourth-seeded Siena beat No. 5 seed Manhattan 1-0 in the first round of the 2026 Metro Women’s Soccer Championship on Sunday at Hickey Field. With the game scoreless in the 19th minute, Burns guessed right on Marlene Berlinghoff’s penalty and dived to her left to make the save. Catherine Rogers gave the Saints the lead in the 38th minute when she finished off Anna Swyers’ free kick and sent a left-footed shot from 5 yards out past a diving Margaret Brunk into the lower right corner. It was Rogers’ team-leading 12th goal and sixth game-winner of the season.

Manhattan outshot Siena 14-9, but the Saints held the Jaspers to three shots on target. Burns (13-3-2) made three saves, counting the penalty stop. No other Metro goalkeeper has more than seven shutouts this season. Siena (13-4-2) advances to the semifinals after beating Manhattan by the same 1-0 score at Hickey Field on Sept. 5 to open conference play. Manhattan finishes 10-4-3.

(3) Fairfield 2, (6) Marist 2 [FFD advance on penalty kicks, 5-4]
Kaitlyn McQueeney, making only her fourth appearance of 2026, converted the deciding kick in the sixth round of a shootout as third-seeded Fairfield advanced past No. 6 seed Marist 5-4 on penalties after a 2-2 draw in the first round of the 2026 Metro Women’s Soccer Championship on Sunday at Tenney Stadium. Ella Pisani gave the Stags the lead in the seventh minute, meeting Brooke Kennedy’s service with a stunning, arcing shot into the top right corner. Amelie Stewart doubled the lead in the 48th minute with a right-footed shot from 14 yards on the right side that also found the top right corner. Marist answered with back-to-back goals from Mia Fluckiger, who came off the bench in the 53rd minute and scored in the 60th and 73rd to force overtime.

Neither team scored in two overtime periods, and the shootout stood 2-2 after three rounds. Marist goalkeeper Samantha Graf stopped Fairfield’s second attempt, punching away a shot struck straight down the middle, but the Stags didn’t miss again. McQueeney won it after Marist’s Caroline Liptak missed in the sixth round. Graf finished with nine saves, and Alyssa Gluting made seven for Fairfield (10-6-3). It was the third Division I conference tournament game this season to go to penalties, after Omaha-South Dakota in the Summit League and Bowling Green-Miami (Ohio) in the Mid-American Conference. Marist finishes 7-9-2.