EDISON, NJ (Nov. 10, 2026) – The Metro Conference announced its 2026 men’s soccer all-conference teams and major award winners Tuesday, as voted on by the conferences’ head coaches.
Three institutions combined to claim the six major awards. Quinnipiac’s Taehyeon Lim earned both Offensive Player of the Year and Golden Boot honors, while Iona’s Ignacio Manzanares was named Rookie of the Year. Fairfield swept the remaining three awards, with Evan Chomow earning Golden Glove honors, teammate Jett Aktan being named Defensive Player of the Year, and head coach Krystian Witkowski receiving Coach of the Year.
Lim led the conference in scoring and ranked among the nation’s best, placing sixth in goals per game (0.80) and eighth in points per game (1.87). His 12 goals ranked eighth nationally, and his 28 points put him among the top 15 scorers in the country. He also earned the Golden Boot as the conference’s leading goal scorer. Lim’s standout performance came on Oct. 24 against Mount St. Mary’s, when he put three shots on goal and scored on all of them to lead the Bobcats to victory. It was his second hat trick of the season, making him only the second player in Quinnipiac history, and the third in NCAA Division I this season, to reach that mark. Lim was also named to the All-Metro First Team.
Chomow led the conference with a 0.945 goals against average, anchoring a Fairfield defense that dominated the conference. His busiest day came on Sept. 12 against New Haven, when he faced a season-high 17 shots and made seven saves. Chomow closed the year with a .767 save percentage, 46 saves, and four shutouts, earning a spot on the All-Metro First Team.
Aktan helped the Stags capture the 2026 regular season championship, losing only two games in conference play. Fairfield allowed just six goals across the conference season and ranked among the top three in the conference with five shutouts. Even as a defender, Aktan made his mark on the offensive end against Lehigh on Sept. 1, putting two shots on goal and scoring once to help earn a tie. He was also named to the All-Metro First Team.
Manzanares, the conference’s Rookie of the Year, tied for the conference lead with three game-winning goals this season. He averaged 0.44 goals and 1.06 points per game, converting on .487 of his shots while totaling 17 points for the Gaels. His top performance came on Nov. 4 against Manhattan, when he attempted eight shots, put three on goal, and recorded a goal and an assist. Manzanares was also named to the All-Metro First Team.
In his third season leading Fairfield, Witkowski guided the Stags to their first regular season championship under his direction. Fairfield won 10 games overall and earned 24 conference points, highlighted by a five-game win streak midway through the season. The Stags improved on last year’s finish, entering the postseason as the No. 4 seed before falling to Sacred Heart in the semifinals, 4-3 in overtime. Fairfield led the conference in goals against average (0.938) and total goals (50). Fairfield led all teams with eight All-Metro selections, followed by Marist with five and Rider with four.