Marist men’s soccer concluded its 2026 non-conference slate with only one loss in six games. A pair of 2-2 draws and a goalless match against Air Force have comprised a lot of the Red Foxes’ action this season, while its two wins on the West Coast serve as highlights. Marist struggled early on to find consistent offense, but made strides as the non-conference slate progressed. The Red Foxes will need to turn some of those draws into wins, and after collapsing down the stretch and missing the conference tournament last season, the Red Foxes will look to return to the playoffs this year.
At this point in the season, many roles on the roster have become solidified. With both underclassmen and veteran players establishing themselves, who has impressed you the most so far?
Ryan Eichem, Men’s Soccer Beat Writer: No one has been more impressive among the underclassmen than sophomore winger Adriano Iannello. After missing a few games with a groin injury, he’s come back and scored twice and assisted once in 214 minutes of action. Another strong performer has been junior fullback Evan Marques. He’s got two assists so far but has looked even better on the defensive side of the ball. He’s been a starter since he was a freshman, and deserves all of the praise he gets.
Sophomore center back Miles Douglas has also taken a step up this year and looks great alongside senior Ethan Ortiz.
Sabbas Jelia, Contributor: A concrete example of an underclassman establishing themselves has been freshman goalkeeper Gavin Mitlitski. Mitlitski didn’t play for the Red Foxes in the season’s first three games but got the nod to start in the most recent two. Being a freshman goalie is a tough task, but Mitlitski has shined, helping the Red Foxes get their first two wins of the season. Mitlitski tallied five saves and a save percentage of 71.4% in the two wins.
On the other hand, already established junior forward Chris Verheul has continued to make his mark at Marist. The Dutchman has impressed with two goals and an assist so far this season.
Ally Schmitz, Contributor: The player who has been the most impressive so far is junior forward Chris Verheul. Verheul made his mark this season during the West Coast stretch,
tallying two goals, five points and one assist. He has continued to prove himself throughout his career at Marist and has been starting to catch on as of late. Verheul has come out and proven to be one of Marist’s top offensive contributors so far.
Another player that is on the radar is graduate student forward Mani Diop. Diop has three goals and six points this season, along with fourteen shots so far, which is a team high. Both of these players have been strong performers for Marist, and should continue to stand out.
Dave Troeger, Contributor: Graduate student forward Mani Diop has exploded out of the gate. Diop brings winning experience and an imposing presence, which he has used so far to generate fourteen chances through five games. His larger frame has allowed for a more physical style of play, opening up opportunities in the offensive zone that last year’s team wasn’t able to take advantage of while shutting down chances in the box. Coming off a National Championship at Washington, he seems to have brought a morale boost, and with his versatility on both sides of the ball, it is entirely possible that a few more converted chances could very quickly turn him into a scoring machine.
Marist won both of its games on the road convincingly. What do you attribute that success to?
Ryan: It was a massive surprise to see the Red Foxes win both of their West Coast games 4-1, especially after the previous two games, in which they were shut out. Marist switched up its formation in the second game, going with a three-back lineup, and it paid off immediately as they went up 2-0 early on San Francisco. Marist didn’t do anything spectacularly well in either game besides converting its chances. The Red Foxes were outshot in both games, yet they outscored their opponents 8-2.
Taking the lead and continuing to push is a common theme for head coach Matt Viggiano’s side, but the difference comes when they can grab a second goal.
Sabbas: Marist’s successful road trip on the West Coast could largely be attributed to its counterattack play. Both games saw the Red Foxes accepting pressure and being outshot by Saint Mary’s and San Francisco, respectively. This didn’t matter as Marist converted their chances, with eight goals coming from the two games. Iannello and Chris Verheul both netted one in each of the games, as well as contributing an assist each.
Ally: The attacking side of the team pulled through massively for the Red Foxes on the West Coast. Iannello played particularly well, putting up three shots, two goals and one assist over the two games. Defensively, Mitlitski shined, only giving up two goals while making five saves during the weekend trip.
The team has definitely improved since its first few matches, putting up more goals and making more saves. Marist came out firing early in both games, with the first goals in each game coming at the 5th and 13th minute, respectively.
Dave: Marist did a good job of controlling the matches in California. They took care of an inferior team in Morega, never allowing St Mary’s to put up a stand, then proceeded to pile on goals after the red in San Francisco. Both games saw them keep pressure after scoring first, something they weren’t able to do earlier in the season. They were outshot by the Dons and still finished the contest three goals to the good, which should give confidence that they have what they need to compete with the higher-powered offenses.
What team in the Metro has stood out in the non-conference section of the season?
Ryan: Aside from Marist, the answer has to be Rider. After winning the MAAC in 2023 and making the conference championship in 2024, the Broncs put up a disappointing 2025 season in which they won only two games. This season, though, Rider is 4-1-1, with wins over James Madison, Howard, NJIT and La Salle. The Broncs also drew Saint Joseph’s 0-0 at home.
Head coach Chad Duernberger knows how to win and is certainly making a case that he can take his team back to the heights they saw in years past.
Sabbas: My pick is Fairfield. After its overtime loss in the conference semi-finals vs. Sacred Heart last year, head coach Krystian Witkowski and his team have returned to winning ways. After beating UConn and New Haven and drawing with Columbia and Lehigh, the Stags’ only loss was to No. 17 Marshall in their first game of the season.
Fairfield’s form can be attributed to freshman phenom Cristiano Carlos. The forward has already tallied four goals and an assist in five games played, not to mention winning Metro rookie of the week twice already. Sitting at 2-1-2 overall, the Stags sit one spot above Marist in the Metro non-conference rankings and look to make a mark on this year’s Metro season.
Ally: Merrimack stands out in non-conference play. The Warriors had a 2-2 tie against Holy Cross, a 1-1 tie with Stonehill and a 3-1 win over Rhode Island so far this season, and is currently in possession of a .600 win percentage vs. non-conference opponents. The tie with Stonehill was very impressive considering they were ranked very highly going into this season.
Merrimack could be a sneaky underdog this season that people should be on the watch for. The Warriors are now 2-2-3 overall and sit fourth in the Metro Conference. Sophomore midfielder Keller Cassidy and junior forward Jonathan Kratz have both been standouts for Merrimack, both with two goals and six shots apiece so far this season.
Dave: While Marist’s away success certainly catches the eye, Manhattan is another team coming off a two-game win streak, with the key difference being that both of the Jaspers’ wins came at home. This is a team that hasn’t finished above .500 since 2022, but is now coming out of the non-conference slate boasting an offensive player of the week in graduate student forward Christiano Marsilii.
Both wins have an asterisk; most wouldn’t call beating winless teams a high mark, but if they can keep traction in a tough game against Colombia, they might be able to flip the narrative come Metro play.
Predict how Marist will finish down the stretch this season and whether or not they will make it into the Metro/NCAA tournament.
Ryan: This Marist side seems to be learning how to play with each other, and that can only yield positive results. The Red Foxes don’t face a ton of travel in their conference schedule, which is a welcome sight after having multiple long trips in 2025. Games against teams like Canisius, Merrimack, Saint Peter’s and Mount St. Mary’s are all winnable, as is the rivalry game at home against Siena to end the year.
Marist plays 10 Metro Conference games, and winning five is a reasonable expectation. A maximum of three losses is required to make the playoffs, especially if the Red Foxes end up with multiple draws. In the end, I think they will win upwards of four games and maybe draw a pair or three, which should result in a high seed in the conference tournament. From there, anything can happen.
Sabbas: After Marist’s remarkable non-conference play last season, but ultimately falling short of the Metro tournament, I believe the Red Foxes are due for a so-called “get back” season. The Red Foxes will go into this Metro season with much less pressure on their backs. A calmer and more collected squad is exactly what this team needs to go far in the conference tournament.
Perhaps the less lengthy road trips the Red Foxes will undergo this season could settle nerves and help them play comfortably in conference play. All in all, a handful of wins out of the ten Metro games could see Marist in a comfortable position heading into tournament play. Time will tell what Vigianno’s side will bring to the table this year.
Ally: Marist should definitely make it to the Metro Conference tournament this season, but the NCAA Tournament is likely less attainable since Marist lost a few key players this past year. The team is now without goalie Jamie Lowell, midfielder Kyle Evans, defender Liam Evans, midfielder Skylar Cunha and several others. Even with the player subtractions, after showing an ability to compete against quality opponents on the West Coast swing, there is no reason Marist can’t perform well against conference opponents down the stretch.
Dave: It’s hard to argue against the consecutive 4-1 wins being a sign of this squad finding its footing. Marist’s current record of 2-1-3 is good enough to tie Merrimack for second in the Metro, and while last season is a great example of why it’s hard to take the non-conference slate as gospel, this is lining up to be a redemptive season for the Foxes.
Their floor should still have them breaking into the lower seeds, with an ideal finish in the top three. The conference looks wide open, so the sky could be the limit for the Red Foxes this year.
Edited by Max Rosen and Ryan Eichem
Graphic by Jaylen Rizzo
Photos from Marist Athletics
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