The Metro men’s soccer championship bracket is officially set. It took all 10 conference matches to settle the playoff seeding, with five of the six spots being finalized on the last matchday. No. 1 Fairfield (10-3-3, 8-2-0 Metro) clinched a spot early after starting its Metro slate with six straight wins, while No. 6 Merrimack (5-3-9, 3-1-6 Metro) had to win on the last day to even have a shot.
No. 2 Marist (8-3-5, 6-2-2 Metro) and No. 3 Quinnipiac (7-6-2, 5-3-2 Metro) took until the last day to settle their spots, as Marist downed Siena 2-1 while Quinnipiac lost 1-0 to Merrimack, whom they take on in the first round.
The No. 2 seed usually comes with a bye and home-field advantage in the semis, but this year features the added bonus of hosting a potential final. No. 1 Fairfield is leaving the Metro to join the Coastal Athletic Association, and cannot host any postseason games.
No. 4 Sacred Heart (6-5-7, 4-2-4 Metro) went into the last day in fourth, and stayed there with a win over Fairfield. No. 5 Niagara (5-6-4, 4-3-3 Metro) also handled business in its last match, beating last-placed Canisius.
With five matches to go until the first-ever Metro Conference men’s soccer champion is crowned, let’s look at each team and matchup as it now stands.
No.1 Fairfield
Fairfield was the best team in the Metro for nearly the entire season. The Stags beat Marist and Quinnipiac, the two teams just below them, en route to the regular season title. Their two losses came on the road to Iona and at home against Sacred Heart, both of which held Fairfield scoreless. As mentioned, Fairfield is leaving the conference and cannot host a playoff game, meaning the Stags will not enjoy the usual No. 1 seed benefit of home-field advantage.
It is worth noting that the loss to Sacred Heart was in the last match of the regular season, so Fairfield will now be off for a week after losing to their bitter rivals.
Head coach Krystian Witkowski’s team is led by freshman forward Cristiano Carlos, who racked up five goals and six assists in his debut campaign. Sophomore forward Pipeloore Olanrewaju is also on five goals, including the winner against Marist. Sophomore Evan Chomow operates between the sticks and has been very strong there this year, keeping a 0.94 goals-against average in 15 starts.
No. 2 Marist
The Red Foxes enter the playoffs as the hottest team in the conference by far. Head coach Matt Viggiano’s side has won four straight, rising up the standings ladder. They beat Siena 2-1 on the final day to secure the No. 2 seed, the team’s second home win of the year after starting 0-2-5 at home. Marist has also been ridiculously clinical on the road this year, going 6-1-0; that won’t matter at this stage, though, as the No.2 seed comes with home-field advantage throughout the playoffs this year.
Back-to-back home wins have Marist at 2-2-5 at home this year, a rather wonky .500 record. Both of those wins came in their last two games at home, signalling a potential shift in the tide. This four-game win streak brought the Red Foxes to a 6-2-2 conference record, a wildly different result than one might’ve predicted after a 2-2-2 start.
Junior forward Chris Verheul leads the Red Foxes with nine goals, which he’s paired with four assists. Junior midfielder Caio Cavaletti’s eight assists lead the team, a number he’s reached despite missing multiple games with injury. Junior keeper Alex Murania, fresh off a 10-save day against Siena which included a penalty stop, has just won his first Metro Defensive Player of the Week award and will start in net.
No. 3 Quinnipiac vs. No. 6 Merrimack
Nov. 7, 1 p.m.
A rematch of the final day of the regular season, these two have unfinished business. Merrimack went into Connecticut, got dealt a red card five minutes in (junior back Gabriele Catterina), then won 1-0 behind a 61st-minute goal from junior midfielder Mason Salvadge. Despite playing a man up for nearly the full match, Quinnipiac couldn’t get the win they needed to secure the No. 2 seed. It’s not all bad for the Bobcats, though, who still get to host their first-round match.
Sophomore midfielder Taehyeon Lim leads Quinnipiac with 12 goals, a figure that has him near the top in all of Division I. He’s bagged two hat-tricks this year and is certainly capable of grabbing another at any given moment. Freshman goalkeeper Alexander Hansen has looked like a pro in net this year, making 66 saves while conceding just 23 goals in 15 starts.
Merrimack hasn’t had much action this season on either end, scoring just 16 times and conceding 19 times, five of which came in a loss to Canisius, in their 17 matches this year. Junior forward Jonathan Kratz leads with four goals and is trailed by sophomore midfielder Cassidy Keller with three.
This match is sure to be heated, with Quinnipiac’s attack going all out to grab a win at home over the near air-tight Merrimack defense. A Quinnipiac win would pit them against Marist in the semi-finals, while a win for the Warriors would see them host Fairfield.
No. 4 Sacred Heart vs. No. 5 Niagara
Nov. 7, 6 p.m.
Both of these teams secured their spots on the last day with 2-0 wins on the road over their local rivals; Sacred Heart upset Fairfield, while Niagara handled last-placed Canisius. Niagara won the earlier matchup between these two teams 3-2 at home, with all five goals coming in the first half. Niagara’s first goal came from a penalty, something that Sacred Heart has had problems with this year, conceding four.
The Pioneers were the preseason favorites to win the title, but now have a tough road to even make a final. The re-seeding process means it’s tough to predict who the winner of this match plays in the semifinal, but a chance for a rematch against Fairfield, this time at home, is appetizing. Preseason All-Metro teamer senior midfielder Danny Istambouli leads with six goals, while freshman keeper Anthony Suarez has made 50 saves in 16 starts, conceding just 20 goals.
Senior midfielder Tommy Mittelstadt is Niagara’s top scorer with five goals and is just one of four Purple Eagles who scored more than once. They had a mediocre run on the road this year, going 3-4-2, but that number is inflated by losses at Michigan and Michigan State. The Purple Eagles have a rough road ahead to try to go on the road and beat last year’s runners-up, but it’s very doable.
As the playoffs get underway, each team will be playing for a chance to play in the Metro title game on Nov. 14.
Edited by Max Rose
Photo by Michael O’Neil
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