BEVERLY, Mass. - The 2026 Conference of New England (CNE) men’s soccer season is set to kick off with another competitive race for the league crown, as 11 programs take the pitch with championship aspirations. Roger Williams University enters the fall looking to defend its CNE title after the Hawks captured the 2025 championship in dramatic fashion, defeating Suffolk in penalty kicks in the title match. With a new season on the horizon, the road to the CNE Championship begins as teams across the conference look to make their mark in 2026.
Curry College
2026 Schedule | 2026 Roster (returners: TBD | graduated: TBD | newcomers: TBD)
2025 Results (5-13-2, 1-9 CNE) | 2025 Overall Stats | 2025 Postseason Finish: 10th place
The Colonels will look to have a bounceback year in 2026, as head coach Peter Mendel enters his 20th season on the sidelines.
The Colonels top two leading goal scorers from last year return, as juniors Kaden Puglia and Aiden Watts will be looking to keep putting shots in the back of the net. Watts, with 15 career goals, is just six scores away from breaking into the program’s top 10 in career goals.
The Colonels will kick off their season on September 1st, as they host UMass Dartmouth.
Endicott College
2026 Schedule | 2026 Roster (returners: 15 | graduated: 16 | newcomers: 17)
2025 Results (10-8-2, 6-4-0 CNE) | 2025 Overall Stats | 2025 Postseason Finish: CNE Semifinalists
A revamped Endicott men’s soccer squad kicks off its 2026 campaign on September 1, 2026 at WPI in an 8 PM kickoff. Here’s an inside look at everything you need to know about this year’s team.
Head Coach Joe Calabrese returns to the helm for his 17th year, and is in search of his second career conference championship (2017).
Calabrese will rely heavily on senior and 2x All-CNE midfielder Aidan Sheehan (Arlington, Mass.). Throughout his career, Sheehan has scored seven goals, including a career-best four tallies (two game-winners) in 2025. Sheehan also led the team in assists in each of the last two seasons (five in 2024, seven in 2025).
Gordon College
2026 Schedule | 2026 Roster (returners: 20 | graduated: 6 | newcomers: 10)
2025 Results (9-7-2, 6-4-0 CNE) | 2025 Overall Stats | 2025 Postseason Finish: T-6th place
Gordon returns 20 veterans for the 2026 season and welcomes 10 newcomers. The Fighting Scots finished last fall with a 9-7-2 overall record to go with a 6-4-0 mark in the Conference of New England.
Cortez Cardone, Cody Dill, and Sylver Godines headline the returners after all three earned All-CNE honors a year ago. Godines netted three goals and added an assist last season while Cardone and Santiago Hernandez each chipped in with a pair of goals and two assists. Between the posts, Riley Calemmo started 14 matches and recorded three clean sheets.
Led by fourth-year head coach Kellen Kasiguran, Gordon opens the 2026 campaign September 1 at Babson. The Fighting Scots will play their first four matches on the road before beginning conference competition at home September 12 against Hartford.
University of Hartford
2026 Schedule | 2026 Roster (returners: 14 | graduated: 9 | newcomers: 18)
2025 Results (10-6-2, 6-3-1 CNE) | 2025 Overall Stats | 2025 Postseason Finish: 4th Place
The University of Hartford men’s soccer team heads into 2026 looking to win double-digit games for a third-consecutive season for the first time since 1990-1992. The Hawks ended 2025 similar to 2024 claiming the #4 seed in the Conference of New England tournament, before falling to the #5 seed to end their season. Overall Hartford ended the year with a 10-6-2 record with a 6-3-1 CNE record.
The Hawks will only return one All-Conference selection in 2025 in Brayden Tahiliani who continues to shine from the center defender role. Tahiliani, who was a 2nd Team All-Conference selection, had three goals while playing 1532 minutes on the pitch. Jared Noble is the other key returner for the Hawks after scoring two goals to go with five assists in his sophomore season. Cristian Vitti is also in line to be the starting goalkeeper after having five starts in 2025. Vitti made 12 saves with a 1.40 goals against average last season.
The Hawks have 16 regular season games on the schedule in 2026, with seven taking place at home. Hartford opens the season with a pair of inner-city contests against the University of Saint Joseph on September 4th and Trinity College on September 6th.
Johnson & Wales University (Providence)
2026 Schedule | 2026 Roster (returners: 14 | graduated: 3 | newcomers: 9)
2025 Results (8-6-4, 6-2-2 CNE) | 2025 Overall Stats | 2025 Postseason Finish: 3rd
The JWU men's soccer program excelled in their introductory year to the Conference of New England, going 6-2-2 in conference play to earn the No. 3 seed in the conference tournament. The Wildcats return key veterans, including goalkeeper Alexander Nardolillo, defender Jordan Thibodeau and midfielder Chad Parente, while sophomore Ryan Alves is poised for a larger role after scoring the GWG in the regular season finale for the Wildcats. With the departure of last season's leading goal scorer, Carlos Andrade (eight goals), JWU will rely on its returning core and a talented recruiting class to replace the offensive production it lost. A challenging early schedule will quickly challenge the young Wildcats. If the newcomers can mesh with the veteran core, JWU has a strong chance to make another postseason push in 2026.
University of New England
2026 Schedule | 2026 Roster (returners: 20 | graduated: 5 | newcomers: 19)
2025 Results (2-12-3, 0-9-1 CNE) | 2025 Overall Stats | 2025 Postseason Finish: n/a
The University of New England and 14th-year head coach Peter Ostergaard bring back six regular starters and 20 total players from a year ago, including sophomore defender Ethan Berry, who led the group with two goals and seven points. Senior defender Matthew Dewhurst, senior midfielder Ronan Donaghey, senior defender Corbin Schreindorfer, junior forward Haukur Karlsson, and junior Max Kierstead are some of the other seasoned contributors who will help guide the Nor'easters into 2026.
UNE kicks off the new season on September 1 against Maine Maritime Academy.
Nichols College
2026 Schedule | 2026 Roster (returners: 25 | graduated: 5 | newcomers: 11)
2025 Results (4-10-3, 2-7-1 CNE) | 2025 Overall Stats | 2025 Postseason Finish: 9th place
The Nichols College Men’s Soccer program enters the 2026 season with a renewed energy under second-year head coach Marco DeVito. The Bison return a strong core of 25 experienced returners while welcoming an exciting group of 11 newcomers, as Nichols looks to build on its foundation set last season.
On the pitch, captains Ryan Bray and Shea Ullo headline the returners as they will look to lead the Bison to the CNE playoffs. Returning for his sophomore year, forward Avery Morse will look to build off his 2025 season, which saw him finish as the Bison’s top goal scorer. Joining Morse on offense, Ayden Gardner returns for his sophomore year after recording the most shots on the team last season.
The Bison will open the season on the road against Westfield State University on September 1st. On Saturday, September 5th, The Hill will host Senior Day in a match against Emerson College for an 11 AM kickoff. Conference play starts on September 12th for the Bison, as they travel to Western New England to face the Golden Bears.
Roger Williams University
2026 Schedule | 2026 Roster (returners: 26 | graduated: 8 | newcomers: 16)
2025 Results (13-2-6, 8-1-1 CNE) | 2025 Overall Stats | 2025 Postseason Finish: CNE Champions, No. 1 Seed
The Roger Williams University Men’s Soccer team will look to stay on top of the CNE after taking their first championship since the 2022 campaign in 2025. The Hawks eventually fell in the NCAA Tournament First Round to UMass Boston.
The Hawks defeated Western New England and Suffolk in their CNE Tournament run, with both matches going to PKs. Despite graduating eight members of the squad, the Hawks will see three of their top five point scorers return, with the trio of seniors Dylan Robbins and Dylan Thomas joined by junior Tyler Jastrab.
In goal, the Hawks see United Soccer Coaches Second Team All-Region goalkeeper Eliot Panaccione return after posting a 10-2-6 record in 2025, with a 0.83 GAA and a 0.773 save percentage.
Suffolk University
2026 Schedule | 2026 Roster (returners: 22 | graduated: 10 | newcomers: 14)
2025 Results (13-3-4, 7-2-2 CNE) | 2025 Overall Stats | 2025 Postseason Finish: CNE Runner-Up – second seed
Suffolk men's soccer heads into the 2026 season with plenty to build on after advancing to the Conference of New England (CNE) Championship for the second consecutive season. The Rams battled top-seeded Roger Williams to a 1-1 draw in the title game before falling 4-3 in the penalty-kick shootout, coming just one 12-yard kick shy of back-to-back conference championships. Suffolk will turn to a young roster after graduating 10 experienced seniors, with a veteran core that has played deep into back-to-back postseasons.
The Rams' championship run capped a historic 2025 campaign that saw Suffolk produce a program-record 11 All-CNE selections, highlighted by returning CNE Rookie of the Year and United Soccer Coaches Division III All-Region Second Teamer Mohamed Mehaya. Mehaya made an immediate impact in his freshman campaign, finishing with 18 goal involvements on 11 goals and seven assists.
Zach Vlachos is another key returner after turning in one of Suffolk's top offensive seasons in 2025. Vlachos recorded 17 points on seven goals and three assists, ranking fourth on the team in scoring.
A pair of familiar faces return at the back in All-CNE Second Team selections Ricardo Feliciani and Nathan Harlow. Harlow started 13 games in goal last season, posting an 8-1-2 record with 46 saves, just eight goals allowed and six shutouts.
Suffolk opens the 2026 season on the road Tuesday, Sept. 1, at Clark before returning to James A. Sartori Stadium at East Boston Memorial Park for a pair of home contests over Labor Day Weekend. The Rams host MIT Friday, Sept. 4, at 3:00 p.m. before welcoming Dean Sunday, Sept. 6, at 1:00 p.m.
Wentworth Institute of Technology
2026 Schedule | 2026 Roster (returners: 24 | graduated: 6 | newcomers: 10)
2025 Results (4-11-4, 3-7 CNE) | 2025 Overall Stats | 2025 Postseason Finish: N/A
Head Coach Connor Erickson enters his 15th season leading the Leopards, returning x letterwinners for the 2026 campaign. Last season’s top scorers David Lemus and Kingston McGee return to Wentworth looking to lead the offense once again. Angel Rojas, who led the team with three assists last season, also returns to Wentworth.
Erickson also sees the return of Zachary Redondo, Alex Burnham, and Michael Liquori to round out the veteran core. Wentworth welcomes 10 newcomers to the team who will look to make their mark right from the start and bring the Leopards back into the postseason. Mason Brooks and Adrian Sanchez also return to the team to provide a veteran presence in goal. The Leopards begin the season at home against Emerson on September 1.
Western New England University
2026 Schedule | 2026 Roster (returners: 21 | graduated: 7 | newcomers: 14)
2025 Results (9-8-3, 6-3-1 CNE) | 2025 Overall Stats | 2025 Postseason Finish: CNE Semifinals - 5th Seed
The Western New England men’s soccer team returns to the pitch this season with a different look, welcoming 14 new players to the 2026 roster, including six transfer student-athletes. With a strong core of leaders departed following the 2025 season, WNE will look to new leadership to guide the squad to another Conference of New England championship in the upcoming season, looking to get back on top of the conference for the first time since 2022.
On offense, the Golden Bears won’t look much different, returning their top two scorers from a season ago. Rising junior Tyler Lewis (Suffield, Conn.) netted ten goals and dished out five assists for the Blue and Gold in 2025, leading the team with 25 points overall. Lewis also led last season’s squad with 61 shots, 30 shots on goal, and four game-winning goals. Not far behind Lewis was rising senior Ben Riley (Ludlow, Mass.), who played in all 20 games for WNE last season, making 13 starts. Riley found the back of the net 11 times, a team-high, while picking up 23 points overall. Riley netted three game-winning goals on the year, two coming against CNE opponents.
The WNE midfield will switch up this season but still have a core of Golden Bears with game experience. Cole Casinghino (Brimfield, Mass.), Owen Dieterle (Coventry, Conn.), and Jacob Dounetos (Coventry, R.I.) will all factor into the mix for the Golden Bears.
On defense, Western New England’s Jake Thibodeau (West Springfield, Mass.) and Ryan Sunshine (Suffield, Conn.) both played in all 20 games last season on the back end and will look to make an impact for the Blue and Gold once again this season. Ty Bevan (Mendon, Mass.), Miles Lanier (Weare, N.H.), and Anthony Shea (Ludlow, Mass.) all return in 2026 to guard the pipes for Western New England.
The 2026 season kicks off on Tuesday, September 1, when the Golden Bears visit Western Connecticut State University for a 4:00 PM start. WNE’s home opener will be that weekend when they welcome Thomas College to Suprenant Field on Saturday, September 5 at 1:30 PM.
ABOUT THE CONFERENCE OF NEW ENGLAND
Originally founded in 1984 as the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC), and reconstituted as the Conference of New England (CNE) in 2024, the CNE is an NCAA Division III athletic conference composed of 11 full member and nine associate member institutions throughout the New England region. Its membership aims to provide student-athletes with a positive experience in their pursuit of excellence through high-level athletic competition, academic achievement and community engagement.