NORTON, Mass. – The number two seed Wheaton College (Mass.) men's soccer team will host third-seeded Massachusetts Institute of Technology on Friday, November 6 in the 2026 New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference Championship Tournament Semifinals at 12:30 p.m.on Keefe Field in Norton, Mass.
The Lyons are unbeaten in their last five games and in seven of their last eight. Wheaton owns a 9-2-6 overall record and is 4-1-3 in league play to give it 15 points to earn the second seed in the NEWMAC Tournament. The Lyons are playing in the NEWMAC Semifinals for the 22nd time and have received a bye into the round 13 times.
Tickets for the match can be purchased HERE. The NEWMAC encourages fans to purchase their mobile tickets in advance of the event to streamline the entry process on game day. Spectators may purchase mobile tickets on site, but no cash option will be available. Ticket prices are $10 for general admission. Children 12 and under and NEWMAC students with a valid institutional ID are free and do not need to purchase a mobile ticket.
The Engineers are 9-5-4 overall and 4-2-2 in the league with 14 points. The match marks MIT's first appearance in the Semifinals since 2022 when it fell to Emerson College 4-3 in penalty kicks after a 3-3 score at the end of double overtime. The Engineers won their Quarterfinals match-up with Worcester Polytechnic Institute on November 3, 2-1, behind second half goals from senior midfielder Nico Mangiafico (Farmington, Conn.) and sophomore midfielder Gianluca Balestrieri (Washington, D.C.), with the final goal coming with just 4:03 to play in the game.
In their only meeting this season, Wheaton's suffocating defense held MIT to just two shots that were both not on frame in a 2-0 victory at Keefe Field on October 17. Sophomore forward Paco Polo (Madrid Spain) scored in the 13th minute to put the Lyons on the board and senior forward Declan Rhatigan (Holderness, N.H.) scored his first marker of the year in the 77th minute to seal the result for Wheaton. The Lyons fired 17 shots, including 11 on frame. Senior Paolo Mangiafico (Farmington, Conn.) stopped eight shots for the Engineers.
As mentioned, Wheaton's defense has been a problem for opposing clubs this season, owning a 0.71 goals against average to top the league and rank 23rd in the nation. The Lyons have received contributions from four different keepers, who have combined for a .829 save percentage to place the group 17th in the nation and first in the NEWMAC. The Lyons are long on experience and have had the benefit of three outstanding backs in their defensive zone. Owen Kane (Pembroke, Mass.) was a First Team All-Conference selection a year ago and junior Austin Hoadley (South Kent, Conn.) was chosen for the Second Team. They are joined by senior Jacques Violette (Madison, Conn.) to give Wheaton a trio that has started all 17 games this season. Owen has been big on set pieces for the Blue and White with three goals and earned NEWMAC Defensive Athlete of the Week honors two weeks ago. The Lyons have allowed just 12 goals all season on just 9.3 shots per game and only two opponents have netted more than one goal in a match against them. Wheaton has scored 19 of its 30 goals in its last eight contests. A big reason for that has been Polo, who has seven goals and an assist in his last eight matches, after attempting just two shots in his first eight games. Polo's emergence as an offensive catalyst has placed him fourth in the league in goals (seven) and fifth with 15 points. The addition of Rhatigan also can't be overlooked. The six-foot, five-inch forward missed time early in the season, but has started each of the last 10 games to give the Lyons a big target on set pieces. Sophomore midfielder Vinny McGann (Chelmsford, Mass.) has shown great vision on the field as a distributor with a team-high four assists and has been excellent with his service on corner kicks. Junior forward Charlie Cushing (Eastham, Mass.) has also been a potent offensive threat, when healthy, for Wheaton with four goals and three assists. Senior Avery Dinham's (Coral Springs, Fla.) combination of speed and agility have made him extremely hard for opponents to contain. The Lyons' midfield has been locked down by senior Ben Kane (Pembroke, Mass.). He is one of five players to have started all 17 games for Wheaton and has a pair of goals to go with an assist and, like his twin brother, was also tabbed the NEWMAC Athlete of the Week, but on offense. Joining Kane is the steady and unflappable senior Camajé Easton-Smith (Hamilton, Bermuda). His decision-making and physical presence has been invaluable for the Lyons. The frame has been capably held down by senior Nick Phinney (Gorham, Maine), who leads all conference keepers in goals against average (0.71), save percentage (.824) and shutouts (4). Wheaton has the luxury of a second goalie, who has been outstanding in 559 minutes of action in sophomore Patrick Butler (Glastonbury, Conn.). The second-year goalie has allowed just four markers for a stingy 0.64 goals against mark, while posting a gaudy .852 save percentage.
MIT's starting lineup has been relatively young throughout the season with three sophomores and a pair of first years starting 10 or more games. Senior forward Woods Windham (Greer, S.C.) leads the Engineers with five goals to rank sixth among league leaders, while Balestrieri and sophomore forward Eric Lohse (Milwaukee, Wis.) each have four scores on the year. Junior midfielder Shikhar Motupally (Avon, Conn.) and sophomore sophomore Keegan Harrison (Melbourne, Fla.) have both been staples in the MIT midfield. The backline has been anchored by junior Canon Robins (Virginia Beach, Va.), sophomore Charles Lai (Providence, R.I.) and first year Raphael Eccher (Jacksonville, Fla.). First year netminder Nicolas Santos-Shin (New York, N.Y.) has seen the bulk of the time between the posts for the Engineers and was in goal for their match on Tuesday against WPI. In 10 starts, he has played every minute, while recording a 1.00 GAA and a .787 save mark to place him fourth in the league.
