BROCKPORT, NY - The No. 5-seeded Brockport men's soccer team heads to No. 4-seeded St. John Fisher for the first round of the Empire 8 Tournament on Saturday, October 31st at 11 am. Saturday's matchup will serve as a rematch of the 2024 Empire 8 Semifinals, which saw the Cardinals steal a win at home in PK's (0-0, 4-1 SO).

Regular Season Recap 

The Golden Eagles finished the regular season 7-6-3 overall with a 6-3-2 mark in conference competition, snapping a four-match winless streak with a 1-0 victory over Houghton last Saturday. Brockport secured its third consecutive Empire 8 Conference Tournament appearance since joining the conference in 2024. The postseason berth was fueled by a 5-0-1 start in conference play, earning wins over SUNY Poly, SUNY Geneseo, Keuka College, Russell Sage, and Elmira College.

Building off an excellent freshman season, Ryan Mathis led the Golden Eagles in scoring once again, leading the squad with eight goals and 19 points. Khadim Amar was just as dynamic, setting new single-season career highs in goals (5), assists (2), and points (12) as another key goal-scoring threat for Brockport. Trevor Lagarde served as a key playmaker, leading the squad with seven assists, serving as a new single-season high for the senior from Palm Coast, Florida. Between the pipes, the 2025 Empire 8 Goalkeeper of the Year, AJ Nelson, has seen the bulk of the action, starting 15 of 16 games and posting a 1.40 goals-allowed average with 57 saves, saving 73.1% of the shots he's faced. 

Tournament Outlook

Eight teams make up the field for the 2026 Empire 8 Men's Soccer Tournament, with the winner of Brockport V. St. John Fisher advancing to play the winner of No. 1 SUNY Geneseo and No. 8 Houghton (at Higher Seed). Other first-round matchups include No. 7 Hartwick at No. 2 Utica and No. 6 Alfred at No. 3 Nazareth. 

No. 1 – SUNY Geneseo (27 points, 9-2-0 E8, 12-4-1 Overall)
No. 2 – Utica University (22 points, 7-3-1 E8, 9-6-2 Overall)
No. 3 – Nazareth University (22 points, 7-3-1 E8, 9-4-1 Overall)
No. 4 – St. John Fisher University (20 points, 6-3-2 E8, 7-5-3 Overall)
No. 5 – SUNY Brockport (20 points, 6-3-2 E8, 7-6-3 Overall)
No. 6 – Alfred University (19 points, 5-2-4 E8, 8-3-4 Overall)
No. 7 – Hartwick College (15 points, 5-6-0 E8, 6-10-0 Overall)
No. 8 – Houghton University (14 points, 4-5-2 E8, 7-6-4 Overall)

Scouting St. John Fisher

The Cardinals enter the postseason coming off a 3-1 loss at top-seeded SUNY Geneseo on Saturday, October 24th, to close out the regular season. St. John Fisher posted a 6-2-2 record in the squad's final 10 outings, including a 2-2 draw at home against Brockport. Meeting 25 times since 2002, Brockport holds a 14-7-4 edge in the head-to-head series, with the Golden Eagles' 5-2-3 record across the last 10 meetings. 

Up Next: With a win, Brockport would take on the winner of No. 1 SUNY Geneseo and No. 8 Houghton on Wednesday, November 4th.