Saturday, October 31
Philadelphia, Pa.
7:00 p.m.
Columbia
at
Penn
Photo by: Columbia University Athletics / Alicia Yu
10/30/2026 5:26:00 PM | Men's Soccer
What to know ahead of Halloween night’s Ivy League matchup in Philadelphia
NEW YORK — The Columbia men's soccer team (5-4-4, 0-3-2 Ivy) travels to take on the Penn Quakers (6-3-4, 2-1-2 Ivy) Saturday night. Kickoff at Rhodes Field is slated for 7 p.m.
THE SERIES
This will be the 80th all-time meeting in the series between the Lions and Quakers, which dates back to 1906. Penn is unbeaten in its last six series matchups against the Lions, but Columbia has earned three draws over that time, including a 2-2 result last year at Rocco B. Commisso Soccer Stadium. Columbia's last series win came at Penn, 2-0, on Oct. 6, 2018.
THE IVY TABLE
Columbia has two points so far this Ivy League season. The Lions are still in contention for one of the four Ivy League Tournament spots, needing to win out to get to eight points and hope that is good enough to secure a berth. Meanwhile, Penn enters the matchup tied for second place with Yale. Cornell has already clinched the outright regular-season title with a perfect 5-0-0 Ivy record.
LIONS END THE HOME SEASON IN STYLE
Columbia took down Hofstra, 2-0, on Tuesday at Rocco B. Commisso Soccer Stadium. In the win, sophomore defender Sage Kinner put the Lions on top in the 21st minute with his first collegiate goal. Sophomore forward Henning Myrvang added the insurance in the 85th, sealing the victory and giving Columbia its first series win over the Pride since 2018.
A native of Famagusta, Cyprus, Aris Taki continues to be near the top of the NCAA statistical rankings. Entering Saturday's game, he ranks at No. 12 in the NCAA in goals-against average (0.700) and No. 14 in save percentage (82.1%). To qualify for the rankings, goalkeepers must have played in at least 50 percent of their team's total minutes.
Taki has earned two Ivy League Defensive Player of the Week awards this season, last taking home the honors for games played Oct. 5-11. He helped lead the Lions to a pair of home Ivy League draws against Brown, 1-1, and reigning champion Princeton, 1-1. Taki made seven saves across the two matches.
After debuting on September 9, Taki put together a streak of 397 consecutive minutes without allowing a goal before surrendering the first of his career at Harvard on October 3. The shutout streak was the longest by a Columbia keeper since Dylan Castanheira '19CC posted five consecutive shutouts in the 2017 season.
Taki's and the Columbia back line's string of shutouts helped the Lions put together a five-match unbeaten streak (Sept. 5-22). It was the longest such streak since the Lions won five straight matches in 2018. The run included a three-game winning streak, all on the road, over Fordham (1-0), Manhattan (2-0), and Temple (1-0). It was the first time Columbia won three straight matches that all came on the road since 2016.
REMEMBERING ROCCO B. COMMISSO
The Columbia men's and women's soccer programs are honoring the memory of Rocco B. Commisso '71SEAS '75BUS throughout the 2026 season. Both programs are featuring his initials, "RBC," on their kits that they have worn throughout the year.
Rocco B. Commisso, who passed away on Jan. 16, 2026, at age 76, was a standout Columbia men's soccer player, longtime supporter of Columbia Athletics and accomplished business leader. A three-year All-Ivy League honoree as both a defensive and offensive player, he helped lead the Lions to winning records in each of his four seasons. As co-captain of the 1970 team, he helped guide Columbia to its first NCAA Tournament appearance.
Commisso went on to become a successful entrepreneur, founding Mediacom Communications in 1995 and building it into one of the nation's largest cable television providers. He remained closely connected to soccer throughout his life, including ownership roles with the New York Cosmos and Italian Serie A club ACF Fiorentina.
FOLLOW THE LIONS:
For the latest on Columbia men's soccer, be sure to follow the team on Twitter and Instagram (@CULionsMSOC), on Facebook (ColumbiaMensSoccer), or by visiting GoColumbiaLions.com.
THE SERIES
This will be the 80th all-time meeting in the series between the Lions and Quakers, which dates back to 1906. Penn is unbeaten in its last six series matchups against the Lions, but Columbia has earned three draws over that time, including a 2-2 result last year at Rocco B. Commisso Soccer Stadium. Columbia's last series win came at Penn, 2-0, on Oct. 6, 2018.
THE IVY TABLE
Columbia has two points so far this Ivy League season. The Lions are still in contention for one of the four Ivy League Tournament spots, needing to win out to get to eight points and hope that is good enough to secure a berth. Meanwhile, Penn enters the matchup tied for second place with Yale. Cornell has already clinched the outright regular-season title with a perfect 5-0-0 Ivy record.
| Team | Overall | Ivy | Points |
| Cornell | 10-3-0 | 5-0-0 | 15 |
| Penn | 6-3-4 | 2-1-2 | 8 |
| Yale | 4-6-3 | 2-1-1 | 8 |
| Dartmouth | 4-5-4 | 2-2-1 | 7 |
| Harvard | 4-6-3 | 2-2-1 | 7 |
| Princeton | 6-4-4 | 1-3-1 | 4 |
| Brown | 6-5-3 | 1-3-1 | 4 |
| Columbia | 5-4-4 | 0-3-2 | 2 |
Columbia took down Hofstra, 2-0, on Tuesday at Rocco B. Commisso Soccer Stadium. In the win, sophomore defender Sage Kinner put the Lions on top in the 21st minute with his first collegiate goal. Sophomore forward Henning Myrvang added the insurance in the 85th, sealing the victory and giving Columbia its first series win over the Pride since 2018.
TAKI AMONG THE NATION'S TOP KEEPERS🎥 Postgame with Sage Kinner, who scored his first collegiate goal and helped the Lions shut out Hofstra tonight, 2-0. #RoarLionRoar 🦁 // #OnlyHere 🗽 https://t.co/5y5CPRaf4G
— Columbia Men's Soccer (@CULionsMSOC) October 28, 2026
A native of Famagusta, Cyprus, Aris Taki continues to be near the top of the NCAA statistical rankings. Entering Saturday's game, he ranks at No. 12 in the NCAA in goals-against average (0.700) and No. 14 in save percentage (82.1%). To qualify for the rankings, goalkeepers must have played in at least 50 percent of their team's total minutes.
Taki has earned two Ivy League Defensive Player of the Week awards this season, last taking home the honors for games played Oct. 5-11. He helped lead the Lions to a pair of home Ivy League draws against Brown, 1-1, and reigning champion Princeton, 1-1. Taki made seven saves across the two matches.
After debuting on September 9, Taki put together a streak of 397 consecutive minutes without allowing a goal before surrendering the first of his career at Harvard on October 3. The shutout streak was the longest by a Columbia keeper since Dylan Castanheira '19CC posted five consecutive shutouts in the 2017 season.
Taki's and the Columbia back line's string of shutouts helped the Lions put together a five-match unbeaten streak (Sept. 5-22). It was the longest such streak since the Lions won five straight matches in 2018. The run included a three-game winning streak, all on the road, over Fordham (1-0), Manhattan (2-0), and Temple (1-0). It was the first time Columbia won three straight matches that all came on the road since 2016.
REMEMBERING ROCCO B. COMMISSO
The Columbia men's and women's soccer programs are honoring the memory of Rocco B. Commisso '71SEAS '75BUS throughout the 2026 season. Both programs are featuring his initials, "RBC," on their kits that they have worn throughout the year.
Rocco B. Commisso, who passed away on Jan. 16, 2026, at age 76, was a standout Columbia men's soccer player, longtime supporter of Columbia Athletics and accomplished business leader. A three-year All-Ivy League honoree as both a defensive and offensive player, he helped lead the Lions to winning records in each of his four seasons. As co-captain of the 1970 team, he helped guide Columbia to its first NCAA Tournament appearance.
Commisso went on to become a successful entrepreneur, founding Mediacom Communications in 1995 and building it into one of the nation's largest cable television providers. He remained closely connected to soccer throughout his life, including ownership roles with the New York Cosmos and Italian Serie A club ACF Fiorentina.
FOLLOW THE LIONS:
For the latest on Columbia men's soccer, be sure to follow the team on Twitter and Instagram (@CULionsMSOC), on Facebook (ColumbiaMensSoccer), or by visiting GoColumbiaLions.com.
Players Mentioned
Tuesday, October 27
Tuesday, October 27
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Tuesday, October 13
