Saturday, September 5
New York, N.Y.
4:00 p.m.
Columbia
vs
Fairfield
Andrew Hilton II
Photo by: Columbia University Athletics / Stockton Photo, Inc.
Men’s Soccer Hosts Fairfield Saturday at Commisso Soccer Stadium
9/4/2026 4:55:00 PM | Men's Soccer
Lions and Stags to meet for the third consecutive season
NEW YORK — The Columbia men's soccer team (0-1-0) hosts its second consecutive match to begin the 2026 season when it takes on Fairfield (1-1-1) on Saturday. Kickoff from Rocco B. Commisso Soccer Stadium is scheduled for 4 p.m.
GAME COVERAGE:
Fans can watch Saturday's game live on ESPN+. Fans can also track live stats courtesy of GoColumbiaLions.com. In-game updates will also be provided on the @CULionsMSOC social media accounts.
LAST TIME OUT
The Lions opened the 2026 season last Saturday, August 28, against Army West Point. Despite outshooting the Cadets, 18-8, and a pair of second-half goals from sophomore Henning Myrvang and first-year Ethan Heyward, Columbia came out on the wrong end of the scoreline, 4-2. Myrvang's 60th-minute strike cut a 2-0 deficit in half. However, Army answered less than four minutes later to regain a two-goal lead, then extending it to 4-1 by the 70th minute. Heyward's goal, the first of his collegiate career, gave the Lions a chance with 20 minutes remaining, but the deficit proved too much to overcome.
POSTGAME NOTES
- Myrvang's goal was the second of his collegiate career. He also scored in last year's season opener at Lehigh, which was his only goal of the season.
- Ethan Heyward's goal was the first of his collegiate career. This marks the fourth consecutive season that either a first-year player or a player in their first competition season at Columbia has scored a goal. (2023: Chad Baker (3); 2024: Jack McDaid (2); 2025: Stepan Kapranov (4), Henning Myrvang (1)).
- Five different Lions made their collegiate debut – Oli Sacks, Kai Zeruhn, Ben Milstein, Joshua Sosa, Ethan Heyward. Sophomore Transfer Fadel Kone made his Columbia debut as a substitute. Zeruhn debuted in the Starting XI.
- Luke Zielinski assisted both Columbia goals. He is the first Lion to record two assists in a match since Brandon Newman had two in last year's 5-1 victory over Fordham (Oct. 28). Zielinski totaled two assists all of last season. No Lion has had more than two assists in a game dating back to the 2005 season.
- Army West Point earned its first series victory since 2005. Each of the last three series matches (2025, 2019, 2018) had resulted in a draw.
Fairfield enters Friday's matchup with a 1-1-1 record. The Stags opened the 2026 season on August 20 with a 2-1 loss at then-No. 17 Marshall, followed by a 1-0 shutout victory on the road against UConn. They played their first home game of the season on Tuesday against Lehigh, which ended in a 2-2 draw. The Stags now head back on the road to take on the Lions before returning home to take on New Haven (Sept. 12) and open the Metro League slate against Siena (Sept. 19).
Sophomore Sean Albritton and senior Jett Aktan scored Fairfield's goals in the 73rd and 45th minutes against Lehigh, with assists coming from Cristiano Carlos and Cristian Ortiz.
Fairfield and Columbia are meeting for the third consecutive season. Last year's game ended in a 1-1 draw out in Connecticut. The last time the two programs met was September 10, 2025, in Fairfield, which resulted in a 1-1 draw. Alessandro Franciosa scored Columbia's goal in the 77th minute to level the match after Alex Vaz opened the scoring in the 22nd minute.
2026 SEASON PREVIEW NOTES
THE 2026 CAPTAINS
Columbia men's soccer announced that its team captains for the 2026 season are seniors Jackson ten Oever, Jack McDaid and Joe McDaid. Ten Oever is an All-Ivy League Honorable Mention and two-time CSC Academic All-District selection who has been a mainstay in the starting lineup throughout his career. Joe McDaid and Jack McDaid are in their third year at Columbia after playing together at Maryland as freshmen. Jack earned Second Team All-Ivy League distinction last year, registering three goals and two assists out of his midfield position. The trio brings veteran leadership, defensive toughness, and proven capability in key moments heading into their senior seasons with the Lions.
THE NEWCOMERS
Head coach Michael Casper and his staff welcomed a talented class of newcomers to the 2026 roster. The balanced incoming class includes two goalkeepers, two defenders, two midfielders and two forwards.
Speaking on the incoming class, Casper stated, "We want players that fit the model of what we want Columbia men's soccer to look like – hard-working and technical with the ability to become difference makers."
The new group of Lions includes impactful fresh faces across the pitch, including additions to the defense, midfield, and forward lines, who will push for immediate playing time and elevate the competitive environment.
In what is now his fourth season leading the Lions, head coach Michael Casper will look to turn the corner and bring the program back to prominence. With an experienced returning foundation and an energetic incoming class, Columbia looks to start the 2026 campaign strong. In his season preview, Casper talked about the team's competitiveness against the teams that qualified for the 2025 Ivy League Tournament. Columbia earned a convincing 3-1 win over Harvard, a 2-2 draw against Penn, and played highly competitive matches against nationally-ranked Cornell and Princeton.
"To think that you can get a win and a tie off of the top four and be in the games that the other two, you're not far away," he stated. "We need to be better with our finishing this fall, but when I think about the way that we played, there was a lot of improvement.
"I think this group of guys is going to have their hands full in replacing some of that leadership and … ability that
last year's class brought to the field. But I'm excited about the opportunity that they have."
Fans can catch the full interview with Coach Casper ahead of the start of the season on GoColumbiaLions.TV.
ABOUT COLUMBIA MEN'S SOCCER
The 2026 season marks the 79th varsity season of men's soccer at Columbia University. The program was established in 1906 but discontinued as a varsity sport from 1916-57. The program regained its varsity status in 1957 and played 63 straight seasons until the 2020 campaign was canceled due to COVID.
Columbia men's soccer came to prominence in the late '70s, advancing to their first NCAA Tournament in 1978 before going all the way to the Final Four in 1979. After multiple NCAA Tournament appearances and Ivy League championships through the early '80s, the Lions made a run to the NCAA Tournament Championship Game in 1983. Columbia defeated UConn, 4-0, in the Final Four to take on Indiana for the National Championship. The Hoosiers outlasted Columbia, 1-0, in overtime.
Columbia owns 10 Ivy League championships and 13 NCAA Tournament appearances all-time.
Columbia will honor the memory of Rocco B. Commisso '71SEAS '75BUS throughout the 2026 season with a commemorative patch featuring his initials, "RBC," on its kits. 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, Commisso 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.
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.
GAME COVERAGE:
Fans can watch Saturday's game live on ESPN+. Fans can also track live stats courtesy of GoColumbiaLions.com. In-game updates will also be provided on the @CULionsMSOC social media accounts.
LAST TIME OUT
The Lions opened the 2026 season last Saturday, August 28, against Army West Point. Despite outshooting the Cadets, 18-8, and a pair of second-half goals from sophomore Henning Myrvang and first-year Ethan Heyward, Columbia came out on the wrong end of the scoreline, 4-2. Myrvang's 60th-minute strike cut a 2-0 deficit in half. However, Army answered less than four minutes later to regain a two-goal lead, then extending it to 4-1 by the 70th minute. Heyward's goal, the first of his collegiate career, gave the Lions a chance with 20 minutes remaining, but the deficit proved too much to overcome.
POSTGAME NOTES
- Myrvang's goal was the second of his collegiate career. He also scored in last year's season opener at Lehigh, which was his only goal of the season.
- Ethan Heyward's goal was the first of his collegiate career. This marks the fourth consecutive season that either a first-year player or a player in their first competition season at Columbia has scored a goal. (2023: Chad Baker (3); 2024: Jack McDaid (2); 2025: Stepan Kapranov (4), Henning Myrvang (1)).
- Five different Lions made their collegiate debut – Oli Sacks, Kai Zeruhn, Ben Milstein, Joshua Sosa, Ethan Heyward. Sophomore Transfer Fadel Kone made his Columbia debut as a substitute. Zeruhn debuted in the Starting XI.
- Luke Zielinski assisted both Columbia goals. He is the first Lion to record two assists in a match since Brandon Newman had two in last year's 5-1 victory over Fordham (Oct. 28). Zielinski totaled two assists all of last season. No Lion has had more than two assists in a game dating back to the 2005 season.
- Army West Point earned its first series victory since 2005. Each of the last three series matches (2025, 2019, 2018) had resulted in a draw.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT
Fairfield enters Friday's matchup with a 1-1-1 record. The Stags opened the 2026 season on August 20 with a 2-1 loss at then-No. 17 Marshall, followed by a 1-0 shutout victory on the road against UConn. They played their first home game of the season on Tuesday against Lehigh, which ended in a 2-2 draw. The Stags now head back on the road to take on the Lions before returning home to take on New Haven (Sept. 12) and open the Metro League slate against Siena (Sept. 19).
Sophomore Sean Albritton and senior Jett Aktan scored Fairfield's goals in the 73rd and 45th minutes against Lehigh, with assists coming from Cristiano Carlos and Cristian Ortiz.
Fairfield and Columbia are meeting for the third consecutive season. Last year's game ended in a 1-1 draw out in Connecticut. The last time the two programs met was September 10, 2025, in Fairfield, which resulted in a 1-1 draw. Alessandro Franciosa scored Columbia's goal in the 77th minute to level the match after Alex Vaz opened the scoring in the 22nd minute.
2026 SEASON PREVIEW NOTES
THE 2026 CAPTAINS
Columbia men's soccer announced that its team captains for the 2026 season are seniors Jackson ten Oever, Jack McDaid and Joe McDaid. Ten Oever is an All-Ivy League Honorable Mention and two-time CSC Academic All-District selection who has been a mainstay in the starting lineup throughout his career. Joe McDaid and Jack McDaid are in their third year at Columbia after playing together at Maryland as freshmen. Jack earned Second Team All-Ivy League distinction last year, registering three goals and two assists out of his midfield position. The trio brings veteran leadership, defensive toughness, and proven capability in key moments heading into their senior seasons with the Lions.
THE NEWCOMERS
Head coach Michael Casper and his staff welcomed a talented class of newcomers to the 2026 roster. The balanced incoming class includes two goalkeepers, two defenders, two midfielders and two forwards.
Speaking on the incoming class, Casper stated, "We want players that fit the model of what we want Columbia men's soccer to look like – hard-working and technical with the ability to become difference makers."
The new group of Lions includes impactful fresh faces across the pitch, including additions to the defense, midfield, and forward lines, who will push for immediate playing time and elevate the competitive environment.
YEAR FOUR UNDER CASPEROfficially introducing 8️⃣ new Lions for the 2026 season! Welcome to @Columbia 🦁
— Columbia Men's Soccer (@CULionsMSOC) June 24, 2026
🔹 Fadel Kone
🔹 Kai Zeruhn
🔹 Joshua Sosa
🔹 Ben Milstein
🔹 Neil Riener
🔹 Cesar Miranda
🔹 Ethan Heyward
🔹 George Webb#RoarLionRoar 🦁 // #OnlyHere 🗽
📰https://t.co/JmWADSGMSL
In what is now his fourth season leading the Lions, head coach Michael Casper will look to turn the corner and bring the program back to prominence. With an experienced returning foundation and an energetic incoming class, Columbia looks to start the 2026 campaign strong. In his season preview, Casper talked about the team's competitiveness against the teams that qualified for the 2025 Ivy League Tournament. Columbia earned a convincing 3-1 win over Harvard, a 2-2 draw against Penn, and played highly competitive matches against nationally-ranked Cornell and Princeton.
"To think that you can get a win and a tie off of the top four and be in the games that the other two, you're not far away," he stated. "We need to be better with our finishing this fall, but when I think about the way that we played, there was a lot of improvement.
"I think this group of guys is going to have their hands full in replacing some of that leadership and … ability that
last year's class brought to the field. But I'm excited about the opportunity that they have."
Fans can catch the full interview with Coach Casper ahead of the start of the season on GoColumbiaLions.TV.
ABOUT COLUMBIA MEN'S SOCCER
The 2026 season marks the 79th varsity season of men's soccer at Columbia University. The program was established in 1906 but discontinued as a varsity sport from 1916-57. The program regained its varsity status in 1957 and played 63 straight seasons until the 2020 campaign was canceled due to COVID.
Columbia men's soccer came to prominence in the late '70s, advancing to their first NCAA Tournament in 1978 before going all the way to the Final Four in 1979. After multiple NCAA Tournament appearances and Ivy League championships through the early '80s, the Lions made a run to the NCAA Tournament Championship Game in 1983. Columbia defeated UConn, 4-0, in the Final Four to take on Indiana for the National Championship. The Hoosiers outlasted Columbia, 1-0, in overtime.
Columbia owns 10 Ivy League championships and 13 NCAA Tournament appearances all-time.
TRIBUTE TO COMMISSO🗓️ 2026 Schedule Announcement!
— Columbia Men's Soccer (@CULionsMSOC) July 16, 2026
➡️ Season Opener at Home Aug. 28
➡️ 8 Home Matches
📰 https://t.co/8SQQM4CZtC#RoarLionRoar 🦁 // #OnlyHere 🗽 pic.twitter.com/dhyaTK5vhX
Columbia will honor the memory of Rocco B. Commisso '71SEAS '75BUS throughout the 2026 season with a commemorative patch featuring his initials, "RBC," on its kits. 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, Commisso 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.
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