PURCHASE, N.Y. –  With the regular season coming to an end, the Manhattanville University men's soccer team turns its attention to the 2026 Skyline Conference Championship Tournament. After securing the No. 1 seed, the Valiants will begin their postseason campaign on Wednesday, Nov. 4 welcoming No. 5 Farmingdale State College to GoValiants.com field for a 4pm showdown.
 

How We Got Here
The Valiants enter the postseason following an impressive 2026 regular season campaign, going 12-3-4 overall and 9-1-1 in Skyline Conference play. Under first-year head coach Tom Buckner (2026 Skyline Conference Coach of the Year), Manhattanville secured the conference's top seed after opening the season with a program-best 4-0-3 start through its first seven contests.

Manhattanville established itself as one of the conference's most dangerous offensive teams throughout the regular season, finding the back of the net 49 times. The Valiants put together several impressive performances, including a 9-1 victory over Sarah Lawrence on Oct. 6 and an 8-2 win against Yeshiva on Oct. 25. The team's strong conference showing secured home-field advantage throughout the Skyline Tournament.

Leading the offensive line in senior Alec Pineda (Yonkers, N.Y./Port Chester), who put together a career-best season with 12 goals and five assists for 29 points. The All-Conference First Team selection has been a consistent threat in the attacking third, recording a point in 12 of his 18 appearances and carrying a four-game scoring streak into the postseason.

Manuel Morales (Madrid, Spain/International College Spain) has also played a significant role in Manhattanville's offensive success, finishing second on the team with 15 points on five goals and five assists. The senior midfielder earned All-Conference First Team recognition after contributing several pivotal performances, including the game-winning goal in the Valiants' 2-0 victory over Merchant Marine on Oct. 20. Tiernan McLaughlin (Yonkers, N.Y./Fordham Prep) was right next to Morales, totaling 15 points, 7 goals, and 1 assist for the season.

Defensively, senior Luis Del Riego (Madrid, Spain/Rafa Nadal International) has anchored the Manhattanville backline, helping the Valiants record five clean sheets during the regular season. His efforts earned him Skyline Conference Defensive Player of the Year honors alongside an All-Conference First Team selection. Graduate midfielder Alex Rojas (Mastic, N.Y./William Floyd) rounded out Manhattanville's All-Conference representatives with Second Team recognition after tallying seven points on two goals and three assists.

In net, the Valiants relied on a trio of goalkeepers throughout the season, combining for five shutouts and 61 saves. Jesse James de Ruiter (Hoensbroek, the Netherlands/Eijkhagen Charlemagne College) has led the way with six wins and three shutouts across 10 appearances, posting a 1.20 goals-against average and 22 saves. Dwayne Brown II (Bronx, N.Y./Cardinal Spellman) has contributed four victories and 34 saves in eight appearances, while Dylan Von Brook (Shirley, N.Y./William Floyd) has provided additional depth with two wins, and a team-best 0.47 goals-against average across three appearances.

Farmingdale State enters Wednesday's semifinal match up with a 9-9-2 overall record after claiming the No. 5 seed in the conference tournament. The Rams earned their ticket to the semifinals with a 5-3 victory over fourth-seeded Merchant Marine on Sunday, Nov. 1., thanks to a four-goal performance by Javier Newman.

Last Time Out
The Valiants hosted Farmingdale back on Sept. 19 to open conference play with Manhattanville breaking a scoreless tie in the 86th minute with a McLaughlin goal to earn a 1-0 win. de Ruiter had a two-save shutout, while Farmingdale's Vas Dallas finished with five saves in the loss.

Postseason History
The teams are no strangers to meeting this late in the season, heaving played each other in each of the last three Skyline Championship Tournaments. Manhattanville stood tall with a 2-1 win in the 2023 Finals and a 2-1 overtime victory in the 2024 semis, but Farmingdale got a taste of revenge last season by ending the Valiants' run with a 3-2 overtime victory in the opening round of the 2025 postseason.

Team Leaders
Manhattanville:
• Points: Pineda (29), Morales (15), McLaughlin (15)
• Goals: Alec Pineda (Yonkers, N.Y./Port Chester) (12), McLaughlin (7), Morales (5), Velasquez-Osorio (5)
• Assists: Pineda (5), Morales (5), Scanapieco (4)
• Goals Against Average: Von Brook (0.47), de Ruiter (1.20), Brown II (2.47)

Farmingdale State
• Points: Newman (36), Noboa (28), Hernandez (19)
• Goals: Newman (14), Noboa (10), Hernandez (8)
• Assists: Newman (8), Noboa (8), Cuenca (4), Guillen (4), Corea (4)​​​​​​
• Goals Against Average: Dallas (1.72), Verdugo (2.49), Perez (3.57)

History
• 2026 Regular-Season Meeting: Manhattanville, 1 Farmingdale State 0 (Sept. 19)
• 2025 Skyline First Round: Manhattanville 2, Farmingdale 3 (OT)
• 2024 Skyline Semifinals: Manhattanville 2, Farmingdale State 1 (OT)
• 2023 Skyline Championship: Manhattanville 2, Farmingdale State 1
 
The winner of Wednesday's semifinal will advance to the Skyline Conference Championship match on Saturday Nov. 7, with the conference title and an automatic ticket to the NCAA Division III Men's Soccer Championship on the line.