No. 1 St. Thomas Aquinas – 2 | No. 2 D’Youville – 1
Spartan Field | Sparkill, NY
Box Score
 
SPARKILL, N.Y. – No. 1 St. Thomas Aquinas (11-4-4, 6-0-2 ECC) used a pair of second half tallies to earn a 2-1 come from behind win over No. 2 D’Youville (8-6-5, 4-1-3 ECC) on Sunday afternoon in the 2026 ECC Men's Soccer Championship Final at Spartan Field in Sparkill, NY. The 2026 championship title was the first in program history for the Spartans.
 
The match was back and forth through the first 15 minutes and scoreless through 30 minutes of play. Late in the half and with no shots recorded for D’Youville, the Saints were awarded a penalty kick following a St. Thomas Aquinas foul in the box. Shawn Richardson stepped up to the PK line in the 41^st minute and sent a rocket to the right post for the goal, putting the Saints up 1-0. STAC controlled the offensive possessions in the opening frame, posting a 7-2 shot advantage and 3-1 shots on goal edge, while corner kicks were even at two apiece. 2026 ECC Goalkeeper of the Year Matthew Solorio stopped all three shots faced for the Saints, keeping the Spartans scoreless.
 
Trailing, but still the aggressor in the match, St. Thomas Aquinas had a pair of opportunities early in the frame, firing off back-to-back shots in the 58^th and 59^th minutes, by Nico Gallegos (hit post) and Jerry Tagliavia off the rebound (wide left), but both were unsuccessful. The momentum would finally shift in favor of STAC just a few ticks past the midway point of the second half. On a throw in, Zanier Briscoe threw a perfect pass into the box, connecting with Joaquim Cardoso (74') for a beautiful header and the equalizer. The Spartans go-ahead goal in the 81^st minute would feel like déjà vu, as Briscoe once again delivered a dart on a throw in, finding Jalen Moni this time around, who was credited with the game-winning goal. Following the second goal by STAC, the team bench received its second yellow for excessive celebration, leading to playing the final nine minutes a man down. In the late stages of the game, D’Youville was able to strike four shots off in search of the equalizer, but the two shots that were on target were saved by STAC goalkeeper Dante Muntane, including the clincher in the 89^th minute.
 
St. Thomas Aquinas Notes

• St. Thomas Aquinas outshot D’Youville 18-7 and had more shots on the mark than the Saints had total shots, with an 8-4 edge in shots on goal, and held them to just three total shots up until allowing four in the final nine minutes once taking over the lead.
• Cardoso was the team leader in the victory, scoring his third tally of the season, while pacing the attack with four shots.
• Moni recorded his team-leading 10^th goal of the year.
• Briscoe, which entered the postseason with one assist, dished out his third and fourth assists of the season, which now leads the Spartans.
• Guilherme Alegria was second on the lineup with three shots, two of which were on goal.
• Eitan Zeitoune, Tagliavia, and Gallegos each logged two shots in the contest, while Zeitoune had one on goal.
• Getting the win in net for STAC was Muntane, who played the full 90:00 and made three saves in his 14^th start of the season, improving to 8-3-3.
• St. Thomas Aquinas was making its second ever ECC Final appearance, winning its first ECC Men’s Soccer Championship title.
• With the victory, the Spartans finished the season unbeaten against ECC foes, going 8-0-2 overall through the regular season and postseason.
• During the postgame awards ceremony, Moni was honored as the 2026 ECC Most Outstanding Player of the championship.

 
D’Youville Notes

• Richardson led the way for D’Youville with two shots and the team’s lone goal.
• The goal was Richardson’s seventh of the season, with all seven coming by virtue of penalty goal.
• Ewan Brodie matched Richardson with two shots, having both his shots on goal.
• Konrad Homberg, Nicolas Buscaglia, and Ethan Robinson added one shot each for the Saints.
• D’Youville had an advantage in corners (4-3) and doubled up STAC in saves (6-3).
• Solorio made a game-high six saves in 90 minutes of action in goal.
• The Saints have never beaten STAC, falling to 0-6-1 all-time against the Spartans.
• D'Youville wraps up its historic campaign with its most wins in a season since joining NCAA Division II, which included its first ECC postseason victory in program history, which came in the Semifinal Round over Molloy.

 
St. Thomas Aquinas earns the ECC automatic bid into the 2026 NCAA Men's Soccer Championship Tournament. The NCAA Selection Show is scheduled for Monday, November 9 at 6:30 PM on NCAA.com. First Round games begin on Friday, November 13. 
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Founded as the New York Collegiate Athletic Conference in 1989 and rechristened the East Coast Conference in July 2006, the ECC was formed to enhance intercollegiate athletic competition among member institutions and to assist them in integrating athletics into their academic program in a fiscally sound way. The ECC is committed to the highest standards of scholarship, sportsmanship, teamwork, and citizenship. Its mission is to promote the total person concept in its student-athletes, which stresses the abilities to excel in academic achievement, athletic competition, and positive character traits. East Coast Conference members include: Daemen University (Amherst, N.Y.); University of the District of Columbia (Washington, D.C.); D'Youville University (Buffalo, N.Y.); Mercy University (Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.); Molloy University (Rockville Centre, N.Y.); Queens College (Flushing, N.Y.); Roberts Wesleyan University (Rochester, N.Y.); College of Staten Island (Staten Island, N.Y.); and St. Thomas Aquinas College (Sparkill, N.Y.). The ECC also is home to 13 associate members in the sports of women’s bowling (3), men’s and women’s indoor track & field (3), men's volleyball (2), field hockey (1), and men’s lacrosse (1).

The ECC sponsors the following championship sports: baseball; men’s and women’s basketball; women's bowling; men’s and women’s cross country; field hockey; men’s and women’s lacrosse; men’s and women’s indoor track and field; men’s and women’s outdoor track and field; men’s and women’s soccer; softball; and men's and women’s volleyball.
 
The East Coast Conference is a proud member of the NCAA and Division II. Division II is a dynamic and engaging group of colleges, institutions and conferences of varying sizes and educational missions. Division II members encourage and support diversity; value sportsmanship, fairness and equity; and place the highest priority on the overall educational excellence of the student-athlete.