Poughkeepsie, N.Y. – The #2 seed Vassar College Men's Soccer team will open play in the 2026 Liberty League Championship Friday afternoon with a semifinal matchup with #6 seed Ithaca at Gordon Field. Kick-off with the Bombers is scheduled for 1:30 with Live Stats and Video available for those unable to attend.
At A Glance
- Vassar enters the conference championship tournament at 6-5-6 overall and finished the league schedule 4-1-4.
- The Brewers earned the #2 seed in the conference championship with victories over RPI and Clarkson to close out the regular season.
- The Brewers are in search of their second league crown in the last three seasons, winning the title in 2024 on penalties against St. Lawrence.
- Vassar ranks ninth in goals in the Liberty League (20) and sixth in goals allowed (21).
A Look At The Brewers
- Sophomore Alejandro Martinez (Lake Mary, FL) leads the Vassar scoring attack with six goals, including two game winners, three assists and 15 points.
- Mauricio Mejia (Miami, FL) scored the game winning goal in the final two regular season games and enters Friday's contest with four markers and nine points.
- Zapp Hotz (Ridgewood, NY) has found the back of the net three times to date in 2026 with Eli Torrey (Philadelphia, PA) supplying two goals.
- Senior Koray Tekin (Winter Park, FL) is tied for the team lead in assists with three, including a helper on the game winning goal against Clarkson that clinched the second seed for the Brewers.
- Hotz, Torrey and Jackson Allen (Chapel Hill, NC) have all assisted on two goals for the Brewers.
- Senior Jacob Raphan (Oceanside, NY) started 16 of the team's 17 regular season games in goal, playing 1,440:00 of a possible 1,530:00.
- Raphan enters the tournament with 58 saves to go along with a 1.19 goals against average and a .753 save percentage.
- Raphan also picked up his first career point in 2026, assisting on the tying goal at Johns Hopkins back on September 4.
Previewing The Bombers
- Ithaca comes to town on Friday with a 10-3-7 overall record and is coming off a 1-0 upset win at RPI in overtime on Tuesday.
- Jack Carney leads the offense with five goals and 12 points in 17 games played.
- Liam Breslin leads the team with four assists and joins Edin Estrada in a tie for second on the team with eight points.
- Estrada, Emil Antoine and Noah Partenza have all scored three goals to date for Ithaca.
- Brayden Milbrandt has started all 20 games to date for Ithaca in goal and is working to a .779 save percentage and a 0.95 goals against average while making 67 saves.
- Ithaca enters Friday's contest ranked sixth in the Liberty League in goals (30) and fourth in goals allowed (19).
Regular Season Result
- The two teams played a scoreless draw at Gordon Field on September 26 with Vassar outshooting Ithaca 15-11.
- Raphan made four saves for Vassar in the shutout.
- Milbrandt turned aside seven shots to keep the Brewers off the board.
- Vassar's Joshua Lee (Bethlehem, PA) led all players in the game with five shots.
Recent History vs. Ithaca
- Since the 1999 season the two teams have played 13 times with Ithaca holding a slim 6-4-3 advantage in the series.
- The last two meetings with the Bombers have ended in a draw and Vassar's last victory over Ithaca came in a 2-1 decision at Gordon Field on October 20, 2023.
- The last meeting between the Brewers and Bombers in the Liberty League Championship saw Ithaca earn a 2-1 First Round win in 2023.
Recent Liberty League Championship History
- 2026 marks the 10th straight season there has been a championship that Vassar has qualified.
- Vassar has won three Liberty League crowns in program history, earning the title in 2011, 2016 and 2024.
- Vassar has appeared in the title tilt each of the last two seasons, winning the championship on penalties in 2024 and suffering a hard fought 2-1 loss at top seed Hobart in 2025.
What's At Stake
- The winner of Friday's contest will take on the winner of the St. Lawrence and Skidmore semifinal on Sunday at the highest remaining seed.