GENESEO, N.Y. — Houghton University men's soccer returns to the Empire 8 Championship for the first time in five years when the Highlanders travel to top-seeded SUNY Geneseo for a first-round matchup Saturday, Oct. 31. Kickoff is scheduled for noon.
The Highlanders enter the postseason as the No. 8 seed after finishing the regular season 7-6-4 overall and 4-5-2 in Empire 8 play. Despite their position in the tournament field, Houghton brings the conference's most productive offense into the postseason, having scored 41 goals in 17 games.
Houghton's return to the postseason marks the program's fifth appearance in the Empire 8 Championship and its first since 2021, when the Highlanders made a memorable run to the conference championship game. That season, Houghton earned a 4-3 overtime victory on Burke Field in the semifinals before falling 2-0 to Nazareth in the championship game.
Head coach Scott Reitnour believes his team is entering the postseason in a good position, both on the field and within the program.
"I am pleased with the way our team is playing right now. We are reasonably healthy, with no soft-tissue injuries heading into the playoffs. The squad is unified and training properly," said Reitnour. "Our purposeful possession numbers and final third entries have been steadily increasing throughout the course of the season. Our program culture is healthy, and our guys have been genuinely and sacrificially serving each other. We are all eagerly anticipating the opportunity to tangibly demonstrate our love for each other on Saturday. We hope to extend our time together as long as possible."
Offensive Firepower
Houghton will look to its balanced and productive attack to challenge the defending conference champions. The Highlanders lead the Empire 8 with 41 goals and 33 assists, providing multiple options in the attacking third.
Junior Nata Souza leads the Highlanders with six goals and a conference-best eight assists for 20 points, also the highest total in the Empire 8. James Fay has added six goals and three assists for 15 points, while John Fay has contributed six assists.
The Highlanders' offensive production will be tested against a Geneseo defense that has been among the conference's best. The Knights enter the tournament with a 12-4-1 overall record and a 9-2-0 mark in conference play. Geneseo has scored 31 goals while allowing just 15 and has recorded six team shutouts.
Aidan Lodie leads the Knights with seven goals and 15 points, while goalkeeper Max Crothall has posted a 0.95 goals-against average, a .792 save percentage and five shutouts.
The teams met just over a week ago, with Geneseo earning a 2-0 victory on Oct. 21 in Geneseo.
Empire 8 Championship
The eight-team Empire 8 Championship begins Saturday, with all games hosted by the higher seed. The winner of each first-round matchup advances to the semifinals Wednesday, Nov. 4. The championship game is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 7, with the conference champion earning an automatic berth in the NCAA Division III Men's Soccer Championship.
Admission
Tickets must be purchased online in advance. Tickets prices for Empire 8 Championship events are as follows:
Adults: $10
Senior Citizens: $5
Students with ID: $2
Children 12 and under: FREE
