TOWSON, Md. – A familiar championship contender and a program making history will meet Saturday, November 7, as The University of Scranton hosts Moravian University in the 2026 Landmark Conference Men's Soccer Championship. The top-seeded Royals will look to add another title to their collection, while the second-seeded Greyhounds aim to cap a historic postseason run with the first conference championship in program history. Kickoff is set for 3:00 p.m. at Weiss Field.
Championship Central
No. 1 Scranton Royals
Top-seeded Scranton punched its ticket to the Landmark Conference Championship with a 1-0 victory over Juniata College on Wednesday, November 4, at Weiss Field. After a scoreless first half, the Royals broke through in the 63rd minute when Matt Capretto redirected a pass from Cooper Seele into the bottom-left corner of the net.
Scranton's defense took care of the rest, limiting Juniata to just one shot on goal and recording its 12th shutout of the season. The Royals finished with a 12-1 advantage in shots and a 5-1 edge in shots on goal.
The Royals enter the championship at 14-1-3 overall after completing an unbeaten 9-0 run through Landmark play. Saturday will mark Scranton's seventh appearance in the Landmark Championship Game as the Royals look to capture their fourth conference title and first since 2022.
Players to Watch
- Matt Capretto: Team-leading 7 goals, 16 points
- Alex Kozdron: Team-leading 8 assists, 12 points
No. 2 Moravian Greyhounds
Moravian made history Wednesday evening, earning its first Landmark Conference Tournament victory with a 1-0 shutout of Catholic University in the semifinals. The second-seeded Greyhounds got the only goal they needed in the 19th minute, when senior midfielder Giuseppe Propato finished a short corner from Enzo Petruzzelli with a shot to the far side of the net.
The Greyhounds held on despite a strong second-half push from Catholic, which outshot Moravian 10-0 over the final 45 minutes. Freshman goalkeeper Joey Varano turned aside nine shots to record his seventh shutout of the season, tying the program's freshman single-season record. Varano also earned his 10th win of the season, setting a new school record.
The victory ended Moravian's 0-5 record in Landmark postseason play since joining the conference in 2007. The Greyhounds now advance to their first Landmark championship game and sixth conference championship appearance in program history. Moravian's only previous conference title came in 1983.
Players to Watch
- Enzo Petruzzelli: Team-leading scorer; 5 goals, 4 assists
- Joey Varano: 10 wins, 7 shutouts
Saturday's championship will mark the first postseason meeting between Scranton and Moravian in the Landmark Conference. The programs have met twice previously in postseason play, with Scranton earning victories in the 1976 ECAC Tournament and 1982 NCAA Tournament.