Campbell Stalker's heroics in overtime of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Championship Semifinals propelled Siena Men's Soccer to where it had never been before—the MAAC Championship Finals. The second-seeded Saints will have an opportunity to play for the MAAC title for the first time against another opponent in search of the first MAAC title in program history in the top-seeded Sacred Heart (SHU) Pioneers. Kickoff from Park Ave Field in Fairfield, Connecticut, is set for 12 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 16. 
 
MAAC Championship tickets can be purchased ahead of time through HomeTown Ticketing. Prices are $11 for adults and $6 for all others. Sunday's match will stream live on ESPN+, while an international stream, live stats, and pressbox X updates can also be found by clicking on the corresponding links. 
 
The winner of the MAAC Championship will earn an automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament. The selection show will air at 1 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 17, on NCAA.com. 
 
Siena in the MAAC Tournament (9-19-5)—First MAAC Championship Appearance
The Saints secured their first trip to the MAAC Championship Final in program history by achieving the program's ninth-ever postseason win with a 2-1 semifinal victory over third-seeded Iona in overtime on Nov. 13. The program's 23rd trip to the MAAC Tournament has been historic in just one match played, with the team securing its first-ever semifinal win in its 16th appearance in the round. Prior to Thursday, the Saints had been 0-13-2 all-time in the MAAC Semifinals, with both ties finishing in penalty kick setbacks. With the MAAC Championship being played on Nov. 16, Siena Men's Soccer is set to play the latest match in a calendar year in program history, with the previous coming in the 2002 and 2007 MAAC Championship Tournaments on Nov. 15. 
 
The Saints continue a program record of six consecutive appearances at the MAAC Championship Tournament, all of which under head coach Graciano Brito. The Saints are the #2 seed for the sixth time ever (1993-94, 2008, 2010, 2012) and are now 2-4-1 overall with one shootout loss seeded as such. 
 
Scouting Siena (8-5-4)
The Saints march into the championship on the back of goals from First Team All-MAAC selection Lucas Almeida—whose 23 points this season serve as the eighth-most in a single season in program history—and Stalker, who registered his fifth goal of the season in sending the Saints to the title and his first since Oct. 1 at Canisius. 
 
Siena has found rhythm offensively over the last month, posting multi-goal outings in four of its last five matches. Coming as no surprise, Almeida has accounted for seven of the team's 10 goals over that stretch. Now with nine total tallies this season, the junior entered the program record book, tying the seventh-most (nine) in a single season. 
 
Bennet Glinder tied a single-season career high with his eighth win of the season following his semifinal decision, as well as his 59th total save. Tied for the league lead with five clean sheets this season—along with his counterpart Sunday Luca Marinelli—the junior is fourth in the MAAC with a 1.33 goals against average and tied for seventh with a .728 save percentage. 
 
The Green & Gold boast five All-MAAC honorees, headlined by MAAC Rookie of the Year and Third Team All-MAAC selection Martin Piedeleu. Additionally, Almeida (forward) and Ismail Dia (defender) were named to the First Team, Eric Svensson (defender) to the Second Team, and Thomas Sams (defender) to the Third Team after leading the Saints to their third six-win conference season since 2016. 
 
Siena notably had a program-record eight-match unbeaten streak from Sept. 20 to Oct. 18 in which the team went 4-0-4, including 4-0-3 in MAAC play. The Saints turned a corner in league action, becoming the second-highest scoring team in the conference in their 10 MAAC matches (2.00 goals per match), while the defense ranked third in the league, allowing 0.90 goals per outing to conference foes.
 
Scouting Sacred Heart (9-3-5) 
In just its second year in the MAAC, top-seeded SHU appeared in the MAAC Championship Final one season removed from entering the 2024 MAAC Championship Tournament as the seven-seed and taking eventual runner-up Rider to 2OT in the quarterfinals. After going perfect (7-0-3) in league play this season, SHU enters Sunday coming off a similar thrilling semifinal win as Siena, defeating fourth-seeded Fairfield at home in overtime, 4-3. 
 
Led by MAAC Coach of the Year Anthony Anzevui, the Pioneers boast six All-MAAC selections, including major award winners in MAAC Defensive Player of the Year, Daniel Losfablos, and the MAAC Golden Glove recipient, Marinelli, who is 9-1-3 this season with a 0.88 goals-against average and 0.776 save percentage. Offensively, the Pioneers have three of the top eight MAAC leaders in points this season in David Garcia Gallego (T-3rd, 18), Danny Istambouli (7th, 16), and Ivan Morcillo (T-8th, 15). Morcillo leads the team and is tied for fourth in the league with seven goals, followed by Garcia Gallego and Istambouli with six each. Collectively, SHU ranks second in the MAAC, allowing 1.12 goals per match, and third in the league, scoring 1.82 goals per match. 
 
Series History (13th Meeting: Siena Leads, 7-3-2)
The Saints will take the all-time edge into Sunday's championship for a series that began in 2009, with 11 of the first 12 meetings coming as non-conference opponents. SHU claimed the first two matchups in 2009 and 2010, while the Saints have gone 7-1-2 over the ensuing 10 meetings since—including a perfect 4-0 record in Fairfield, CT, over that span (4-1 all-time). 
 
Siena and SHU met for the first time as conference foes this season on Oct. 11, in Loudonville, NY, where the match ended in a 1-1 draw. The sides were at the top of the conference standings then and remained until season's end. Siena's goal came in the second half off the foot of Christian Amaral, leveling the score after Sacred Heart initially led with a first-half goal off the foot of Garcia Gallego. Siena managed 14 shots, with four on target, while the Pioneers registered 12 shots and five on goal. Both teams' goalkeepers played crucial roles, with Glinder making four saves and Marinelli of SHU securing two.