LOUDONVILLE, NY - Coming off a 2025 season that saw Siena Men's Soccer make its first NCAA Tournament appearance, the Saints open their 53rd varsity season Thursday, Aug. 20, when they travel to Newark, NJ, to take on NJIT at 6 p.m. at Lubetkin Field at Mal Simon Stadium.
 
The Saints enter their seventh season under head coach Graciano Brito after advancing to the NCAA Tournament last season behind the program's first-ever conference championship. Siena was selected second in the Metro Coaches' Preseason Poll, its highest preseason selection in program history, and returns a veteran core led by Metro Preseason Player of the Year Lucas Almeida and Preseason All-Metro goalkeeper Bennet Glinder.
 
Almeida is coming off one of the most productive individual seasons in program history. The senior forward led Siena with 10 goals and 25 points in 2025, becoming the program's first player since 2019 to record at least 20 points and the first Saint since 2012 to reach double figures in goals. His 25 points tied for fifth on Siena's single-season list, while his 10 goals tied for sixth. Almeida was named First Team All-MAAC and earned three MAAC Offensive Player of the Week honors during the season.
 
By being voted the Metro Preseason Player of the Year by the league's head coaches, Almeida became just the second player in program history to earn a conference preseason player of the year honor.
 
Glinder provides Siena with an experienced presence in goal after starting all 19 matches as a junior. The native of Bremen, Germany, recorded 73 saves, nine wins, and five shutouts in 2025 while posting a 1.28 goals-against average and .753 save percentage. His five shutouts ranked among the top 10 single-season totals in program history. Glinder was also named Preseason All-Metro entering the 2026 campaign.
 
Siena also returns several key offensive contributors from a season ago. Campbell Stalker ranked second on the team with five goals and third with 12 points in 2025, while Lee Mara finished fourth on the team with eight points. Stalker appeared in all 19 matches and scored the golden goal in Siena's 2-1 overtime semifinal victory over Iona.
 
The Saints open the season against an NJIT program they have defeated in each of the previous two meetings. Siena leads the all-time series 2-0, earning a 1-0 victory in 2008 and a 3-0 win in 2024, with both previous matches taking place in Loudonville. Thursday's contest will mark the first time the Saints have traveled to NJIT. In the most recent meeting, Glinder made two saves to record his fourth shutout of the season as Siena posted the 3-0 victory.
 
The Highlanders finished the 2025 season 3-9-5 overall and 1-4-2 in America East play, missing the conference tournament. NJIT scored eight goals across 17 matches, tying for 207th among 210 Division I teams nationally. The Highlanders return their lone multi-goal scorer from a season ago in Junee Lee, who scored twice in 13 appearances. Entering his 10th season at the helm, head coach Fernando Barboto will turn to a new starting goalkeeper following the departure of Davin Armstrong, who started all 17 matches in 2025.
 
The NJIT match begins a 17-game regular-season schedule for the Saints. Siena will then travel to Chestnut Hill, MA, to face Boston College at 5 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 23.
 
The 2026 Metro Championship begins Nov. 7 with the quarterfinals, followed by the semifinals on Nov. 11 and the championship match on Nov. 14. All postseason matches will be hosted by the higher seed.