EDISON, NJ, (Nov. 7, 2025) – First round action of the 2025 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Men’s Soccer Championship will take place on Sunday, November 9 with a pair of matchups. The field of six features top-seeded Sacred Heart University, No. 2 Siena University, No. 3 Iona University, No. 4 Fairfield University, No. 5 Niagara University, and No. 6 Quinnipiac University. All championship matches will be hosted by the higher seed of the contest, and all games will air live on ESPN+.
In just their second year as a full MAAC member, the Sacred Heart Pioneers clinched the 2025 MAAC Regular Season Championship and No. 1 overall seed after finishing the season with a league-best 24 points, recording an unbeaten 7-0-3 MAAC mark and an 8-3-5 overall record. The Pioneers earn a first round bye and will begin their postseason action on Thursday, November 13 in the semifinal round, hosting the lowest remaining seed at Park Ave Field in Fairfield, CT. Sacred Heart will have homefield advantage throughout the tournament additionally. This will be the second straight season Sacred Heart has qualified for the MAAC championship, also doing so last year in its inaugural campaign. It is also the fourth consecutive season the Pioneers are playing in the postseason, having made two consecutive NEC tournament appearances prior to joining the MAAC, which included a trip to the NEC championship game in 2023. The Pioneers have never won a conference tournament in program history. Sacred Heart capped off the regular season by scoring its most points since 2011 and they are the first MAAC squad to go unbeaten in league play since Fairfield in 2018.
The Siena Saints locked up the No. 2 seed for the second time in the past three seasons and is a top three seed for the third straight year, after a 6-1-3 MAAC regular season (21 points). Overall, Siena owns a record of 7-5-4 and the team has only lost one match since late September, posting a 6-1-4 record during that stretch. The Saints are making their sixth straight postseason appearance – earning a first round bye – and will meet the highest remaining seed following the first round on Thursday in the semifinals. Siena has never won a MAAC title or played in a MAAC championship final. Despite never having a finals appearance, the Saints have made the semifinal round three consecutive seasons including this year.
No. 3 Iona (8-3-5, 6-1-3 MAAC) vs. No. 6 Quinnipiac (7-9-1, 5-5 MAAC)
Mazzella Field | NEW ROCHELLE, NY | 1:00 PM | ESPN+ | Live Stats
No. 3 Iona welcomes No. 6 Quinnipiac in the first round on Sunday in New Rochelle, NY, with first kick set for 1:00 p.m. The defending 2024 MAAC Champions and 2024 MAAC Regular Season Champions, the Gaels finished the 2025 regular season with a 6-1-3 MAAC mark (21 points) and 8-3-5 overall record (.656 win percentage), tied for the league’s best overall winning percentage along with Sacred Heart. Iona returns to the postseason for the eighth time over the past nine seasons, having made the championship final in three straight seasons, winning the title last year in 2024 after back-to-back runner-up finishes in 2022 and 2023. Overall, Iona has won two MAAC Championships also claiming the 2019 crown. The Gaels are riding a six match unbeaten streak going 4-0-2 since October 15. The sixth seeded Bobcats collected 15 points in MAAC play, going an even 5-5 in MAAC action during 2025, with an overall record of 7-9-1. Quinnipiac clinched a berth into the championship field on the last day of the regular season for the second consecutive season. Quinnipiac returns to the MAAC postseason in back-to-back seasons and for the 11
th time overall since they joined the conference in 2013. The Bobcats have won a pair of MAAC Championships in 2013 and 2022, while making five title match appearances. Quinnipiac enters playoff play on a two game winning streak. With the unbalanced MAAC schedule, the two teams did not meet during the regular season. The last matchup between the two sides occurred over a year ago, when Iona defeated Quinnipiac 1-0, on October 26, 2024 during a regular season meeting in Hamden, CT. The two teams last postseason game was during the 2022 Championship final where Quinnipiac knocked off Iona 3-2.
No. 4 Fairfield (7-4-5, 5-1-4 MAAC) vs. No. 5 Niagara (8-6-1, 5-4-1 MAAC)
Lessing Field | FAIRFIELD, CT | 1:00pm | ESPN+ | Live Stats
In the second first round matchup of the day, No. 4 Fairfield will host No. 5 Niagara in Fairfield, CT at 1:00 p.m. The Stags wrapped up the 2025 regular season with a 5-1-4 MAAC record (19 points) and 7-4-5 overall mark. After missing the postseason the past two seasons, Fairfield returns to the playoffs for the first time since 2022. The Stags own the second-most MAAC Championship titles amongst current MAAC members with five trophies, only trailing Rider’s six. Fairfield has won championships in 1999, 2006, 2008, 2011, and 2017, and have appeared in the final a conference-high 13 times, which leads all current league members. The Stags are in the midst of an eight-game unbeaten streak dating back to October 1, posting a record of 4-0-4 during the timespan. Niagara, which secured its spot in the championship on the final day of the regular season with a 2-0 win over rival Canisius, concluded the season at 8-6-1 overall and 5-4-1 in the MAAC (16 points). The Purple Eagles are back in the postseason after a one year hiatus and for the fifth time over the past six years. Niagara has only won one MAAC Championship, doing so in 2012, and have only made the championship final just two times, also making it in 2009. The two teams faced off in Fairfield on September 15 in the MAAC season opener, with the Stags winning the home match 2-0. In the postseason, they last faced off in the quarterfinal round of the 2021 championship, and Fairfield beat Niagara 2-0 in that battle.
The 2025 MAAC Men’s Soccer Championship is a six-team, single-elimination championship taking place November 9-16, 2025. Each match during the championship will be hosted by the higher seed and all rounds of the championship will reseed. The first round will take place on Sunday, November 9, followed by the semifinals on Thursday, November 13, and concluding with the championship final on Sunday, November 16. For all information regarding the 2025 MAAC Men’s Soccer Championship, please visit
maacsports.com/msoc.
Tickets for all rounds of the championship can be purchased by visiting
maacsports.com/tickets.
About the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference:
With 13 institutions strongly bound by the sound principles of quality and integrity in academics and excellence in athletics, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) is in its 45th year of competition during the 2025-26 academic year. Current conference members include: Canisius University, Fairfield University, Iona University, Manhattan University, Marist University, Merrimack College, Mount St. Mary’s University, Niagara University, Quinnipiac University, Rider University, Sacred Heart University, Saint Peter’s University, and Siena University.
Stay up to date with the MAAC on social media by following @MAACSports on
X,
Facebook,
Instagram and
Threads or visit
MAACSports.com for all the latest MAAC news.