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NEW YORK <\/strong>\u2014 The Columbia men’s soccer team (0-1-2) returns home Monday night to host Manhattan University (1-3-1). First kick from Rocco B. Commisso Soccer Stadium is scheduled for 7 p.m. RETURNING<\/strong>
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\nGAME COVERAGE:<\/strong>
\nFans unable to make it to the game can watch\u00a0live on ESPN+<\/a>. Fans can also track the\u00a0live stats<\/a>\u00a0courtesy of GoColumbiaLions.com. In-game updates will also be provided on the\u00a0@CULionsMSOC<\/a>\u00a0social media accounts.
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\nLAST TIME OUT<\/strong>
\nColumbia walked away with its second straight draw, scoring in the 77th minute to split the points with Fairfield, 1-1, on Wednesday. The score came off the foot of Alessandro Franciosa<\/a> from the penalty spot. The penalty was drawn by first year\u00a0Henning Myrvang<\/a>. With the Lions applying pressure, sophomore\u00a0Andres Garcia<\/a>\u00a0sent a floating cross to the far post. Myrvang attempted to play it but was fouled by Fairfield defender Jahmani Stapleton. The referee blew his whistle and pointed to the spot, even confirming his decision after a video review.
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\nFranciosa, a senior from Topsfield, Massachusetts, stepped up to take the penalty. He took two strides and struck it perfectly into the top-left corner, past the outstretched hand of keeper Evan Chomow. It was Franciosa’s first collegiate goal, as he ran toward the Columbia bench in celebration.
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\nFairfield found the back of the net in the 22nd minute to open the scoring. They led for more than 50 minutes before the Lions drew level.
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\nSCOUTING THE OPPONENT<\/strong>
\nManhattan enters play with two losses and a draw over their last three matches. The Jaspers’ lone win on the year came against NCAA Division III New Jersey City University, 6-0, back on August 26. Against Division I opponents, they are 0-3-1 and averaging just 0.75 goals per game. They have not scored in each of their last two matches, last finding the back of the net in a 5-1 loss to UConn on August 31.
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\nMartin Rodriguez leads the Jaspers with four goals, three of which came against NJCU. His lone goal against a Division I opponent came in Manhattan’s season-opening 5-2 loss to then-No. 16 West Virginia. Ludvig Malberg has started all five matches in goal and carries a 2.71 GAA with 28 total saves.
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\nTHE SERIES<\/strong>
\nColumbia is 9-1-3 all-time against Manhattan. Last year, the Jaspers picked up their first win in series history at Gaelic Park, 1-0. Columbia is still undefeated at home against Manhattan, where 11 of the 13 series matchups have been played. Columbia is 9-0-2 in those games, which included a 3-0 victory at Commisso Soccer Stadium<\/a> back on September 5, 2023. The win was Michael Casper<\/a>‘s first as Columbia’s head coach.
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\n2025 PRESEASON NOTES<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nThe Lions return 22 players from last year’s team. Of them, 18 returners played in eight or more matches last season, while 10 players started at least half of last season’s 14 matches.
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\nIn goal, senior\u00a0Dean Kelliher<\/a>\u00a0returns with the most experience. He started nine matches a year ago in his first season as the primary keeper. It included his first collegiate shutout in a 1-0 victory over the previous season’s Ivy League tournament champion, Yale. He would later make a career-high six saves in a one-goal loss to Harvard.\u00a0Alexander O’Brien<\/a>\u00a0played and started four matches in his rookie season. They will both compete for the starting spot alongside first-year\u00a0Aris Taki<\/a>.
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\nThe defensive half and the back line also return a lot of game experience. Staples to last year’s defensive formation included senior\u00a0Carmine Falco<\/a>, junior\u00a0Joe McDaid<\/a>, junior\u00a0Jack McDaid<\/a>, junior\u00a0Jackson ten Oever<\/a>\u00a0and sophomore\u00a0Andrew Hilton II<\/a>. All five started at least 12 of 14 matches, with Falco and\u00a0Joe McDaid<\/a>\u00a0starting all 14.\u00a0Jack McDaid<\/a>\u00a0and ten Oever each scored twice and shared the team lead in goals. McDaid was named Second Team All-Ivy League, while ten Oever earned All-Ivy Honorable Mention.
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\nReturners in the attacking half include senior\u00a0Ryan Yang<\/a>, senior\u00a0Joao Lima<\/a>, sophomore\u00a0Luke Zielinski<\/a>\u00a0and senior\u00a0Alessandro Franciosa<\/a><\/a>. Those four started at least half of last season’s matches with Lima earning one goal and one assist.
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\nColumbia returns 89 percent of its scoring from last season, but will look for an uptick in goal production. They managed to find the back of the net just nine times last season, averaging just 0.64 goals per game.\u00a0Will Case<\/a>,\u00a0Luka Peric<\/a>,\u00a0Peter Chang<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Andres Garcia<\/a>\u00a0also got plenty of experience last season, all playing in 10 or more matches. Garcia came away with a goal and an assist as a rookie.
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\nTHE CAPTAINS<\/strong>
\nColumbia men’s soccer announced that its captains for the 2025 season are senior\u00a0Carmine Falco<\/a>\u00a0and junior\u00a0Jackson ten Oever<\/a>. Falco has played in 38 matches and started 37 of them heading into his senior year. Last season, he totaled 1,075 minutes on the field and went the full 90 four times. Ten Oever was a 2024 All-Ivy League Honorable Mention and was also named to the College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District Team. He was named Ivy League Player of the Week following his game-winning goal while preserving a shutout against Yale. The Brooklyn native has played and started 27 matches in his career.
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\nTHE NEWCOMERS<\/strong>
\nIn late June, Columbia\u00a0announced the addition of eight new players<\/a>\u00a0to the 2025 roster. In the announcement, head coach\u00a0Michael Casper<\/a><\/a>\u00a0stated, “We want players that fit the\u00a0model of what we want Columbia\u00a0men’s soccer to look like \u2013 hard-working and technical with the ability to become difference makers.”
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\nAmong the newcomers are goalkeeper\u00a0Aris Taki<\/a>, defenders Conor Owen and\u00a0Sage Kinner<\/a>, midfielders\u00a0Yianni Goulandris<\/a>,\u00a0Stepan Kapranov<\/a>,\u00a0Oli Sacks<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Amir Yahalom<\/a>, as well as forward\u00a0Henning Myrvang<\/a>.
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\nYEAR THREE UNDER CASPER<\/strong>
\nIn what is now his third season leading the Lions, head coach\u00a0Michael Casper<\/a><\/a>\u00a0will look to turn the corner and bring the program back to prominence. Last year saw a step in the right direction, when Columbia put an end to a five-year Ivy League winless drought by defeating the 2023 tournament champion Yale, 1-0, at Rocco B. Commisso Soccer Stadium. With key defensive pieces returning, he will look to a talented group of returners and newcomers to increase goal production.
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\nABOUT COLUMBIA MEN’S SOCCER<\/strong>
\nThe 2025 season marks the 78th varsity season of men’s soccer at Columbia University. The program was established in 1906 but discontinued as a varsity sport from 1916-57. The program regained its varsity status in 1957 and played 63 straight seasons until the 2020 campaign was canceled due to COVID.
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\nColumbia men’s soccer came to prominence in the late ’70s, advancing to their first NCAA Tournament in 1978 before going all the way to the Final Four in 1979. After multiple NCAA Tournament appearances and Ivy League championships through the early ’80s, the Lions made a run to the NCAA Tournament Championship Game in 1983. Columbia defeated UConn, 4-0, in the Final Four to take on Indiana for the National Championship. The Hoosiers outlasted Columbia, 1-0, in overtime.
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\nColumbia owns 10 Ivy League championships and 13 NCAA Tournament appearances all-time.
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\nFOLLOW THE LIONS:<\/strong>
\nFor the latest on Columbia men’s soccer, be sure to follow the team on\u00a0Twitter<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Instagram<\/a>\u00a0(@CULionsMSOC), on\u00a0Facebook<\/a>\u00a0(ColumbiaMensSoccer), or by visiting\u00a0GoColumbiaLions.com<\/a>.
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