HARRISONBURG, Va.- Student-athletes are back on campus, which means that the 2026 fall sports season is right around the corner. Throughout this week, we will be taking a sneak peek at the season ahead for all of our fall sports teams. Today, it is time to look at EMU Men's Soccer, which begins a new era under first-year head coach Trevor Swartz.

Head Coach:  Trevor Swartz – First Season
Preseason ODAC Poll: 10th (41 pts.)
ODAC Preview
 
2025 In Review
The Royals finished 2025 with a .500 record of 7-7-5, clinching a berth in the ODAC Men's Soccer Tournament for the third season in a row. That marked the first time the Royals had made the conference tournament for three consecutive years since the 2016-18 seasons. As the eighth seed, EMU ultimately fell in the ODAC Tournament quarterfinals to top-seeded and eventual conference champions Lynchburg, 4-1. Hamidullah Tokhi led the Royals in scoring with six goals and four assists, earning All-ODAC Third Team honors.
 
2026 Schedule Highlights
Season Opener: Tuesday, Sept. 1 at Mary Washington (4 p.m.)
Home Opener: Saturday, Sept. 12 vs. Marymount (4 p.m.)
Route 42 Rivalry: Wednesday, Sept. 16 vs. Bridgewater (7 p.m.)***
ODAC Opener: Saturday, Sept. 26 vs. Washington & Lee (6 p.m.)
Homecoming: Saturday, Oct. 10 vs. Lynchburg (4 p.m.)
Rowdy Royals/Home Finale: Wednesday, Oct. 21 vs. Shenandoah (7 p.m.)
Regular Season Finale: Wednesday, Oct. 28 at Hampden-Sydney (7 p.m.)
ODAC Tournament: Saturday, Oct. 31 (Quarterfinals), Wednesday, Nov. 4 (Semifinals), Saturday, Nov. 7 (Championship Game)
 
***- The game against Bridgewater has been designated as a non-conference game and will not count towards the ODAC standings.  
Full Schedule
 
Key Losses:   Andrew Arledge, Logan Darrow, Itzar Mejia Arteaga, Dimas Portillo, Chris Santisteban,
Key Returners:  Hudson Acocella, Ryan Bousfield, Elijah Byrd, Kane Kiernan, Oliver Rivera, Hamiidullah Tokhi  
Full Roster
 
Outlook: The EMU Men's Soccer team will seek to sustain its recent run of success and postseason appearances under the new leadership of Swartz. Offensively, the Royals bring back their top two goal scorers from last fall in sophomores Tokhi and Byrd, who were high school teammates at Gainesville High. On defense, Acocella will anchor the back line alongside sophomore Hector Ortiz. Between the pipes, the sophomore Bousfield will fill the role of goalkeeper, replacing outgoing four-year starter Arledge.
 
The Royals also boast a lot of youth and new faces on their roster, with 12 first-years and one junior transfer looking to make immediate contributions. A few newcomers of note include Arthur Etoa, Xavier Barravino and Brady Crisp. Crisp figures to get significant playing time at defense, while Etoa scored the Royals' goal in a 1-0 scrimmage win over Shepherd University, with Barravino providing the assist. 
 
To keep up to date with everything surrounding the EMU men's soccer program this year, follow EMU on Twitter and Instagram, like EMU Athletics on Facebook or visit our website.