Cornell men’s soccer opened the 2026 season on a strong note Saturday evening, using goals from three different players to earn a shutout victory over Marist at Tenney Stadium at Leonidoff Field.
Senior Adam Schaban put the Big Red in front in the 21st minute, curling a shot through traffic and around two Marist defenders before finding the net. Sophomore Sergio Zapata set up the goal, recording the first of his two assists.
Cornell carried its advantage into halftime before Liam May doubled the lead in the 64th minute. Zapata created the initial opportunity with a shot that was stopped by Marist goalkeeper Alex Murania, but May was in position to collect the rebound and finish the play. It marked the second consecutive season that May has scored in Cornell’s opener.
Freshman Andrew Miles added an unusual insurance goal in the 85th minute for the first goal of his collegiate career. Murania appeared to believe a foul had been called and placed the ball down to prepare for a restart. Miles recognized the opportunity, quickly took possession and fired the ball into the empty net.
Cornell controlled much of the match after settling in during the opening minutes. The Big Red finished with a 16-8 advantage in shots and put eight attempts on target compared with two for Marist.
Junior goalkeeper Filip Versterre made his Cornell debut and recorded the clean sheet with two saves. His biggest stop came in the 82nd minute, when he dove to his right to deny a direct free kick from just outside the penalty area.
The victory extended Cornell’s win streak against Marist to four matches and gave the Big Red its third consecutive season-opening victory. It also marked the 90th career win for head coach John Smith, moving him within one of the program record.
Cornell will host UC Santa Barbara in its home opener Friday at 7 p.m. at Berman Field.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to kyle@fingerlakes1.com.