NEW LONDON, N.H. - The Colby-Sawyer men's soccer team has announced their schedule for the 2025-2026 academic year. The Chargers, who finished 7-10-2 in 2024 are looking to improve that record over the course of their 18 game season with the Great Northeast Athletic Conference playoffs on the mind.

Opening Weekend:

The Chargers will kick off the season both home and away during the last weekend of August. On August 29th, Wentworth Institute of Technology will come to New London with an 11:00am kickoff. The Leopards finished 6-11-2 overall last year. The Chargers and Leopards will their play their 24th game between the two schools, with the last match up coming in 2024. The Chargers will travel to Plymouth, N.H. the next day to take on Plymouth State University. The Chargers are looking for their second straight win against the Panthers in as many years. The Chargers held the Panthers to 0 goals in a 4-0 win in 2024. 

Key Match Ups:

Looking at the rest of the schedule, the Chargers have 6 non-conference games, and 12 within the GNAC this year. The first date to look out for is September 7th as the Chargers host Little East Conference opponent, Keene State. The Chargers last took on the Owls in 2018, marking 7 years since the two teams last game. The Chargers will be looking for the first win in program history against the Owls, who finished 4-11-3 in 2024. On September 9th, the Chargers will host their first ever night game under the new lights at Sally Shaw Veitch Field as they host Vermont State University Lyndon. The Hornets finished 1-12-1 in 2024, and one of those losses came at the hands of the Chargers in a 2-0 win. This game marks the first program in the Fall to play under the new lights being added this Summer.

The Chargers will head to Fitchburg, Mass. on October 7th for just their second match up against the Falcons. The last team these schools met was in 2022 as the Chargers came away with the victory by a score of 2-1. The Falcons finished 9-8-3 last year, and the Chargers will be looking to use this game as a way to finish strong during the back half of their season against the GNAC. 

When you look at key match ups against other schools around the GNAC, the Chargers kick off their conference schedule by hosting Dean College on September 13th. The Bulldogs snuck a win against the Chargers last season, as the team will look to use the advantage of home field in 2025. Take a look at September 23rd next, as the Chargers will host Norwich in New London as the two schools tied 1-1 in 2024. The Cadets and Chargers will be meeting for the 15th time in history, while the Chargers look for their first win against the Cadets since 2018. 

Make sure to mark October 4th on your calendar, as the Chargers head to Boston, Mass. to take on Emmanuel College. The two schools in 2024 had a very back a forth match up, where the Saints got the edge by a score of 3-2. The Saints finished 9-3-2 in the GNAC last year, while the Chargers look for revenge in 2025. The Chargers will host the defending GNAC champion University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) on October 18th during homecoming weekend. The Chargers will try to use the big crowd to their advantage while trying to prove themselves against the reigning champions. 

Players to Watch:

The Chargers are returning a good amount of their lineup from 2024 into 2025. Junior Kaden Lewis (Lunenburg, Mass.) will be a strong force for the Chargers offense in 2025 after a dominant Sophomore season. The leading goal scorer (7) from a year ago will look to improve on an already successful career, wtih his first ever All-Conference selection in 2024, making the third team. 

Junior Judson DiMaria (Acton, Mass.) will be another factor for the Chargers offense this year netting 4 goals and recording 3 assists in 2024. DiMaria will look to add more accolades in 2025 as he was named to the third team All-Conference last season. 

Senior goalkeeper Yener Bartolon (West Palm Beach, Fla.) has been a force in the Chargers net since his arrival to campus in 2022. Bartolon added his name to the career history books in 2024, moving into 8th for most saves with 251. Yener had a career low in goals allowed in 2024 while also recording two shutouts. 

Senior and captain Nick Carrabino will once again lead the defensive unit for the Chargers in 2025. The leader from the back line even netted two goals and recorded an assist for the Chargers last season. Carrabino will look to bring that same energy in this upcoming season. 

Sophomore Colin Riley-Perec (Plymouth, Mass.) will look to have a strong second year campaign being one of the leaders in assists in 2024. Riley-Perec recorded 4 assists last season on his way to a strong first year with the Chargers. Colin will look to do the same in 2025 while adding a couple shots in net for his first collegiate goal.

Other players to look out for this upcoming season will be Senior Josh Warner (Barrington, N.H.), Senior Brandon Mejia (West Palm Beach, Fla.) Sophomore Rashad Ortiz-Peck (West Palm Beach, Fla.), and Junior Brayden Rapoza (New Durham, N.H.). The Chargers are also adding 6 first years into the mix in 2025, looking to make an impact right away. 

To check out the whole schedule click here.