Men’s Soccer to Begin 2026 Campaign at Loyola Maryland

Thursday, August 20

Baltimore, Md. (Ridley Athletic Complex)

6 p.m.

St. John's University

Loyola Maryland

Men’s Soccer to Begin 2026 Campaign at Loyola Maryland

8/19/2026 9:22:00 AM | Men's Soccer

Watch (ESPN+)Live Stats Game Notes (PDF)2026 Media Guide

Red Storm is coming off an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2025

QUEENS, N.Y. – Following a run to the NCAA Tournament last season, the St. John's men's soccer team will begin its 2026 campaign on Thursday night for a 6 p.m. kick-off at Loyola Maryland.

The season opener will be streamed on ESPN+ with Glenn Clark and Jamie Watson on the call from Ridley Athletic Complex in Baltimore.

St. John's men's soccer is coming off its 23^rd NCAA Tournament appearance in 35 years and a 9-6-4 overall record in 2025. The Red Storm went 1-0-2 in the regular season against teams ranked inside the top-20 of the United Soccer Coaches poll and were one of five BIG EAST teams to qualify for NCAA's.

Dr. Dave Masur, the second winningest active coach in NCAA Division I will lead St. John's for the 36^th season and his 40^thcampaign overall as a collegiate head coach. Masur enters the year as the longest tenured coach at a single NCAA Division I program and one of seven coaches across all three divisions to be coaching collegiate soccer for 40 seasons or more. During his decorated career, Masur has tallied 468 career wins, including 415 at St. John's. The Johnnies' manager is one of just four coaches in NCAA Division I Men's Soccer history to record 415 or more victories at a single Division I program.
Over his 35 seasons, Masur has revolutionized the program earning 23 NCAA Tournament berths, nine BIG EAST Tournament titles, seven BIG EAST Regular Season crowns, four College Cup appearances and the won 1996 National Championship. The Red Storm celebrates the 30th anniversary of its 1996 NCAA National Championship this year. The Johnnies will face three of the five opponents they outlasted during the NCAA Tournament title run this coming season in Florida International (Sept. 6), Fordham (Sept. 13) and Creighton (Oct. 2).

The Johnnies return 12 players from last year's NCAA Tournament squad. Team captain Ivar Na Aga returns after making 15 starts on the Red Storm backline. Workhorse midfielder Andrew Porucznik started in 18 games leading the team with 1,587 minutes played as a freshman. While Xavi Abeijon is the team' leading return scorer. The freshman tied for third on the team with three goals last season, including the game-winner in his collegiate debut at Temple on Aug. 21, 2025. In net, Nico Bezama is back for his sophomore campaign. The 6-foot-2 goalkeeper made three appearances and two starts last season, pacing the Red Storm with a 0.72 GAA.

St. John's added a talented crop of 20 newcomers from all over the globe spanning from eight different countries and five states. The group includes six of the seven rostered players from Norway, which is believed to be the most Norwegians on any team in NCAA Division I Men's Soccer. Camron Boumsong returns to Queens for his senior season after spending last year at Rutgers. The midfielder made 31 appearances and 17 starts during the first two years of his career with the Red Storm in 2023-24. While with the Scarlet Knights last season, where he ranked tied third on the team in goals (3) and fourth in total points (8). Boumsong will join Na Aga as this year's team captain.

Among the additions are a trio of veteran players with experience in the USL Championship in Issa Atcha Yaya (Central Valley Fuego), Zander Romero (Las Vegas Lights) and Aryeh Miller (Carolina Core FC). In the portal, the Red Storm welcome a pair of outside back in Jace Sais (UNLV), Tobi Osoba (La Salle) and Skyline Conference Offensive Player of the Henrik Ropstad (Old Westbury), who scored 14 goals last season.

The Red Storm have capitalized on penalty kicks over the last several years. The Johnnies have made their last 13 from the spot, dating back to Sept. 8, 2023 in a 2-1 win over Saint Peter's. Last season, the Johnnies went 7-for-7 on penalty kicks, which was tied for the national lead with SMU for the most made PK's without a miss.

St. John's has a 24-14-8 (.609) all-time record in season openers and a 19-10-6 (.629) mark under Masur. The Johnnies have won two of their last three season openers and have kicked off the campaign on the road in nine of the last 10 seasons. The Red Storm and Greyhounds have started the season squaring off one other time on Aug. 30, 1997, which ended in a 0-0 draw.

The two sides will square off on the pitch for the eighth time on Thursday night with Loyola Maryland leading the all-time series, 4-0-3. In the last meeting, the Greyhounds bested the Johnnies, 1-0, on Oct. 8, 2024. The Red Storm outshot Loyola 22-10 in the setback. The last three meetings have been held at Belson Stadium in Queens. The Red Storm will make its first trip to Ridley Athletic Complex since Aug. 27, 2017.

Loyola Maryland enters the 2026 campaign following a 3-10-3 overall record and a 2-5-2 mark in Patriot League play last season. The Greyhounds were predicted to finish seventh in the 10-team Patriot League Preseason Coaches poll. The Greyhounds, led by 13th year Head Coach Steve Nichols return three of their top-five points scorers from 2025. Jack Endacott (2 goals, 4 assists), Tyler Flynn (1 goal, 1 assist) and Chris Ogor (1 goal, 1 assist) are all back in Baltimore for the 2026 campaign

Following Thursday's season opener, St. John's will be back on the road to face New Hampshire on Aug. 27 before hosting its home opener against No. 20 Hofstra on Sept. 1.