Men's Soccer | 7/31/2026 1:29:00 PM

NEWARK, N.J. – Rutgers University–Newark men's soccer has officially announced its 2026 schedule, featuring an 18-match regular season highlighted by challenging non-conference opponents and a competitive NJAC slate.

The Scarlet Raiders open the regular season on the road against Franklin & Marshall on Sept. 1 before making their home debut at Frederick Douglass Field against Penn State Abington on Sept. 6.

Rutgers-Newark's non-conference schedule features several marquee matchups, including a home contest against Johns Hopkins on Sept. 12. The Scarlet Raiders will also host the annual Adrian Velazquez Memorial Game against Manhattanville on Sept. 16 before traveling to face Division I Monmouth on Sept. 22. The non-conference slate concludes with a matchup against SUNY Oneonta on Sept. 26, providing Rutgers-Newark with another strong regional test before conference play.

NJAC action begins on Sept. 30 when the Scarlet Raiders travel to William Paterson to open conference play. Rutgers-Newark will then host Montclair State and Stockton before road contests at The College of New Jersey, Rutgers-Camden, and Ramapo. The Scarlet Raiders return to Frederick Douglass Field for Homecoming on Oct. 24 against Rowan, which finished the 2025 season ranked No. 12 in the nation, before concluding the regular season at home against Kean on Oct. 28.

Coach's Corner

After a season that ended with a runner-up finish in the ECAC Championship, Head Coach Kevin East believes the Scarlet Raiders are well-positioned to build on last year's success with a veteran core, improved depth, and an exciting group of newcomers.

"We return a solid core from last year's team," East said. "We suffered a lot of injuries on the defensive side of the ball, starting in preseason, which forced us to move players around and left us lacking some experience. Between our incoming class and our returning players being another year older, we hope to improve defensively while maintaining a dangerous attack."

The Scarlet Raiders return several key contributors from last year's squad, led by leading scorers Erick Cortes and Ian Brown, who both finished among the top 10 in the NJAC in scoring.

"Erick Cortes and Ian Brown should lead the charge in the attack, while we're excited to get Michael Reis back from injury on the defensive side," East said. "Dylan Huseinovic established himself as an important piece in our midfield by blending strength and skill, and Ali Celik had a very good spring. He gives us versatility because he can play in the back or the midfield."

East also believes Rutgers-Newark has the depth needed to compete throughout the season.

"I feel we have a strong group of goalkeepers that we can count on, and we've recruited some talented players who we're excited to see make an impact with this group," he said. "Our goal, as always, is to qualify for postseason play, and we'll take it one game at a time from there."

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