No. 4-Seeded Men's Soccer Set To Begin Postseason Against Brockport On Saturday

No. 4 St. John Fisher (7-5-3 overall, 6-3-2 Empire 8)

Head Coach: Jack Burgasser (7th season at St. John Fisher)

Career Record: 49-35-25 

• Roster
• Coaching Staff
• Schedule
• Season Stats

No. 5 Brockport (7-6-3 overall, 6-3-2 Empire 8)

Head Coach: Gary LaPietra  (20th season at Utica)

Career Record: 288-172-71

• Roster
• Coaching Staff
• Schedule
• Season Stats

How They Got Here

St. John Fisher: The Cardinals finished the regular season 7-5-3 overall and 6-3-2 in Empire 8 Conference play. They own the No. 4 seed for the conference's championship tournament. 

Brockport: Brockport went 7-6-3 overall and 6-3-2 in conference play during the regular season. They own the No. 5 seed for the Empire 8 Tournament. 

With a Win…

The Cardinals would advance to the Empire 8 Tournament semifinals for the fifth time in six years… They would face the winner of No. 1 SUNY Geneseo & No. 8 Houghton on Wednesday, Nov. 4.

Players To Watch

No. 3 Adam Grover (Gr., M) – The graduate midfielder leads the Cardinals with nine goals and 18 points, triple his point total from 2024, when he had two goals and two assists. Grover has scored in eight of Fisher’s last 10 games, including a goal in the 2-2 draw with Brockport on Oct. 21. He has accounted for nine of Fisher’s 22 goals this season, and his three game-winning goals lead the team.

No. 9 Jack Tamburino (Sr., F) – The senior forward is a two-time All-Empire 8 selection. He earned second-team honors in 2024, when he had an assist in Fisher’s Empire 8 title-game win over Elmira, and third-team honors last season, when he led the Cardinals with five goals. This year he leads Fisher with three assists, two of which set up Grover goals, and he is tied with Grover for the team lead with 31 shots. Tamburino scored twice in a 3-0 win over Sage on Oct. 17.

No. 00 Parker Stusek (So., GK) – The sophomore goalkeeper was named to the All-Empire 8 second team as a freshman last season and has started all 15 games this year. He has made 76 saves with an .800 save percentage and a 1.30 goals-against average, recording three shutouts and sharing another. Fisher has allowed one goal or fewer in nine of its 15 games. Stusek made five saves in last season’s Empire 8 Tournament game against Utica.

Fisher vs. Brockport Series History

Series Snapshot: The Golden Eagles own a 7-14-4 edge against the St. John Fisher Cardinals since 2002. 

Postseason History: St. John Fisher and Brockport have faced off in the Empire 8 tournament one time. In a 2025 semifinal match-up, the game ended in a 0-0 draw. St. John Fisher won in penalty kicks (4-1).

Last Meeting: The Cardinals fought Brockport to a 2-2 draw on October 21. After falling behind 1-0 in the 18th minute, the Cardinals responded just 78 seconds later. Grover found the back of the net in the 19th minute off an assist from Jeremiah Strader, leveling the score at one apiece. Brockport regained the lead in the 57th minute, but the Cardinals once again found an answer. At the 59:24 mark, Fisher benefited from a Brockport own goal to even the score at 2-2.

Empire 8 Tournament Central 

The 2026 Empire 8 Conference Men's Soccer Championship Tournament will feature the conference's top eight teams from regular season play. First round/quarterfinal action will feature the No. 1 seed hosting the No. 8 seed, No. 2 seed hosting the No. 7 seed, No. 3 seed hosting the No. 6 seed and No. 4 seed hosting the No. 5 seed on Saturday, Oct. 31.

The winner of the No. 1 and No. 8 game will take on the winner of the No. 4 and No. 5 game in one semifinal and the winner of the No. 2 and No. 7 game will take on the winner of the No. 3 and No. 6 seeds in the second semifinal on Wednesday, Nov. 4, with both games played at the higher seed.

The two semifinal winners will meet on Saturday, Nov. 7 at the highest remaining seed in the E8 Championship. The Empire 8 Champion will earn an automatic berth into the 2026 NCAA Division III Men's Soccer Championship Tournament.

2026 Empire 8 Men's Soccer Championship Tournament Participants
No. 1 – SUNY Geneseo (27 points, 9-2-0 E8, 12-4-1 Overall)
No. 2 – Utica University (22 points, 7-3-1 E8, 9-6-2 Overall)
No. 3 – Nazareth University (22 points, 7-3-1 E8, 9-4-1 Overall)
No. 4 – St. John Fisher University (20 points, 6-3-2 E8, 7-5-3 Overall)
No. 5 – SUNY Brockport (20 points, 6-3-2 E8, 7-6-3 Overall)
No. 6 – Alfred University (19 points, 5-2-4 E8, 7-3-4 Overall)
No. 7 – Hartwick College (15 points, 5-6-0 E8, 6-10-0 Overall)
No. 8 – Houghton University (14 points, 4-5-2 E8, 7-6-4 Overall)

2026 Empire 8 Men's Soccer Championship Tournament Schedule

Saturday, October 31 – First Round (at Higher Seed)
No. 8 Houghton at No. 1 SUNY Geneseo – 12 p.m. – VIDEO/LIVE STATS
No. 7 Hartwick at No. 2 Utica – TBA – VIDEO/LIVE STATS
No. 6 Alfred at No. 3 Nazareth  – 2 p.m. – VIDEO/LIVE STATS
No. 5 SUNY Brockport at No. 4 St. John Fisher – 11 a.m. – VIDEO/LIVE STATS
 
Wednesday, November 4 – Semifinals (at Higher Seed) 
Winner of No. 1 SUNY Geneseo/No. 8 Houghton vs. Winner of No. 4 St. John Fisher vs. No. 5 SUNY Brockport  – TBA – VIDEO/LIVE STATS
Winner of No. 2 Utica/No. 7 Hartwick vs. Winner of No. 3 Nazareth/No. 6 Alfred – TBA – VIDEO/LIVE STATS

Saturday, November 7 - Championship Final (at Highest Remaining Seed)
Winner of Semifinal No. 1 vs. Winner of Semifinal No. 2 – TBA – VIDEO/LIVE STATS

2026 Empire 8 Men's Soccer Championship Tournament Most Valuable Player

2026 Empire 8 Men's Soccer Championship Tournament Torchbearer Award Winner

Site: Higher Seeds for all games

Admission
$10.00 - Adults
$5.00 - Seniors
$2.00 - Students with ID (from competing institution)
Free - Children under 12

For the most up to date information on this year's championship, follow the Empire 8 Conference on X and Instagram (@Empire8).

The 2026 Season In Photos….