2026 Men's Soccer Team (photo by Travis Bernhard)
Fredonia State men's soccer opens the 2026 on Tuesday, Sept. 1 at Geneseo, the first of three straight road games before returning home for the Blue Devil Classic. The Blue Devils enter the new campaign looking to build on last year's postseason breakthrough and position themselves for a return to the SUNYAC Tournament — now featuring a format that rewards top‑four finishers with home games and byes.
Fredonia finished 8–7–4 last fall and earned the No. 6 seed, then delivered its first SUNYAC Tournament win since 2016 by defeating No. 3 Plattsburgh on the road. Junior 6'5" defender Ryan Ameis scored the deciding goal on a header from a Chance LaCroix corner kick, a performance that capped a decorated season in which Ameis earned United Soccer Coaches Third Team All‑Region, SUNYAC Second Team, and SUNYAC All‑Tournament Team honors.
Head Coach PJ Gondek, entering his 26th season and now also serving as Director of Athletics, said of Ameis's regional recognition, "This award is proof that Ryan Ameis is one of the top center backs in our region."
Junior 6'4" defender Harrison McAneny will partner in the back with Ameis which gives the team a sizable advantage against the competitions' strikers.
Senior goalkeeper Thomas McDonald, who posted an 8–6–2 record, five shutouts, and a 1.14 goals‑against average, also made the SUNYAC All‑Tournament Team after blanking Plattsburgh. He returns as one of the team's tri‑captains, alongside Ameis and senior midfielder Lee Hartke.
The Blue Devils also bring back a substantial group of players who started at least half of last year's matches, giving the roster continuity across all lines. Junior forward Sam Evans, sophomore midfielder Tomas Thordarson, junior midfielder Kyto Magee, junior defender Dylan McAfee, and sophomore defender Jackson Kuby all return after holding regular roles in 2025, joining Ameis, Hartke, and McDonald to form an experienced core that has already proven capable of competing in tight SUNYAC matches.
Other likely contributors include forwards juniors Carson Teijeira, Thomas Polek, Oliver Spinola and senior Jacob Reynolds. Also, in the midfield juniors Brendan Adams and Liam Booth figure to be regulars on game day. Junior Maxwell Meagher and sophomores Charles Murphy and Liam Fitch will be challenging for additional playing time this season.
The team has added five freshman and a junior transfer to the group as well. "Our 2025 senior class," Gondek said, "was one the best in recent memory in terms of their impact on our program, but we have quickly filled those roles with returners who have significant experience. We have really hit the ground running so there is a great deal of Blue Devil Belief in the 2026 squad already."
This fall's SUNYAC Tournament will include eight teams, but with a significant change. There will be East and West divisions with the top two seeds earn double byes, and seeds No. 3 and No. 4 earn single byes, meaning all four host postseason games. With a 5–2–1 home record last season, Fredonia has a clear incentive to climb into that top‑four tier and bring playoff soccer back to University Stadium.
The season begins with road tests at Geneseo and two additional away matches before Fredonia returns home on Fri., Sept. 11 vs. Heidelberg to open the 2026 Blue Devil Classic. With a veteran lineup and last year's postseason momentum behind them, the Blue Devils enter 2026 focused on returning to the SUNYAC Tournament — and earning the chance to host once they get there.
