GREENVILLE, S.C. – The 2026 Conference Carolinas Men's Soccer Championship opened with the top four seeds and hosts of the first round advancing to the quarterfinals. The contest of the night was the final contest that saw Emmanuel University advance past North Greenville University after nine penalty kick rounds.
No. 7 North Greenville def. No. 10 Southern Wesleyan 2-1
It didn't take North Greenville long to light up the scoreboard as Tyler Koppe found the back of the net in the fourth minute with an assist to Kai Goodman. The Trailblazers scored early in the second half as well, with Goodman the beneficiary of an assist from Koppe in the 53rd minute. However, the 2-0 lead was short-lived as Michael Boyle scored in the 55th minute to cut the Southern Wesleyan deficit in half. However, the Warriors couldn't add another as North Greenville took the contest 2-1.
North Greenville advances to the quarterfinals to face second seed Lees-McRae College on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. in Banner Elk, North Carolina.
No. 5 Francis Marion def. No. 12 King 3-0
Lucas Villa put Francis Marion ahead with a goal in the 17th minute before Marc Hernandez extended the lead to 2-0 with a goal in the 38th minute. The score remained the same until the 81st minute, when Sebastian Gough found the back of the net to give the Patriots the 3-0 victory.
Francis Marion advances to the quarterfinals to face fourth seed Chowan University on Saturday at 2:00 p.m. in Murfreesboro, North Carolina.
No. 8 Barton def. No. 9 Ferrum 2-0
Barton wasted no time lighting up the scoreboard as Hayden Summerfield found the back of the net in the second minute. The score remained the same until the 54th minute when Summerfield set up a Bruno Marques goal that gave Barton the 2-0 lead. That was all Barton needed to advance.
Barton advances to the quarterfinals to face top seed Young Harris College on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. in Young Harris, Georgia.
No. 6 Emmanuel def. No. 11 Belmont Abbey 2-2 (8-7 PKS)
Emmanuel got off to a hot start in front of the home crowd as Leon Van Nguyen put the Lions ahead in the ninth minute. Belmont Abbey found the equalizer in the 66th minute on a Luca Pereira goal before Emrick Stanley gave the Crusaders the lead with a goal in the 78th minute. That lead didn't last long as Emmanuel's Elijah Cooling netted the equalizer in the 85th minute.
The score remained the same through two overtime periods before the teams traded penalty kicks. Each team came up with a save early, and the Lions made a save on the ninth attempt to advance 8-7 on penalty kicks.
Emmanuel advances to the quarterfinals to face third seed Converse University on Saturday at 2:00 p.m. in Spartanburg, South Carolina
Fans can watch every game of the tournament live via the Conference Carolinas Digital Network powered by Hudl at ConferenceCarolinas.com/watch. Fans can purchase an all-tournament pass for $25 or a daily pass for $10.
Information regarding the championship schedule, bracket and the Truist Soccer Complex at Bryan Park are available at the links below.
CHAMPIONSHIP PAGE | BRACKET | LIVE VIDEO | FINAL SITE TICKETS
2026 Conference Carolinas Men's Soccer Championship
First Round – Wednesday, October 28 (Higher Seed Hosts)
No. 8 Barton def. No. 9 Ferrum, 2-0
BOX SCORE
No. 5 Francis Marion No. 12 King, 3-0
BOX SCORE
No. 6 Emmanuel No. 11 Belmont Abbey, 2-2 (8-7 PKs)
BOX SCORE
No. 7 North Greenville def. No. 10 Southern Wesleyan, 2-1
BOX SCORE
Quarterfinals – Saturday, October 31 (Higher Seed Hosts)
No. 8 Barton at No. 1 Young Harris, 6:30 p.m.
No. 5 Francis Marion at No. 4 Chowan, 7:00 p.m.
No. 6 Emmanuel at No. 3 Converse, 2:00 p.m.
No. 7 North Greenville at No. 2 Lees-McRae, 6:30 p.m.
Semifinals – Friday, November 6 (Truist Soccer Complex at Bryan Park – Browns Summit, N.C.)
Winner of 1-8-9 vs. Winner of 4-5-12, 3:30 p.m.
Winner of 3-6-11 vs. Winner of 2-7-10, 6:30 p.m.
Final – Sunday, November 8 (Truist Soccer Complex at Bryan Park – Browns Summit, N.C.)
Winner of Semifinal 1 vs. Winner of Semifinal 2, 2:00 p.m.