GREENVILLE, S.C. – The 2026 Conference Carolinas Men’s Soccer Championship quarterfinals were thrilling on Saturday with a pair of upsets. Eighth seed Barton College and fifth seed Francis Marion University both earned road wins to advance to Friday’s semifinals as they are joined by third seed Converse University and second seed Lees-McRae College.
No. 3 Converse def. No. 6 Emmanuel 1-0
Converse snuck past Emmanuel 1-0 on Saturday afternoon. The lone goal of the contest came from Jacob Bandel on a penalty kick in the 35th minute. Converse controlled play throughout the game, outshooting the Lions 15-9 and leading in shots on goal at 9-5. The Valkyries also earned more corner kicks by the margin of 6-4.
Converse advances to the semifinals to face No. 2 Lees-McRae on Friday.
No. 8 Barton def. No. 1 Young Harris 2-1
In a contest that saw Young Harris outshoot Barton 29-6, the Bulldogs made the most of their opportunities. Barton placed three shots on target, scoring on two. Kai Thurston gave the Bulldogs the lead with a goal in the 30th minute before Bruno Marques extended the lead with a tally in the 63rd minute.
That goal proved pivotal as the Young Harris pressure paid off in the 87th minute when Ondrej Kopecky netted the Mountain Lions’ first goal of the game. Young Harris placed 11 shots on goal, but 10 were turned away as the Bulldogs escaped a late flurry to take the contest 2-1.
Barton advances to the semifinals to face No. 5 Francis Maroin on Friday
No. 2 Lees-McRae def. No. 7 North Greenville 1-0
Lees-McRae grabbed the lead early as Conor O’Gorman ripped a shot under the crossbar in the 10th minute to give the Bobcats the lead. The Lees-McRae defense locked in, only allowing three North Greenville shots in the contest, two coming in the opening 45 minutes. Only one of the North Greenville shots was on goal, but it was turned away, giving Lees-McRae the 1-0 victory.
Lees-McRae advances to the semifinals to face No. 3 Converse on Friday
No. 5 Francis Marion def. No. 4 Chowan 2-1
Frances Marion wasted no time grabbing the lead with a Lucas Vila goal in the fourth minute. The score remained the same until the 38th minute when Chowan’s Dillon Rajkovic netted the equalizer with an assist to Fernando Hernandez. The second half was played even, but Francis Marion broke through in the 84th minute. Filippo Noseda found Vila who place his shot over the keeper for his second goal of the game, giving the Patriots the 2-1 win.
Francis Marion advances to the semifinals to face No. 8 Barton on Friday
The semifinals and final will be played at Truist Soccer Complex at Bryan Park in Browns Summit, N.C. on Friday. The first semifinal at 3:30 p.m. pits Barton against Francis Marion while the second semifinal between Converse and Lees-McRae will kickoff at 6:30 p.m. The winners will square off on Sunday at 2:00 p.m.
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 def. No. 12 King, 3-0
BOX SCORE
No. 6 Emmanuel def. 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 def. No. 1 Young Harris, 2-1
BOX SCORE
No. 5 Francis Marion def. No. 4 Chowan, 2-1
BOX SCORE
No. 3 Converse def. No. 6 Emmanuel, 1-0
BOX SCORE
No. 2 Lees-McRae def. No. 7 North Greenville, 1-0
BOX SCORE
Semifinals – Friday, November 6 (Truist Soccer Complex at Bryan Park – Browns Summit, N.C.)
No. 8 Barton vs. No. 5 Francis Marion, 3:30 p.m.
No. 3 Converse vs. No. 2 Lees-McRae, 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.