Men's Soccer | 8/27/2026 4:00:00 PM
The York University Lions men's soccer team is no longer the hunting, but the hunted.
The Lions enter 2026 coming off their sixth national title in program history and fifth under the guidance of head coach Carmine Isacco, who enters his 20th season at the helm of the most prolific programs in the country.
"It was amazing," Isacco said on last year's run. "(Christian) Zeppieri going through what he went through was really tough, and how it ended was kind of bittersweet.
Zeppieri, the OUA West's three-time defending MVP, and three-time reigning York men's athlete of the year, capped off what will likely be the most emotional week of his life by scoring the championship winner – in a blizzard – on a penalty in the 116th minute to seal to seal the win, and did so just two days after the passing of his father.
"There was just this bond and this togetherness by the end," Isacco said of his group a season ago. "When Zepp went through what he went through, (his teammates) were there for him, they are there for him, and that's important."
Isacco often talks about playing your best in the biggest games, and that is a message the team took to heart.
"We peaked at the right time, on and off the field," he said. "We found a lot of leaders that we didn't think we would. We had a lot of great stories, and it was probably one of the best (runs) we've been through."
The final piece of what has been a great 12 months for the program came this summer when alumnus Nico Sigur suited up for Canada at the FIFA World Cup, doing so as part of the starting 11 in the Round of 16 against Moracco.
"It's validates what we do," said Isacco on Sigur and the last year as whole for the program. "It validates the year-round program, the resources invested by the University, but it also forces us to be better, to work harder and raise the standard, and that's what we're here to do."
Now, with their eyes squarely focused on 2026, the Lions are well aware of the fact that every team in the country will have their eyes squared on them as defending U SPORTS champions.
"It's good," Isacco said. "It's good for the OUA, it's good to raise the standard, and it's a lot of people doing great work to make this sport relevant in the (province)."
Along with the returning veterans headlined by names like Zeppieri, Ryan Robinson, a pair of OUA West first team all-stars in defender Matthew Medeiros and keeper Michael Williams, the Lions will showcase a solid group of rookies as the program builds for the future while, of course, aiming to remain a top team in the province and shoot for a 19th straight OUA West title.
"Hopefully they can transition into the pace and (competition) of OUA soccer, Isacco said of crop his first years, which is headlined by names like forward Alessandro Troisi and defender Luca Ugarte.
The Lions also return the defending OUA West rookie of the year in Marco Sciortino, who chose to remain at York despite being pursued by several NCAA sides. York can also boast the addition of some veteran pieces via transfer, namely defenders Cole Fernandez, formerly of the Guelph Gryphons, and Michael Campoli, the former TMU Bold.
"He was a stalwart at Guelph," Isacco said of Fernandez, who spent five years at Guelph and has enrolled in teachers college at York. "He was fantastic against us, so hopefully he can be fantastic for us."
Despite the departure of midfielder second team all-star Anthony Aromatario – who now plays for Forge FC in the Canadian Premier League, which Isacco described as a "big loss," some other key pieces are returning, including the likes of first teamer Anthony Morano and community service award winner Yigal Bruk.
"We're expecting big things from them," Isacco said of his veteran core, while also pointing out veteran midfielder Matthew Fischer.
"He's been incredible for us," he continued on the fourth-year Canisius University transfer who joined the Lions in 2024.
"There's going to be players like a James Fidalgo who are going to take that leap to become better leaders. (Former Lion) Daniel Casa showed what leadership was, so we're going to need that type of leader."
Isacco says the bonds that have been forged between the group far precedes the here-and-now, and even the recent past, something that will help them when adversity inevitably arises, and something that spans multiple cohorts of York athletes.
"These kids go way back," he said. "They've developed a brotherhood and a family type atmosphere that goes beyond the field. All that stuff is the intangibles that come with their personalities and who they are as people, how they've grown up and what they've gone through.
"That holds true through the different generations of York players, and it's something that hasn't just stayed with the group throughout the generations, but has evolved and gotten better."
The newest incarnation of the Lions will kick off the 2026 season against the Windsor Lancers on Friday night at 8:15 pm, before hosting the Western Mustangs in their home opener on Sunday at 3:15 pm. You can get your tickets to Sunday's match at yorkulions.ca/tickets, or watch both games for free on OUA TV.
