SUNY Potsdam's fall athletic teams each kick off their 2026 seasons next week. Both soccer teams and women's volleyball start things off on Tuesday, September 1. Cross country opens on Saturday, September 5 at Plattsburgh State. The Bears men's soccer team travels to Nazareth University for a 3 p.m. match on Tuesday. The women's soccer team is also on the road, visiting Russell Sage College at 4 p.m. Women's volleyball opens at home, hosting St. Lawrence University at 6:30 p.m. in the Maxcy Field House.

Men's Soccer
17th year head coach Adam Parker leads the Bears men's soccer team into its 68th campaign in 2026. Assistant coach Sebastian Sosa '25 is back for his second season. Senior midfielder Luke Tytler (Rochester, N.Y./Bishop Kearney) and junior forward Josue Escobar (Port Washington, N.Y./Paul D. Schiever) will serve as Potsdam's captains this year. Injury limited Tytler to three games last fall, while Escobar played in all 17 games with 13 starts. The Bears bring back 20 veterans and welcome nine newcomers Junior forward Thomas Wendel (Mechanicville, N.Y./Mechanicville) led the Bears in scoring a season ago, posting five goals and two assists for 12 points with two game-winners over 16 games. Junior forward/midfielder Logan Bush (Newcomb, N.Y./Newcomb) was next with three goals and a game-winner while playing in every contest. A quartet of returners each finished with four points last fall, while playing in 17 contests: sophomore midfielder Neptaly Castro (Monroe, N.Y./Monroe-Woodbury), junior midfielder Kyan Tiede (Leicester, N.Y./York), junior forward Jayson Viola (Harrison, N.Y./Harrison) and junior forward JJ Williams (Vestal, N.Y./Vestal). Sophomore forward/midfielder Andres Arce (White Plains, N.Y./White Plains), junior forward Leo Hector (Dix Hills, N.Y./Half Hollow Hills East), sophomore forward Wyatt Mokey (Manhattan, N.Y./Y7Humanities Preparatory Academy) and senior midfielder/forward Jake Trubia (Cicero, N.Y./Cicero-North Syracuse) each contributed a goal. Defensively, senior defender Matthew Mapes (Fort Drum, N.Y./Carthage) and senior midfielder Kyan Mathieu (East Aurora, N.Y./East Aurora) each played in every game last season with 15 and 10 starts each. In goal, junior James Kelm (Chester, N.Y./Chester Academy) looks to be the starter after posting a 3.65 goals-against-average and a .656 save percentage in nine contests with eight starts. Senior Sam Allen (Syracuse, N.Y./Jamesville-DeWitt) is also back after seeing brief action in 2025.

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Women's Soccer
Travis Jordan '15 begins his second season as head coach of the Bears women's soccer team Assistant Peyton Snell '25 is also back for another year. The Bears, who went 8-7-2 a year ago, return a senior-heavy group headlined by four captains: goalkeeper Caroline Vines (Irondequoit, N.Y./Irondequoit), forward/midfielder Adrianna Orlando (Baldwinsville, N.Y./C.W. Baker), defender Jaidan Kertenis (Hampden, Mass./Minnechaug Regional) and forward/midfielder Morgan Williams (Rochester, N.Y./Bishop Kearney). Orlando was the Bears' top playmaker a season ago, finishing with two goals and five assists for nine points in all 17 games. Senior midfielder Samantha Parsons (Williamsville, N.Y./Williamsville South) had three goals for six points, while Williams added five points on two goals and an assist. Junior midfielder/forward Alana Cunningham (Norfolk, Va./Maury) also found the net twice and assisted on two goals, finishing with six points and two game-winners. Junior midfielder Abigail Bianchi (Marcellus, N.Y./Marcellus) chipped in a goal and an assist. Kertenis, senior midfielder/defender Molly Reid (Frankfort, N.Y./Frankfort-Schuyler) and sophomore defender Abby Rudolph (Guilderland, N.Y./Guilderland) combined to play and start the majority of contests last season and will anchor the defense this year. In goal, Vines returns after playing in three contests in 2025 and junior Kalissa Young (Winthrop, N.Y./St. Lawrence Central) is also back.

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Women's Volleyball
Josh Stokes enters his 14th season as head coach of Potsdam women's volleyball, joined by assistant Abygail Olejnik '23. The Bears will lean on a veteran group of setters and hitters. Senior setter Rachel Madore (Peru, N.Y./Peru), senior defensive specialist/outside hitter Olivia Eves (Chaumont, N.Y./General Brown) and sophomore outside hitter Ashlee Hagerman (Kirkwood, N.Y./Windsor) will serve as team captains this season. Hagerman paced the Bears as a freshman with 305 kills, (3.14 per set), 42 service aces and 273 digs along with 12 blocks. Senior middle hitter Noelle Redeye (Cattaraugus, N.Y./Silver Creek) is back after piling up 105 kills and a team-best 46 blocks last season. Madore led the Bears defensively with 333 digs and was fourth in aces with 20. Eves recorded 92 digs and nine blocks. Senior setter Gabriella Luna picked up 29 assists and added 20 aces. Sophomore libero Carli Knapp (Lovington, N.M./Lovington) had a solid debut campaign with 61 digs and 13 aces. Also back are senior outside hitters Sarah Ruffos (Parish, N.Y./Altmar-Parish-Williamstown) and Ella Murtagh (Massena, N.Y./Massena), junior setter Meredith Harnden (Hilton, N.Y./Hilton), sophomore outside hitter Maggie Paluch (Tonawanda, N.Y./Sweet Home), junior middle hitter Samantha Clookey (Brushton, N.Y./Brushton-Moira) and sophomore middle Anabella Marte (Carmel, N.Y./Carmel).

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Cross Country
Interim coaches Tony Vaccaro and Gino Bisceglia will lead the Bears cross country teams again this season. Four veterans return in seniors Makayla Farmer (Massena, N.Y./Massena), Samuel Barney (Plattsburgh, N.Y./Plattsburgh and Jack Schroeder (Gouverneur, N.Y./Gouverneur) and junior Cole DeLuca (Mohawk Valley, N.Y/Central Valley Academy). Farmer is joined by freshman Zoe Lesika (Buffalo, N.Y./Kenmore West) on the women's team. Barney (29:29.0) and Schroeder (38:12.8) each posted their personal best 8K time at the Word of Life Invitational last October. DeLuca (40:57.2) ran his fastest 8K at last season's SUNYAC Championships in Plattsburgh. North Country natives (freshman) Duncan Harper (Canton, N.Y./Hugh C. Williams) and (sophomore) Jacob LaSalle (North Bangor, N.Y./Brushton-Moira) complete the men's roster. 
 

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Complete Men's Roster

Complete Women's Roster