Schedule
Roster
WEST CHESTER, Pa.- After a third PSAC Semifinal appearance in as many seasons, the West Chester University men's soccer team enters 2026 with perennially high expectations. The Golden Rams get their 2026 season underway on Thursday afternoon vs Jefferson, beginning at 3 p.m.
Last season, West Chester returned to the PSAC Semifinals for the third year in a row, marking the first time since a 2016-19 stretch that West Chester appeared in the PSAC Tournament Semifinals in three or more consecutive seasons. With its last PSAC Championship game appearance in 2023, West Chester remains in search of its first PSAC Tournament title and its sixth NCAA Tournament appearance as the 2026 season gets underway.
Preseason Prognostication
West Chester entered the PSAC Tournament as the second seed last year, earning its spot on the final day of the regular season with a win over Shippensburg. West Chester extended its season with a thrilling PSAC Quarterfinal victory over Lock Haven on the strength of an
Owen Slack penalty kick in the second half before falling to Gannon in the PSAC Semifinals in Erie. Heading into Benn's 14
th season at the helm, West Chester was picked to finish second in the PSAC East with two first-place votes. Full story
here.
Flock Talk
Averaging just over 1.50 goals per game last fall, West Chester returns much of this offensive production, including four of its top five goal scorers and five of its top six point getters, including 2024 PSAC East Player of the Year,
Peter Tichy (Bethlehem, Pa./Freedom), who finished last season with two goals and three assists for seven points and leading goal scorer,
Maksym Komperda (Whitehall, Pa./Allentown Central Catholic), who scored a team-best seven goals with one assist for 15 points in his junior campaign.
This duo is part of a small group of experienced players returning, and Benn and company expect to impact the offense in 2026.
Sean Duffy (Hockessin, Del./Salesianum) is another veteran captain for West Chester this season and will be joined in the midfield by Tichy,
Lukas Bentsen (Erie, Pa./McDowell), and Danny McGonagle (Glen Mills, Pa./Rustin).
On the wings, Benn spoke highly of the return of
Joseph Maxwell (Langhorne, Pa./Neshaminy) and Luke Newman (Mission Viejo, Ca./Santa Margarita Catholic), who both had excellent fall campaigns along with
Ryan Rauber (Homer, N.Y./Tully JR-SR), who Benn identified as having had a tremendous spring season heading into his sophomore campaign and joining this trio on the wings as newcomers are
Keagan Penny (Lincoln University, Pa./Avon Grove) and
Joshua Rick (Berwyn, Pa./Devon Prep), who Benn identified as two dynamic players who are in the midst of a very strong preseason to start their collegiate careers.
On the forward line, Komperda is the name that many fans will recognize as the now-senior forward has led WCU in scoring frequently throughout his time wearing the Purple and Gold, a duty that West Chester will hope he is able to continue in 2026. Benn noted
Jack O'Brien (Mays Landing, N.J./Oakcrest) as a player to watch up top, who is capable of giving West Chester a different look on the forward line along with newcomer
Cannon Dalton (Dallas, TX./Lake Highlands), who is fighting for his spot on the forward line and in the midst of a strong fall camp of his own.
The Golden Rams returned an experienced cast across the field. The situation between the pipes is no different as head coach
Michael Benn and company return four keepers, in
Alexi Amanatidis (Huntingdon Valley, Pa./The Shipley School), Jaden Howard (Townsend, Del./Middletown), Caleb Addalia (Ellicott City, Md./Centennial), and Michael Sarff (Camp Hill, Pa./Camp Hill), along with the addition of
Robert Conover (Islesboro, Me./Islesboro Central), who embarks on his first season of collegiate soccer in 2026. Amanatidis and Howard split much of the time between the pipes last fall, as they did in 2024. Howard started off the season and helped guide West Chester to a record of 4-4-1 with a 1.71 goals-against average. Amanatidis returned to the starting role down the stretch and finished with a 5-2-2 record and a 0.78 goals-against average as he helped West Chester make a late-season push that led the Golden Rams back to the PSAC Semifinals for the third time in as many years.
"We feel like we have a really strong goalkeeper room," noted Benn. "Jaden (Howard) and Alexi (Amanatidis) are both seniors, and they have both played and accomplished a lot to this point in their careers. Having this level of experience with two keepers makes my job very difficult at times, but it's a great problem to have. We feel very fortunate to have both of them, and they do a great job not only setting a steady foundation in the back and pushing each other but also staying very supportive when not selected as the starter. Caleb (Addalia), Michael (Sarff), and Rob (Conover) are strong as well and have all shown us some really good things in camp this fall."
In front of this stable of keepers along the backline, Benn identified a strong group of returners, complemented by talented newcomers, who figure to make the Golden Ram defense a strong unit once again.
Ian Alicea (Huntingdon Valley, Pa./Lower Moreland) returns to the back as a senior captain and will partner with
Alex Fedor (Downingtown, Pa./Downingtown East) in the center as he did a year ago, while the likes of
Michael Regan (Philadelphia, Pa./Father Judge), David Sierra (Collegeville, Pa./Spring-Ford), Tyler Vagner (Mullica Hill, N.J./Clearview), and Kenyon Carter (Cherry Hill, N.J./Cherry Hill East), who had an excellent rookie season in 2025, will vie for meaningful minutes in the backline in 2026.
Elijah Samuel (Lancaster, Pa./J.P. McCaskey) and
Elijah Ostrander (Marmora, N.J./Saint Augustine Prep) will also help West Chester defensively as two players that Benn identified as being versatile options that can play in multiple positions across the back and, in the eyes of the coaching staff, have adapted to the collegiate game well.
The Slate
West Chester will open its 2026 campaign on Thursday afternoon against Jefferson beginning at 3 p.m. before embarking on a five-game road trip, including the first two games of PSAC East play at Shippensburg and at Millersville on September 12 and 16 at 2 and 7 p.m., respectively. When West Chester returns home from this three-week road trip, the Golden Rams will play five of six at home: Bloomsburg, East Stroudsburg, Shepherd, Gannon, and Millersville, with the lone trip away from Rockwell Field being a visit to Lackawanna on September 30.
