Rutherford, NJ — At the conclusion of the 2025 regular season, the Felician University men's soccer team has once again secured its place in the CACC postseason. The Golden Falcons finished the campaign with an overall record of 8-6-3, including a 4-5-1 mark in conference play, earning another opportunity to compete for a conference championship.
Coming off the program's first-ever Elite Eight appearance in 2024, Felician entered the new season with national attention, opening the year ranked No. 8 in the USCA Preseason Poll. The Golden Falcons quickly validated that recognition, starting the season 2-0 without conceding a goal.
Their early form was tested when they hosted Bloomsburg in a rematch of the 2024 NCAA Round of 32. In another physical and hard-fought contest, Felician fell just short, but bounced back quickly to secure a 2-2 draw against nationally ranked Franklin Pierce in a top-25 matchup.
Riding that momentum, Felician stormed into conference play with a dominant 5-0 victory over Chestnut Hill before squaring off with Post University in a rematch of last season's CACC Championship and NCAA Sweet Sixteen clash. As expected, the meeting was physical from start to finish, with both teams combining for 24 fouls. Despite a competitive performance, Felician fell in the contest and entered a midseason stretch that tested the group's resilience.
Over the next several matches, the Golden Falcons faced a challenging slate — going 1-2-2 against Holy Family, Pace, Goldey-Beacom, Dominican, and Bridgeport. However, Felician's grit and determination shone through in one of the defining moments of the season. Trailing 2-0 against Georgian Court with 30 minutes to play, the Falcons mounted a stunning comeback, scoring four unanswered goals, including three in the final three minutes of regulation to claim a thrilling victory.
That spark reignited the squad's form, as Felician battled Wilmington in a narrow loss decided by a penalty kick, before picking up statement wins over regionally ranked Queens College (12-3-3) and Jefferson, the CACC's current No. 4 seed.
Leading the charge for the Golden Falcons is junior transfer Keiji Sugiura, who has emerged as one of the conference's elite playmakers, ranking among the top three in nearly every offensive category. The team also benefits from a core of experienced senior leaders — Kohta Yamanashi, Matthew Greenway, Ayato Kaneko, and Erick Aguiar — who continue to set the tone for the program's competitive culture.
Adding to Felician's strength are several young standouts, including Bartu Yakkan, Ignacio Ferrer Matas, and goalkeeper Gerardo Mendez, who has excelled since taking over between the posts.
With a mix of veteran leadership and emerging talent, the Golden Falcons are poised to make another memorable run as they chase their goal of surpassing last year's historic success and continuing to build on the program's growing legacy.
