WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — After reaching the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Division III Tournament for the third time in the last four years during the 2025 season, the Williams College men's soccer team is thrilled to reveal its 2026 schedule.
"We are incredibly excited to kick off the 2026 fall season in just a few short months," said head coach
Steffen Siebert. "We purposefully put together one of the toughest schedules in the country and we are excited to see what this year's team is able to accomplish."
The Ephs' schedule features 15 regular-season games, including 10 NESCAC contests and 10 home matches being played on Cole Field. The unit opens the season by hosting Bates on Saturday, Sept. 5, at noon. Williams has won seven consecutive games against the Bobcats, outscoring Bates by a combined margin of 15-0 in that span. The teams faced off against each other in the 2019 NESCAC Quarterfinals and the Ephs emerged victorious, 3-0, in Williamstown. During the most recent meeting on Oct. 4, 2025, Williams earned a 1-0 triumph at then-13th-ranked Bates in Lewiston, Maine.
Williams hosts Little Three-rival Amherst on Saturday, Sept. 26, at noon on Cole Field. The Ephs recorded a 0-0 draw at the 20th-ranked Mammoths on Sept. 13, 2025. Williams defeated No. 1-ranked Amherst, 1-0, on Sept. 14, 2024, marking the first time the Ephs defeated the Mammoths on Cole Field since a 2-1 result on Oct. 29, 2005. It was the Ephs first overall victory over the Mammoths since a 2-1 triumph in Amherst, Massachusetts, on Sept. 22, 2018.
Another noteworthy date on the schedule is a 3 p.m. matchup against Little Three-opponent Wesleyan on Saturday, Oct. 17, in Middletown, Connecticut. On Saturday, Oct. 24, at 1:30 p.m., the squad welcomes Tufts to Cole Field.
The top-eight teams in the conference qualify for the 2026 NESCAC Tournament, as quarterfinal-round action takes place on Saturday, Oct. 31, at the higher seed. The highest remaining seed hosts the semifinal and final rounds on Nov. 7-8.
Rising junior
Chase Caires earned United Soccer Coaches All-Region I and NESCAC All-Conference Second Team laurels in 2025, while rising sophomore
JJ Ruehlemann was named the conference's Rookie of the Year.
"We cannot wait to play our home games on our beautiful game Cole field again," said Siebert. "Playing in the NESCAC means every single match is an absolute battle and we cannot wait to test ourselves weekly in the nation's toughest conference."
