The field is set for the 2026 Ohio Valley Conference Men's Soccer Championship, which opens Sunday, Nov. 8 on the campus of Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Mo., the conference announced. It is the fourth-ever OVC men's soccer tournament and the second straight year it is hosted at Lindenwood's Hunter Stadium.

Top-seeded Lindenwood, the defending champion, won its second-straight OVC regular-season title, finishing 5-2-3 in league play with 18 points to edge SIUE by one point. The Lions and No. 2 seed SIUE both earned byes to the semifinals.

Tournament schedule

All matches air on ESPN+.

  • Sunday, Nov. 8: No. 4 HCU vs. No. 5 Western Illinois, 4 p.m.; No. 3 UIW vs. No. 6 Eastern Illinois, 7 p.m.
  • Wednesday, Nov. 11: No. 1 Lindenwood vs. winner of Match 1, 4 p.m.; No. 2 SIUE vs. winner of Match 2, 7 p.m.
  • Saturday, Nov. 14: Semifinal winners, 4 p.m.

Western Illinois secured the No. 5 seed by winning its final two regular-season matches, including a 2-1 win over Southern Indiana to lock up a spot in the field. Eastern Illinois earned the No. 6 seed after tying SIUE on the final day and awaiting the WIU-USI result. UIW returned to the field as the No. 3 seed after topping regular-season champion Lindenwood 2-1 in the finale.

Players of the Week

Southern Indiana freshman midfielder Christian Rotundo (Bolton, Ontario) was named Offensive Player of the Week after scoring three goals in two matches, including a brace against Eastern Illinois.

Western Illinois junior defender Ryan Wrobleski (Sussex, Wis.) was named Defensive Player of the Week. He played all 180 minutes across two wins that secured WIU's tournament berth, keying a defense that allowed only one goal and assisting on a goal against Southern Indiana.

Two goalkeepers shared Co-Goalkeeper of the Week honors. UIW redshirt junior Victor Salmeron (Menorca, Spain) made 15 saves over two matches, including a career-high nine in a 3-1 win over Lindenwood. Western Illinois sophomore Drew Heller (Jefferson City, Mo.) allowed only one goal over two matches, including a shutout of SIUE in which he faced 17 shots.

Notable performances

  • Xavier Gagnon, Western Illinois: scored in the 37th and 62nd minutes to lift the Leathernecks to a 2-1 win and a tournament berth.
  • George Frost, Western Illinois: scored both goals in a shutout of SIUE.
  • Miguel D'Amico, Eastern Illinois: scored a pair of goals in a 3-3 tie with SIUE.
  • Ryan Okerayi, HCU: scored twice in a 4-0 win over UTRGV, raising his career total to 27 goals.
  • Quinn Closson, Lindenwood: made eight saves in two matches and recorded his seventh shutout of the season, a Lindenwood Division I record.

Tournament notes

The No. 1 seed has won each of the first three OVC tournaments, and no team playing in the first round (seeds 3-6) has advanced to the title round, according to the conference. Five of the six teams in this year's field were in the 2025 event, with UIW the exception.

Lindenwood won last year's championship by topping HCU on penalty kicks, becoming the first LU program to compete in a Division I NCAA Championship. SIUE won the first two OVC titles in 2023 and 2024. HCU has reached the title match in each of the last two years, falling in overtime in 2024 and in a shootout in 2025.

The OVC said its 2026 All-OVC teams and award winners will be released Friday afternoon. Complete tournament information and nightly statistical leaders are posted on the conference website at OVCSports.com.

Source: the original release