FLUSHING, N.Y. – Ninth-year head coach Frank Vertullo and the Queens College men's soccer team open the 2026 season Thursday afternoon on the road, looking to build on a historic 2025 campaign and make another run at the East Coast Conference (ECC) championship.
 
The Knights are coming off the best winning percentage in program history after finishing 13-3-4, matching the program record for wins while capturing their second consecutive ECC regular-season championship. Queens also had a program-record nine players earn All-ECC recognition, four All-Region honors and one earning All-American honors.
 
For the past four seasons, the Knights have posted double-digit wins as they continue to rewrite the program record book.
 
Entering his ninth season in Flushing and 19th overall as a head coach, Vertullo is eight wins shy of reaching 250 career victories.
 
In the ECC Preseason Coaches' Poll, Queens has been selected to finish first for the third consecutive season while sweeping the conference's preseason Offensive and Defensive Player of the Year honors. (Full ECC Story)
 
After one of the best rookie seasons in program history, sophomore Bradyn Brown has been tabbed the ECC Preseason Offensive Player of the Year. Brown rewrote the program's rookie records en route to earning ECC Rookie of the Year, All-ECC First Team, D2CCA East Region First Team and D2CCA All-American Third Team honors.
 
Brown appeared in all 20 matches and made 12 starts, recording a team-leading 30 points on 13 goals and four assists. He also registered four game-winning goals. His 30 points and 13 goals established new single-season rookie records at Queens.
 
Senior Tommy Wagner has been selected as the ECC Preseason Defensive Player of the Year as he looks to defend his conference crown. The 2025 ECC Defensive Player of the Year and All-ECC First Team selection became the fourth defender in program history to earn D2CCA All-Region honors.
 
Wagner started all 19 matches, logging 1,613 minutes while contributing one goal and one assist. He helped anchor a defensive unit that recorded five shutouts during the season.
 
On the sideline, Vertullo will be assisted by longtime coaches Vincent Companion and Giovanni Cruz, while Jason Garguilo joins the staff. The Knights also welcome Queens alumni Kevin Johnson and David Oprea to the coaching staff.
 
In 2025, Queens' attack produced 49 goals last season, averaging 2.45 goals per match while generating 16.7 shots per contest. Defensively, senior Thanasis Shehadeh returns in goal after earning ECC Goalkeeper of the Year honors for the second consecutive season. Shehadeh started all 20 matches in 2025, making 68 saves, recording five shutouts and posting a 0.85 goals-against average.
 
With an experienced roster returning to Flushing, the Knights enter the season with several key pieces in place as Vertullo and his staff look to guide Queens on another long championship run.

Dominican University Preview

For the first time since the 2023 season, Queens will begin the year on the road as the Knights travel to Dominican University of New York Thursday, Aug. 27. It will mark the eighth meeting between the programs, with Queens holding a 5-2 all-time record against the Chargers and riding a five-match winning streak in the series.
 
The Knights will face Dominican in Orangeburg for the first time since 2021, when Queens earned a 2-0 victory. Last season, the Knights defeated the Chargers, 4-0, on Sept. 10 in Flushing.

No. 4 Southern New Hampshire University Preview

Queens welcomes No. 4 Southern New Hampshire University to town Saturday, Aug. 29, for the second time in four seasons and the fourth meeting between the programs since 2022.

The defending Super Region 1 champions are coming off a trip to the NCAA Division II Championship and will be one of six opponents Queens faces this season that competed in the 2025 NCAA Division II Men's Soccer Tournament.
 
Saturday's contest will mark the eighth all-time meeting between the Knights and Penmen, with Queens still searching for its first victory against the Northeast-10 Conference foe.

For the latest news on Queens College Athletics, follow the Knights at queensknights.com or via social media on Facebook (Queens College Athletics), X (Formerly Twitter) (@QCKnights), and Instagram (qcknightsny), men's soccer (qcmsoccer).