STATEN ISLAND, NY - The College of Staten Island men's soccer team is set to kick off its 2026 campaign versus Assumption University at Dolphin Soccer Park Thursday afternoon at 2:00 PM. This is the third consecutive season in which the Dolphins have opened their season against the Greyhounds, and with four meetings overall, the Dolphins are searching for their first-ever win over their opponents.

2025 Meeting Recap:
The Dolphins and the Greyhounds met on Sept. 4 in Massachusetts last year, with the Greyhounds taking a 3-1 victory. The hosts took the lead in the 34th minute to enter the break with a 1-0 advantage. Koray Arslan and Peterson Larose assisted on the equalizing goal, with Larose finding Arslan for the 1-1 score. Moments after the Dolphins responded, the Greyhounds scored consecutive goals to secure the 3-1 victory despite the Dolphins' strong offensive efforts in the second half. The squad tallied four shots in the first half, but doubled that total with eight in the second half in an attempt to break through the Greyhounds' defense.

2025 Dolphin Statistics Overview:
At the end of last year, the Dolphins fell short of an East Coast Conference (ECC) playoff berth and finished the 2025 season with a 2-7-5 overall record and a 1-5-2 ECC record. Larose, who was named to the All-ECC Third Team, led the team with 11 points on four goals and three assists through 12 games played last season. Arslan followed with six points on two goals and two assists. Both Luca Schelling and Carlos Romero Astacio made nearly equal appearances in goal last year, with Schelling featuring in eight games and leading the goalkeeping crew with 32 saves, while Romero Astacio appeared in six games and recorded 30 saves.

2025 Assumption Statistics Overview:
The Greyhounds finished the 2025 season with a 2-12-1 overall record and an 0-9 Northeast 10 record. Entering the 2026 season, the Greyhounds lost their leading scorer, who capped off 2025 with nine points on three goals and three assists, but return their star rookie, who finished second on the team with eight points (3G/2A) through 13 games played. Entering the 2026 season, the Greyhounds lost two of their starting goalkeepers, but retained one sophomore and brought in a rookie to anchor their defensive end this season.

Overall Meeting Review:
The Dolphins and the Greyhounds first met during the 2022 season in Staten Island, NY, where the Greyhounds took a 2-0 victory to begin the historical series between the two teams. During the Dolphins' playoff-berth season in 2023, they battled their opponents through a full 90 minutes of play but fell short to the Greyhounds on a go-ahead goal in the 86th minute. Since then, the Greyhounds have maintained their momentum through the next two meetings and fended off the Dolphins each time, leaving the Dolphins in search of their first-ever win over Assumption Thursday afternoon.