WILLIAMSBURG, Va. — William & Mary men's soccer opens the 2026 season with a pair of home matches at Martin Family Stadium, hosting Longwood on Thursday and Radford on Sunday.
Both matches are set for 6 p.m. and will be streamed live on FloCollege.
THE TRIBE. William & Mary enters the 2026 campaign with a number of experienced pieces returning from last year's squad.
Sophomore defender Damen Burney returns after earning CAA All-Rookie Team honors during his freshman campaign. The 6-foot-6 defender appeared in 13 matches and started the final 12 contests of the season, averaging 81 minutes per appearance. Burney scored his first career goal late in the season and finished with a goal and an assist for three points.
Senior Gabe Ruitenberg joins Burney as the Tribe's top returning point producer after tallying a goal and an assist for three points in 16 matches. Senior defender Evan Rabush also returns after starting all 16 matches and recording two assists.
Senior goalkeeper Ryan Eapen returns after making nine appearances in 2025. Eapen recorded 47 saves and two shutouts while earning both of the Tribe's victories in goal.
PRESEASON RECOGNITION. Junior midfielder Thor Sigurjonsson earned Preseason All-CAA honorable mention recognition. Sigurjonsson started all 16 matches during his sophomore campaign and recorded 11 shots, including three on goal.
William & Mary was selected to finish fifth in the CAA South Division preseason poll with 20 points. Defending CAA champion Elon was picked to win the division, followed by UNCW, Charleston and Campbell.
NEW FACES. The Tribe welcomes a number of newcomers to Williamsburg in 2026, including experienced transfers Diego Garciarena and Kai Feng.
Garciarena joins W&M after earning Northeast Conference Goalkeeper of the Year and All-NEC First Team honors at Saint Francis (Pa.) in 2025. He started 14 matches and recorded 64 saves, a .780 save percentage and five shutouts.
Feng spent the previous three seasons at VCU, appearing in 30 matches. He scored twice in 11 appearances during the 2025 campaign.
TRIBE VS. LANCERS. William & Mary owns a 9-0-2 advantage in the all-time series against Longwood, including a 6-0-1 mark in Williamsburg. The programs first met in 1982.
The Tribe earned a 2-0 victory over the Lancers in the most recent meeting on Sept. 4, 2024, at Martin Family Stadium.
Longwood enters the 2026 campaign after finishing 3-8-5 last season. The Lancers went 0-4-3 away from home.
TRIBE VS. HIGHLANDERS. Sunday's matchup will mark the fourth all-time meeting between William & Mary and Radford. The Tribe holds a 2-0-1 advantage in the series.
The in-state programs have not met since 1999, when W&M earned a 1-0 victory in Williamsburg.
Radford enters the season after posting a 2-11-4 record in 2025. The Highlanders went 0-7-1 away from home.
NORRIS AT THE HELM. Chris Norris enters his 23rd season as William & Mary's head coach and his 36th season overall with the Tribe program as a player, assistant coach and head coach.
Norris has guided W&M to four NCAA Tournament appearances and two CAA championships as head coach, winning conference titles in 2010 and 2017. He was named CAA Coach of the Year and NSCAA South Atlantic Region Coach of the Year in 2010.
A 1995 W&M graduate, Norris played for the Tribe from 1991-94 before spending nine seasons as an assistant coach and taking over as head coach in 2004.
WHAT'S NEXT. Following its season-opening homestand, William & Mary hits the road for the first time in 2026 with a pair of matches. The Tribe travels to George Mason on Thursday, Aug. 27, for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff before opening CAA play at Elon on Sunday, Aug. 30, at 2 p.m.
