Gwynedd Valley, Pa. – (7/31/2026) – A month out from a 4:00 p.m. (Sept. 1) season opener at DeSales University, Gwynedd Mercy University Head Men's Soccer Coach Dave Bontempo unveils the Griffins' schedule for the upcoming 2026 campaign. "We designed our non-conference schedule to be challenging," opened Coach Bontempo. "The first four weeks of will be demanding as we have scheduled 10 teams from the best conferences in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Maryland. Our student-athletes will be learning how to play with each other while also learning how to handle pressures of balancing their academics with their training. The first four weeks will be demanding, hopefully it pays dividends in October." 
 
2026 marks the fourth straight season that Gwynedd Mercy University has opened play against the Bulldogs. DeSales University is 17-0-1 all-time against the Griffins, including a 4-0 win in 2025 (Aug. 29). Freshman goalkeeper Ethan Zimmerman (Myerstown, Pa.) made his collegiate debut as the Red and Gold's starting goalkeeper and finished the contest with 10 saves in 73:22 minutes of action.
 
Three days later, on Friday, September 4, Gwynedd Mercy University welcomes Keystone College to the Athletic Complex for a 3:00 p.m. home opener. The Griffins are 6-5 all-time against the Giants, who won the last meeting in 2017 (L, 1-2 on Oct. 21). The Red and Gold return to the Athletic Complex on Thursday, September 10, to host Delaware Valley University for a 7:00 p.m. contest. Gwynedd Mercy University is 9-13-2 all-time versus the Aggies, who won the 2025 meeting by a 4-0 (Sept. 3) final. Sophomore midfielder Gunnar Christensen (Finksburg, Md.) and junior forward Devario Gboho (Philadelphia, Pa.) led the Griffin effort with three shots apiece, while Zimmerman recorded five saves in the opening 69:23.
 
Eastern University will be the next opponent to travel to the Athletic Complex as Gwynedd Mercy University hosts the Eagles for a 3:00 p.m. contest on Saturday, September 12. All-time, Gwynedd Mercy University is 0-9-1 versus the Eagles, who won the last matchup in 2008 (L, 0-4 on Aug. 31). Two days later, on Monday, September 14, the Red and Gold visit Lancaster Bible College for a 4:30 p.m. contest.

The Griffins are 2-4-1 all-time against the Chargers, who won the 2025 contest by a 7-1 (Sept. 10) margin. Senior midfielder C.J. Clyde (Southampton, Pa.) gave the Griffins an early 1-0 (4:23) lead, when he finished a deep throw-in from sophomore defenseman Dominic Lodise (Bensalem Pa.). Unfortunately, a 30-18 shot advantage and a 10-4 corner kick edge gave Lancaster Bible College the opportunities they needed to score seven unanswered goals (9:01, 11:45, 13:43, 82:30, 84:47, 85:52, 88:54).
 
September concludes with consecutive home games versus the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg (Sept. 19, 3:00 p.m.) and McDaniel College (Sept. 23, 7:00 p.m.), as well as consecutive away games at Stevenson University (Sept. 26, 4:00 p.m.) and Fairleigh Dickinson University (FDU) – Florham (Sept. 29, 7:00 p.m.). 2026 marks the first-ever meeting between the Griffins and the Bobcats. Meanwhile, Gwynedd Mercy University is 1-4-1 all-time against the Green Terror. In 2024, the Red and Gold lost to McDaniel College by a slim 1-0 margin as weather played a factor in a tightly-played affair. 3-3 all-time against the Mustangs, Gwynedd Mercy University will look to take the advantage over Stevenson University in their 2026 meeting. They last saw them in the 2016 season opener, when the captured a 2-1 (Sept. 1) victory with a pair of second-half scores (58:34, 78:55). Contrastingly, the Devils are a more recent victor over the Griffins as they took a weather-halted 2025 contest by a 5-1 (Oct. 6) measure. Gwynedd Mercy University is 1-6-1 all-time against FDU-Florham with losses in each of the last six contests.
 
October kicks off AEC play for the Griffins, who hosts Pratt Institute (Oct. 3, 12:00 p.m.), Immaculata University (Oct. 10, 12:00 p.m.), Marymount University (Oct. 14, 6:00 p.m.), and Centenary University (N.J.) (Oct. 28, 6:00 p.m.) in 2026. Meanwhile, conference road dates send the Red and Gold to see the Cyclones on October 7 (TBA), Saint Elizabeth University on October 17 (12:00 p.m.), and the Cannoneers on October 24 (TBA). On Tuesday, October 20, Gwynedd Mercy University briefly breaks from their AEC schedule to visit Penn State Abington for a 3:00 p.m. contest.
 
Gwynedd Mercy University earned one of their three, 2025 AEC-wins against Pratt Institute. A 2-0 (Oct. 8) victory that included tallies from senior forward Braedon Kehan (Warrington, Pa.) (1-0, 25:08) and freshman forward Jackson Stuetz (Willow Grove, Pa.) (2-0, 70:59) evened the Griffins' all-time record against the Cannoneers at 1-1.
 
The Red and Gold was also victorious in their last meetings with the Cyclones (W, 3-2 on Oct. 29), Mighty Macs (W, 3-1 on Oct. 25), and Eagles (W, 2-1 on Nov. 1). 6-11-2 all-time versus Centenary University (N.J.), Gwynedd Mercy University earned their sixth win over the Cyclones and cemented their spot in the 2025 AEC Men's Soccer Championship Tournament with a 3-2 regular-season finale victory. Gboho (1-1, 31:53), Stuetz (2-2. 80:39), and junior midfielder Luke O'Donnell (Glenside, Pa.) (3-2, 86:47) each found the back of the net, while graduate goalkeeper Andrew Roberto (Churchville, Pa.) made five saves to secure in a victory.
 
The October-10 date versus Immaculata University will serve as Senior Day for Gboho, O'Donnell, defenseman/midfielder Javier Hidalgo (Palisades Park, N.J.), defenseman Axel Mayren (Atlantic City, N.J.), defenseman Tony Mendoza (King of Prussia, Pa.), midfielder Mel Velasquez (Philadelphia, Pa.), and forward/midfielder Thomas Watkins (Morrisville, Pa.). After falling behind the Mighty Macs by a goal in the opening half, 1-0 (44:14), Gwynedd Mercy University stormed back to claim a 3-1 (Oct. 25) victory over Immaculata University in 2025. Roberto anchored a great defensive effort with seven saves. The Griffins are 7-12-2 all-time against Immaculata University.
 
Marymount University was the 2025 AEC Runner-Up after a 2-0 loss to #1 Neumann University in the league championship. The Red and Gold lost to the Saints by an 3-0 (Oct. 11) margin in 2025 as a 43-5 shot differential was the tail of the tape. Gwynedd Mercy University is 0-8 all-time versus Marymount University.
 
Gwynedd Mercy University avenged a 2-1 (Oct. 4) regular-season loss to Saint Elizabeth University with a 2-1 (Nov. 1) AEC First Round-victory. The fifth-seeded Griffins worked off the Roberto's sensational goalkeeping as he totaled a 13 saves to against an Eagle offense that earned 10 corner kicks and produced 28 shots. The Red and Gold is 1-1 all-time against Saint Elizabeth University.
 
The Griffins last met Penn State Abington in 2022, when these Nittany Lions improved their all-time standing against Gwynedd Mercy University to 5-1 with a 6-0 (Sept. 13) victory.
 
The 2026 AEC Men's Soccer Championship is scheduled for Saturday, November 7, with the first and semifinal rounds respectively scheduled for Saturday, October 31, and Tuesday, November 3.