ELON – After winning its CAA opener Saturday night, the Elon University men's soccer team (1-0-1) returns to non-conference play Tuesday at Radford (0-1-1). The contest is scheduled for a 7 p.m. kickoff.

Elon vs. Radford Briefing
Match Details: Sept. 2, 2025 | Radford, Va. | Tom Lillard Field at Cupp Stadium | 7 p.m.
Watch: ESPN+
Live Stats: SideArm Stats
Elon Links: News | Roster | Schedule | Numbers to Know
Radford Links: News | Roster | Schedule

The Radford Series

• Tuesday will be the 23rd all-time encounter between the Phoenix and Highlanders.
• Radford holds an 11-8-3 advantage in the head-to-head, but the Phoenix has won its last two matches against the Highlanders.
• The teams met last season at Rudd Field, with Elon blanking Radford, 5-0. Victor Stromsten netted a hat trick for the Phoenix with Charlie Kitch and Connor Mucchetti also scoring. Stromsten also had an assist to cap off a seven-point night, with Colin Veltri assisting on two of the goals.
• The Phoenix is just 2-7-1 all-time in matches contested at Radford. However, Elon won its most recent match there, 3-0, on Oct. 26, 2021.
• Elon head coach Marc Reeves previously served as Radford's head coach from 2010-16. Reeves went 3-2-2 against the Phoenix in his seven seasons leading the Highlanders.

 
Last Time Out

• Elon won its CAA opener at UNCW on Saturday night, 2-1, for its first victory of the campaign.
• The Phoenix saw a pair of newcomers score, with Einar Ness and Dominik Renz finding their first goals in maroon and gold.
• Ness converted in the 16th minute off a feed from Martin Kozak to put the Phoenix ahead 1-0. It was the junior's first tally with Elon after scoring one with South Carolina last season.
• In the 38th minute, Renz produced the first goal of his college career, as the freshman midfielder finished off a cross from Jahmir Flowers to double Elon's advantage.
• Kozak was credited with the secondary assist on Renz's goal, as his two assists on the night were his first points with the Phoenix.
• UNCW cut the lead in half in the 71st minute when Lucas Amare scored for the Seahawks.
• Jackson Leavitt made several key saves in the second half, including one in the 84th minute on a Gavin Carmichael attempt. The graduate student finished the contest with a career-high six saves as he earned his first complete victory as Elon's starting goalkeeper.
• UNCW outshot Elon, 16-12, but the Phoenix edged the Seahawks in shots on goal, 8-7. The Seahawks outshot Elon, 11-5, after halftime.
• The Seahawks attempted nine corners compared to just two for Elon.
• Oscar Tonidandel and Joe Taylor made their first starts of the season for Elon. Tonidandel put two shots on goal in 49 minutes while Taylor logged 41 minutes on the backline.
• Carlos Levy, Majaliwa Msabaha, Connor Mucchetti and freshman Magnus Jacobsen all played the full 90 minutes for the Phoenix.

 
Preseason Praise

• Elon topped the CAA South Division in the CAA preseason poll, which was released on Aug. 14. The Phoenix received 15 points in a vote by the conference's head coaches, beating out UNCW and College of Charleston, who tied for second with 12 points.
• Three Phoenix were named to the preseason All-CAA team – Charlie Kitch, Majaliwa Msabaha and Colin Veltri.
• Msabaha, a senior captain, made 17 starts for the Phoenix last season, logging 1,469 minutes. He is a two-time All-CAA performer (2022 and 2023) and has played 51 career games in his three seasons with the program. In 2024, Msabaha played the full 90 minutes on 13 occasions, including in each of Elon's final five tilts.  
• In his debut campaign with the Phoenix in 2024, Veltri earned All-CAA Second Team honors despite only playing in the team's first eight matches. Even after missing Elon's final 10 games due to injury, Veltri finished second on the team in both goals (6) and points (15). He scored all six of his goals in a five-game span that started against Coastal Carolina on Aug. 29. During that stretch, he netted a pair of goals in Elon's 4-3 comeback victory at Delaware, including the game winner, and a tally at ACC opponent Wake Forest.  
• Kitch was also a Second Team All-CAA selection in 2024 in his first season with the Phoenix. The defender made 15 starts, logging 1,144 minutes. He scored a pair of goals, including one in Elon's conference victory over Stony Brook. The junior also scored a goal versus Radford and added an assist in the team's season opener against Florida Gulf Coast.  

 
Defending Regular Season Champs

• Elon is coming off its second regular season CAA title in the last three seasons after topping the league table in 2024 with a 6-2 conference mark.
• Needing a victory in the regular season finale against Campbell to clinch the regular season crown, Elon came away with a 2-1 road victory behind goals from Scott Vatne and Connor Mucchetti.
• The Phoenix finished last season with a 10-7-1 overall record. As the top seed in the CAA Championship, Elon hosted a semifinal match against No. 4 seeded Hofstra, losing 2-0 to the eventual conference champions.
• Elon went its first eight matches without a defeat and rose to as high as No. 10 in the national rankings. During that stretch, the Phoenix won its first five games by a combined score of 14-2, staged a 3-0 road comeback to defeat Delaware 4-3 and drew on the road against ACC opponent Wake Forest.
• Vatne earned CAA Player of the Year after notching 10 goals and seven assists to lead the Phoenix in both categories. He became Elon's first conference player of the year since Daniel Lovitz took home the award for the SoConn in 2013.
• Victor Stromsten, Tomasz Wroblewski, Kitch and Veltri also earned All-CAA recognition, with all four earning a spot on the second team.
• Additionally, head coach Marc Reeves took home CAA Coach of the Year for the second time in three seasons after also winning the award in 2022.

 
Look Who's Back

• Elon returns several key players from last season's regular season title team, including Veltri and Kitch.
• Mucchetti is back for his second season with the Phoenix following a productive 2024. The midfielder started 17 games, scoring three goals, including the game winner in Elon's victory over Campbell that secured the CAA regular season championship for the Phoenix. Sumner Nenninger is also back as a midfielder for Elon after making 15 starts last season.
• Carlos Levy, Jack Donlan and August Guinle all return for Elon's back line. Levy started six matches last season and will serve as a team captain in 2025. Donlan and Guinle both made 15 starts and logged 1,000-plus minutes a season ago.
• Up front, Jordin Wilson is back for his junior campaign after making 16 appearances as a forward in 2024.  
• Jackson Leavitt is the lone goalie on Elon's roster that has started in goal for the Phoenix before, having done so twice in 2023.

 
New Look CAA Soccer

• Starting in 2025, the CAA will feature two divisions for men's soccer – a North and South Division.
• Elon is part of the South Division alongside Campbell, College of Charleston, UNCW and William & Mary.  
• The Phoenix will face the other four South Division teams twice during the regular season, with one game at home and one on the road.
• At the end of the regular season, the top three teams from each division will qualify for the CAA Championship. The top seed in each division will receive a bye to the semifinals while the Nos. 2 and 3 seeds in both the North and South will clash in the quarterfinals.  

 
Scouting Radford

• Radford enters Tuesday with a 0-1-1 record on the season. The Highlanders are coming off a 1-1 draw at home versus Liberty on Thursday following a 6-2 defeat at the hands of UNCG in the season opener.
• The Highlanders were picked to finish eighth out of eight teams in the Big South preseason poll.
• Three different Radford players have scored a goal this season, with Christian Robertson converting against Liberty and Kenshin Akimoto and Rahul Moriarty finding the net versus UNCG.
• Akimoto also has an assist on the season, along with Gavin Edgington and Dax Booth. All three of Radford's goals this season have been assisted.
• Ben Miller has started both of Radford's games in goal. He made seven saves at UNCG and added another save versus Liberty.
• Radford is led by fifth-year head coach and Highlander alum, Chris Barrett.

 
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