Men's Soccer 11/5/2026 9:00:00 AM

Valkyries Return to Conference Carolinas Final Site for First Time Since 2024

The Matchup:
No. 3 Converse (11-3-5, 8-1-4 Conference Carolinas) vs. No. 2 (RV) Lees-McRae (14-1-3, 9-1-3 Conference Carolinas)
Location: Truist Soccer Complex at Bryan Park | Browns Summit, N.C. | Friday, Nov. 6 | 6:30 P.M.
Series History: Converse leads 6-2-3
Last Matchup: Draw 0-0, Oct. 11, 2026
Live Video | Tickets

Converse Notes:

Converse enters the matchup after defeating Emmanuel 1-0 in the quarterfinals on Saturday, Oct. 31.
Sophomore forward Jacob Bandel became the program's second-ever multi-time first-team all-conference selection on Friday morning. He leads the Valkyries in scoring with 25 points, split between 10 goals and five assists. He leads the team outright in goals and is second in assists. He scored the Valkyries' lone goal in the quarterfinals after drawing and netting a first-half penalty kick against Emmanuel.
Junior midfielder Amro Shibeika and sophomore defender Owen Nero also earned first-team all-conference honors.
Graduate forward Iker Revuelta earned second-team honors. He and Shibeika are tied for second on the team in scoring with 13 points each. Both players have scored five goals and assisted on three.
Freshman goalkeeper Thiago Ausland was named third-team all-conference. He posted an 8-1-4 record in conference play and a goals-allowed average of 0.94 in conference contests, the fourth-best mark in the league.

Lees-McRae Notes:

The Bobcats enter the semifinals after defeating No.7 North Greenville 1-0 in their quarterfinal matchup on Saturday, Oct. 31.
The red-hot Bobcats earned eight all-conference selections and three of the league's four major awards.
- Sophomore forward Conor O'Gorman was named the Conference Carolinas Offensive Player of the Year after scoring nine goals and four assists this season in 17 matches. O'Gorman also earned first-team honors and finished the regular season with 22 total points in 13 league matches.
- Freshman forward Andrea Marrazzo was voted as the Conference Carolinas Freshman of the Year after recording seven goals and seven assists in 17 matches. Marrazzo finished the conference season with five goals and five assists for the Bobcats.
- In his fifth season as the head coach of the Bobcats, Taylor Morton earned Conference Carolinas Coach of the Year honors for the first time after leading the Bobcats to an overall record of 13-1-3 and posting a Conference Carolinas mark of 9-1-3. Morton had the team ranked in the United Soccer Coaches rankings for the majority of the season.
The Bobcats' keeper, senior Jonathan Kienle, also earned first-team honors after securing 11 shutouts and only conceding nine goals in 17 matches.

Championship Matchup:
Winner of No. 2/3 Lees-McRae/Converse vs. Winner of No. 5/8 Francis Marion/Barton
Location: Truist Soccer Complex at Bryan Park | Browns Summit, N.C. | Sunday, Nov. 8 | 2 P.M.
Series History: Series tied with Francis Marion 2-2-3; Converse leads Barton 2-1-1
Last Matchup: Francis Marion 2-1, Sept. 27, 2025; Converse draws with Barton 0-0, Oct. 26, 2024
Live Video | Tickets

Francis Marion Notes:

The Patriots earned their spot in the semifinals by defeating No. 4 Barton on the road 2-1 on Saturday, Oct. 31.
Francis Marion had five all-conference selections this season: graduate defender David Guevara earned first-team honors; junior forward Jose Coutinho, senior forward Volkan Celikkol, and senior defender Esteban Quintero all earned second-team recognition; Senior forward Lucas Vila collected third-team honors.
Vila leads the Patriots offensively this season with 18 points. He has scored eight goals and assisted on two during the 2026 campaign.

Barton Notes:

The Bulldogs enter the semifinals after stunning top-seeded Young Harris 2-1 in the teams' quarterfinal matchup on Saturday, Oct. 31.
The Bulldogs had three players earn all-conference honors.
- Dan Fox, a junior defender from Canberra, Australia, was named to the all-league second team. Fox leads the team in assists this year with six to go along with eight total points.
- Bruno Marques and Kai Thurston earned third-team all-conference laurels. Marques, a junior forward from Piracicaba, Brazil, leads the squad in goals (six) and points (14). Thurston, a senior defender from Harleston, England, garnered all-league accolades for the second straight year.
The Bulldogs have utilized three keepers this season heading into the semifinals. Junior Devin Agostinelli has played and started in 16 of the Bulldogs' games this season. He has recorded 64 saves on 224 shots faced, posting a 0.744 save percentage and a 1.43 goals-allowed average.

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Twitter: @Valkyries_MSO
Instagram: @converse_msoc
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Players Mentioned

#22 Jacob Bandel: F; 5' 11"; Sophomore

#19 Owen Nero: D; 6' 5"; Sophomore

#8 Amro Shibeika: MF; 5' 10"; Junior

#0 Thiago Ausland: GK; 6' 0"; Freshman

#10 Iker Revuelta: F; 5' 11"; Graduate Student

Players Mentioned

#22 Jacob Bandel
: 5' 11"; Sophomore
: F

#19 Owen Nero
: 6' 5"; Sophomore
: D

#8 Amro Shibeika
: 5' 10"; Junior
: MF

#0 Thiago Ausland
: 6' 0"; Freshman
: GK

#10 Iker Revuelta
: 5' 11"; Graduate Student
: F