The 2025 Quinnipiac men’s soccer season began with two road games against nationally ranked opponents. They went 0-2, losing 1-0 against No. 7 University of Pittsburgh and 5-2 against No. 8 University of Massachusetts Amherst.
While non-conference results matter in the quest for an at-large bid for the NCAA tournament, the most likely scenario of the Bobcats making the big dance is a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Championship win. Last season, Quinnipiac fell in the first round of the MAAC Tournament, losing 2-1 to Marist. With their sights set on winning the conference for the first time since 2022, here are three Bobcats that could help propel them back towards first place.
Andrew Monteserin – Sophomore
The forward started his debut season in Hamden rather quietly, but came on strong at the end of the year. Through the first five games of conference play, Monteserin averaged under 15 minutes a game and did not appear in the Bobcats match at Rider. He had one total shot, and Quinnipiac sat at 1-4 on the verge of missing the postseason. With the team’s playoff hopes on the line, Monteserin played 22 minutes in a 3-2 win over Merrimack, recording two shots on goal.
That performance must’ve caught the attention of head coach Eric Da Costa, as Monteserin would play a season high 47 minutes. Monteserin rewarded that faith, scoring the lone goal in a 1-0 win over Niagara to keep Quinnipiac’s season alive. In the season finale against Fairfield, he displayed his clutch gene again. With the Bobcats trailing 1-0, Monteserin tied the game in the 74th minute and added an insurance tally less than six minutes later, sealing a 3-1 victory and helping Quinnipiac clinch a playoff spot.
Through two games this year, Monteserin has combined for just 54 minutes, but the sophomore showed he can be a difference maker in a limited role, finishing tied for third on the team with seven points despite being 17th in minutes played. After an impressive end to the season, Da Costa and the Bobcats will look for Monteserin to further his game and keep getting better.
Francisco Ferreira – Junior
The midfielder out of Barreiro, Portugal joined the Bobcats in 2023 following their MAAC Championship run and had big shoes to fill. Ferreira impressed early, scoring two goals in nonconference play and challenging defenses with seven shots, including four on goal. He added a third against Saint Peter’s for his first career goal against MAAC opponents, but his season came to an end after a lower-body injury on Oct. 25 against Manhattan. He played 661 minutes, and his six points were good enough for third on the team despite only appearing in 13 games (10 starts).
He took another step in 2024, producing two goals and three assists along with 24 total shots. Ferreira showed off some playmaking skills and put the MAAC on notice, with three of his seven points coming in conference play. He averaged just over 51 minutes per game, slightly above his playing time as a first year, but averaged almost 71 over the last seven games. Ferreira played 71 minutes in the season-opening game against Pitt but just 33 against UMass. Now, another year removed from injury, he can continue progressing at the collegiate level and hopefully play increased minutes for the Bobcats like he did against the Panthers. If that comes to fruition, the midfielder could be a serious contender for an All-MAAC team by season’s end.
Emilio Balderrama – Junior
While some of the starting backline returned to Quinnipiac, the starting goalkeeper did not, as Karl Netzell entered the transfer portal. The 2025 season opener marked the first time a Bobcats goalkeeper other than Netzell would receive the start in net since 2021. Yet after a strong showing in the spring season that included a shutout victory, Balderrama has the potential to turn a question mark at the position into a strength.
Defense has been a key indicator for team success in the last three seasons, both for the Bobcats and the conference as a whole. In 2022, Quinnipiac allowed the third-fewest goals in conference games, conceding fewer than one per game (.80). The Bobcats regressed the following year and failed to make the postseason after allowing more than double the scores (1.70). They were slightly better in 2024, giving up 1.62 goals per game, but bowed out of the MAAC Tournament after one game. Over the same span, all regular season conference champions conceded under a goal per game, and only the 2023 Rider Broncs won the postseason crown with a mark over .80 goals against average (1.20).
Balderrama played all 90 minutes against Pitt (his first collegiate start), making two saves on three shots on goal against the Panthers. His performance against the UMass Minutemen was not as successful, making three saves but allowing four goals in the first 68 minutes before being substituted out for Nickolas Cardona. Prior to those games, Balderrama only had one appearance under his belt, playing the entire second half against Division III Farmingdale State College in 2024. He did not face any shots as Quinnipiac blew out the Rams 9-0.
The junior has big shoes to fill: his former teammate Netzell was a two-time All-MAAC selection, made the MAAC All-Tournament Team in 2022 and served as a team captain last season. Netzell ranks in the top five in wins, shutouts and goals against average in program history. Balderrama has displayed the skills to be a starting goalkeeper. If he can keep his conference goals against average under 1.20, he could spearhead another trip to the MAAC Championship game.
Monteserin, Ferreira, Balderrama and the rest of the Bobcats will look to improve on their starts to the season and get into the win column starting on Tuesday, Sept. 2 at Stony Brook University.
