The Batten University men's soccer team saw its 2026 season come to a close, falling to Shenandoah University, 2-1, in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) Tournament Quarterfinals at Glo Fiber Field. Despite playing a majority of the contest down a man, the Marlins showed tremendous resilience, battling until the final whistle and creating several late opportunities to force an equalizer.
Batten concludes its season with a 4-6-8 overall record, while Shenandoah improves to 9-3-6 and advances to the ODAC Tournament Semifinals.
The Marlins came out aggressively, testing Shenandoah goalkeeper Aidan King-Miller twice in the opening three minutes. Guillermo Merino recorded the first shot on goal just 1:40 into the contest before JaMarhe Wills followed with another opportunity in the third minute.
Shenandoah broke through in the eighth minute when Hatim Elkhasouani found the back of the net at the 7:06 mark, giving the Hornets an early 1-0 advantage. However, the Marlins wasted no time responding, needing just 10 seconds to bring the match level. Cowen Napior netted his fifth goal of the season off an assist from Wills at 7:16, evening the score at 1-1.
The match took a challenging turn in the 14th minute when Batten was reduced to 10 players following a red card. Despite the disadvantage, the Marlins remained organized defensively and continued to create opportunities. Napior nearly added his second goal in the 24th minute, but King-Miller turned away his attempt.
Shenandoah applied pressure throughout the remainder of the opening half, generating seven shots and nine corner kicks. However, Batten goalkeeper Adrian Najarro made three saves to help keep the contest tied at 1-1 heading into halftime.
The Hornets regained the lead early in the second half when Jarbin Rodriguez scored his 11th goal of the season in the 52nd minute, putting Shenandoah ahead 2-1.
Rather than allowing the deficit and numerical disadvantage to dictate the remainder of the match, Batten responded with an impressive offensive effort. Mason Wakefield tested King-Miller in the 53rd minute before narrowly missing another opportunity in the 56th. Damen Metry added a shot on goal in the 65th minute as the Marlins continued searching for an equalizer.
Batten increased its pressure in the closing minutes, generating several quality chances. Napior forced a save in the 85th minute before Wills and Cayden Tappan each put shots on target in the 89th minute. Despite the late surge, Shenandoah's goalkeeper preserved the one-goal advantage to secure the victory.
The Marlins finished with 12 shots, including nine on goal, compared to 13 shots and eight on goal for the Hornets. Batten outshot Shenandoah 8-6 in the second half despite playing shorthanded. Napior led the offensive effort with three shots, all on target, while Najarro and Brady Miller combined for six saves in goal.
While the result brings the 2026 campaign to a close, the future remains bright for the Batten men's soccer program. Under head coach Shane Kohler, the Marlins featured one of their youngest lineups of the season in the ODAC Quarterfinals, with eight of the 11 starters being first-year or sophomore student-athletes. The experience gained throughout a competitive ODAC schedule, including a postseason appearance, provides a strong foundation for continued growth in the coming years.
Sophomore Cowen Napior emerged as an important offensive contributor, finishing the season with five goals, including the Marlins' lone goal in the quarterfinals. Fellow sophomores Cayden Tappan and Guillermo Merino also played significant roles in the midfield, while first-year players Noah Kowalko, David Nalls and Cameron Talbert gained valuable experience as regular starters. Sophomore Miguel Mijango and first-year Derek Powell also featured in Saturday's starting lineup, highlighting the depth of young talent already contributing at the collegiate level.
The Marlins demonstrated their potential down the stretch, earning conference victories over Eastern Mennonite, Randolph and Roanoke while also battling Randolph-Macon to a draw in their regular-season finale. Batten finished its conference schedule with a 3-2-4 record, showing its ability to compete with some of the ODAC's established programs. With a young core returning, another year of experience and a foundation built through competitive conference matches, the Marlins have plenty of reasons for optimism heading into the 2027 season.
