GRAND FORKS, N.D. – Long Island University football opened its 2026 season with a 42-21 defeat to North Dakota on Thursday night.
It was the first-ever meeting between the Sharks and Fighting Hawks, with LIU opening this season on the road, and UND set to visit Shark Stadium in 2027 as part of a home-and-home series agreement.
Despite falling behind early, the game featured a 21-0 second half run by LIU. Quarterback
Luca Stanzani led the way, connecting on 12 of 16 attempts overall, including a 65-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver
Boakai Veikei late in the third quarter. Stanzani went on to score a touchdown of his own in the fourth as well.
Elsewhere on offense for the Sharks, running back
Tyselle Spencer was credited with scoring his team's first touchdown of the day on a 13-yard run with 9:59 to go in the third quarter.
After earning NEC Football Preseason All-Conference honors heading into the 2026 campaign, linebacker
Rafael Fasolino began living up to the hype while leading the Sharks defensively with 10 solo tackles. Defensive back
Ryan Maxwell also recorded eight tackles (6 solo, 2 assisted) for LIU.
The Sharks will return to the field on Friday, Sept. 4, set to take on Kansas in another road matchup on ESPN+, with kickoff set for 8 p.m.
