Bridgewater, NJ – A new chapter awaits to be written in the NEC's newest men’s golf rivalry as LIU and Howard once again find themselves side by side atop the preseason poll.

Two-time defending champion Howard enters the season as one half of that growing rivalry, while LIU - coming off its second straight NEC runner-up finish  was tabbed the preseason favorite for the fifth consecutive year after earning eight first-place votes from the league’s head coaches.

The Bison were picked to come in second, bringing home a trio of tallies for the top spot.

FDU claimed the final first-place vote to land at third in the poll. Binghamton and Le Moyne rounded out the top-five in that order.

Making its NEC debut, New Haven was predicted to place sixth followed by Mercyhurst in seventh. North Carolina Central (eighth), Wagner (ninth) and Maryland Eastern Shore (10th) completed the top-10. Chicago State placed 11th and Saint Francis was picked 12th to finish off the preseason rankings.

With three-time NEC Coach of the Year Ben Belfield leading the way, LIU brings back a loaded roster to compete for its first title since 2023. Reigning NEC Golfer of the Year Arjun Singh Bhatia (Chandigarh, India/Saint Kabir) headlines a loaded Sharks’ lineup this season along with 2025 NEC Rookie of the Year Tom Winn (Brisbane, Queensland, Australia/Villanova College) and 2023 NEC individual champion Marcelo Mexsen (Torreon, Mexico/Instituto Cumbres de Torreon). After upgrading a previous All-NEC second team campaign to a first team nod a year ago, senior Taimur Malik (Nairobi, Kenya/Braeburn Garden Estate) is back for LIU as well. Singh Bhatia, Mailk and Mexsen were all voted first team NEC all-stars last year. Mexsen was the Sharks’ highest finisher at the 2025 NEC championship after shooting two-under to tie for second.

The Sharks came out of the gate strong last fall with Singh Bhatia earning September NEC Golfer of the Month accolades. 

Howard returns five golfers from last season’s championship squad as 2024 NEC Coach of the Year Sam Puryear aims to make the Bison the first NEC men’s golf program to three-peat in 25 years. Junior Mathis Perroni (Metz, France/French High School Champion at Cormontaigne (New Mexico Junior College)), who is Howard’s lone returning All-Conference performer, was the highest Bison finisher on its way to claiming a second straight league title last spring. Perroni finished tied for fourth, shooting one-under across 54 holes. 

While FDU will be without defending NEC individual champion Pyae Phyo Thu, longtime skipper and former NEC Coach of the Year Rob Warren returns a well-rounded squad that also features a number of new faces. Look for Matus Kudlac (Bratislava, Slovakia/Gifted Children) to elevate his game following a 14h place showing at the NEC meet last spring. FDU will bring a strong freshman class to the course this season, headlined by Pietro Maria Piccoli (Verona, Italy/Montverde Academy), who was named NEC Co-Golfer of the Month in October.

The NEC Men’s Golf Championship will take place from April 24-26 at Turf Valley Resort in Ellicott City, MD.

New Haven is the latest addition to NEC golf landscape after joining the league as a full member for the 2025-26 academic year. The Chargers will compete unattached at the NEC Championship.

Le Moyne and Mercyhurst remain eligible for the NEC Championship but are not able to take part in the NCAA Championship during their DI reclassification. 

Stonehill has completed its NCAA reclassification process and is now eligible to participate in the NCAA Championship this spring.

About The NEC

Now in its 45th season, the NEC is an NCAA Division I collegiate athletic association consisting of ten institutions of higher learning located throughout six states. Media coverage of the NEC extends to a number of the largest markets in the United States including New York (#1), Chicago (#3), Boston (#9). Hartford/New Haven (#32) and Syracuse (#88). Founded in 1981 as the basketball-only ECAC Metro Conference, the NEC has grown to sponsor 25 championship sports for men and women and now enjoys automatic access to 16 different NCAA Championships. NEC full member institutions include Central Connecticut, Chicago State, FDU, Le Moyne, LIU, Mercyhurst, New Haven, Saint Francis U, Stonehill and Wagner. For more information on the NEC, visit the league's official website (www.necsports.com) and digital network (www.necfrontrow.com), or follow the league on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and TikTok, all @NECsports.