2026 NEC Men's Soccer Preseason Coaches Poll                   1. FDU (unanimous)                 2. Le Moyne                 3. LIU                 4. Mercyhurst                 5. Stonehill                 6. New Haven                 7. Howard                 8. CCSU                 9. Chicago State                First place votes in parentheses

Bridgewater, NJ -- One of the NEC's most storied men's soccer programs begins another season set to build on its championship legacy, as defending champion FDU enters 2026 as the unanimous preseason favorite.

Owners of a conference-record 10 NEC championships, the Knights earned all eight first-place votes to secure the pole position in the race for the 2026 crown.

Fresh off a third straight postseason appearance, Le Moyne finished second in the preseason standings, while seven-time conference champion LIU place third in the poll. Mercyhurst and Stonehill rounded out the top five, respectively, in that order.

After taking the league by storm in its debut season, New Haven was predicted to place sixth with Howard one spot behind in seventh. Central Connecticut (eighth) and Chicago State (ninth) filled out the final places in the rankings.

Although the Knights will be without reigning NEC Player of the Year Arnau Rabassa Guillamon, FDU returns a stacked roster from its 2025 title squad. All-NEC First Team selections Luke Ayaz (Washington, NJ/Westwood Regional) and Gabriel Le Guen (Ploemeur, France/Lycée La Croix Rouge) are back on the pitch for reigning NEC Coach of the Year Jaymee Highcock. Le Guen also earned All-Tournament Team accolades last season.

The reigning champions return one of the NEC's top goal scorers in Ayaz, who found the back of the net six times while helping power the league's highest-scoring offense. FDU led the conference with 38 goals, while Ayaz tied for third in goals and second in points (15). On the other end of the pitch, Le Guen anchored an FDU defense that conceded a league-low five goals and recorded five clean sheets in nine NEC matches.

The Knights are seeking their first back-to-back regular season championships since 2003 and 2004, and a ninth regular season crown that would tie Monmouth for the most in NEC history.

After completing its transition to Division I, Le Moyne is now eligible to earn the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

With the Dolphins obtaining full DI status, New Haven becomes eligible for the NEC’s postseason tournament but cannot qualify for the national tournament until it completes its DI classification. Mercyhurst is also ineligible for the NCAA Championship as a reclassifying institution.

The 2026 NEC Men’s Soccer Championship will take place on November 12 & 15 and will feature the top four teams in the conference table. The high seeds will serve as the host for the semifinal and final matches.
 
About The NEC
Now in its 46th season, the NEC is an NCAA Division I collegiate athletic association consisting of nine 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 sports for men and women and now enjoys automatic access to 17 different NCAA Championships. NEC full member institutions include Central Connecticut, Chicago State, FDU, Le Moyne, LIU, Mercyhurst, New Haven, 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.