2025 Northeast Conference Men's Soccer Preseason Coaches Poll                   1. (tie) LIU (3)                     Mercyhurst (5)                 3. FDU (2)                 4. Le Moyne                 5. Saint Francis U                 6. Stonehill                 7. New Haven                 8. Howard                 9. Chicago State                 10. CCSU                First place votes in parentheses

Bridgewater, NJ -- A historic contender and a headline-grabbing newcomer are projected to wage a battle for NEC men's soccer supremacy this coming fall.

In fact, NEC coaches projected a dead heat for the top spot.

Led by the reigning NEC Coaching Staff of the Year, Mercyhurst - last year’s regular season champion - collected the majority of the votes for the top spot with five, but two-time defending NEC Tournament champion LIU finished tied with the Lakers for the pole position after garnering three first-place tallies.

Coming off its 13th conference title match appearance since 1997, FDU finished third in the preseason voting by snagging the final two first-place votes.

Le Moyne and Saint Francis U rounded out the top five with Stonehill coming in sixth.

League newcomer New Haven was tabbed seventh and Howard earned the eighth spot, while Chicago State and Central Connecticut capped off the predicted order of finish in ninth and tenth, respectively.

Mercyhurst took the conference by storm in a magical debut season and head coach Austin Solomon returns an All-Conference second team talent in junior defender Benjamin Buckley (Doneraile, Ireland/Nagle Rice Secondary School). Buckley pilots a defense that led the NEC in GAA (1.24) and goals allowed (21) in 2024. After winning the NEC regular season crown with a 5-1-2 league mark, Mercyhurst now sets its sights on taking the conference tournament title in its first season of NEC postseason eligibility.

One of the league's most storied programs, defending champion LIU brings back a trio of players that played a key role in claiming the program's seventh league title. Senior Sam Keogan (Brisbane, Queensland, Australia/Marist College Ashgrove) and junior Londell Wheeler (Glen Cove, NY/Glen Cove) are both back in Brookville after collected All-Tournament Team honors in 2024. They join senior Niklas Thanhofer (Obertrum am See, Austria/Srg Salzburg) - who buried the championship-clinching penalty kick at FDU a year ago - to spearhead the Sharks’ three-peat bid.

Tossing its hat into the contender’s circle is FDU as they boast a wealth of returning talent from last season’s runner-up squad, including three All-NEC selections. First team pick NK Tima (Middletown, DE/Appoquinimink (La Salle) leads the way, joined by seniors Matt Giraldo (Elizabeth, NJ/Elizabeth) and Jeffrey Marquez (North Bergen, NJ/North Bergen), who both earned second team honors a year ago. Alex Ferenac (Orlando, FL/Edgewater) and Dominic Valenzuela (Wayne, NJ/Wayne Valley), both 2024 All-Rookie Team selections, are back to bolster the Knights’ quest for a tenth NEC title.

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

With the Skyhawks obtaining full DI status, Mercyhurst becomes eligible for the NEC’s postseason tournament, but cannot qualify for the NCAA Tournament until it completes its DI reclassification.

Newbie New Haven makes its league debut on the pitch in 2025. The Chargers are coming off a 12-4-4 DII campaign a year ago that saw them earn an at-large bid to the NCAA DII Championship. New Haven is not eligible for the conference playoffs this season and the NCAA Tournament until 2028. 

The 2025 NEC Men’s Soccer Championship will take place on November 13 & 16 and will feature the top-four eligible teams in the conference standings. The high seeds will serve as the host for the semifinal and final matches.
 
About The Northeast Conference
Now entering its 45th season, the Northeast Conference 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.northeastconference.org) and digital network (www.necfrontrow.com), or follow the league on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and TikTok, all @NECsports.