2025 Northeast Conference Women's Soccer Preseason Coaches Poll                   1. Howard (7)                 2. FDU (4)                 3. Wagner (1)                 4. CCSU                 5. Stonehill                 6. LIU                 7. Saint Francis U                 8. Mercyhurst                 9. Le Moyne                 10. New Haven                 11. Chicago State                 12. Delaware State                First place votes in parentheses

Bridgewater, NJ -- After a historic 2024 campaign, Howard will look to pick up where it left off and repeat as NEC women’s soccer champions this fall. 

The Bison were picked first in the annual preseason coaches’ poll, receiving seven first place votes. Over the 30 years of NEC women’s soccer, just 10 teams have retained their crown the following season. 

FDU finished second in the projections, tallying four first place votes. The Knights finished third in the regular season table last year before falling 2-0 to Howard in the NEC final.

Wagner was picked third and received one first place vote. The Seahawks amassed a 7-1-2 conference record to finish as the regular season runner-up before falling to FDU in the conference semis.

Stonehill, which completed its DI reclassification and is now eligible for the NCAA Tournament for the first time this season, was picked fourth.

Central Connecticut State was tabbed fifth, followed by LIU and Saint Francis in sixth and seventh, respectively.

Mercyhurst and Le Moyne placed eighth and ninth. NEC newcomer New Haven rounded out the top-10 in its first season as a Division I member.

Chicago State and Delaware State were picked 11th and 12th in the poll.

Howard put together an impressive 8-1-1 conference campaign in 2024 that culminated in the program’s first ever NEC regular season and tournament crowns. The Bison finished 11-5-5 overall in 2024 and qualified for their third-ever NCAA Tournament.

Head coach Brent Leiba’s side returns four major award winners from last season, including NEC Goalkeeper of the Year Trinity Knox (Atlanta, GA/Woodward Academy), NEC Defensive Player of the Year Rachel Suttle (Smyrna, GA/Holy Innocents' Episcopal School (Georgia)), NEC Midfielder of the Year Samantha James (Herndon, VA/Oakton) and NEC Rookie of the Year Gabriella Garcia-Terrell (Centreville, VA/Westfield). Each of those four players were named to the All-NEC First Team as well.

Knox earned NEC Goalkeeper of the Year honors for the second consecutive season and became the first player to win it back-to-back since CCSU’s Ashley Cavanaugh did so back in 2017 and 2018. The incoming junior kept six clean sheets in 2024 and has maintained a 1.29 goals against average during her first two award-winning campaigns. Suttle comes off a strong junior campaign, starting all 21 matches and scoring three goals. The Smryna, GA, native was a stalwart of the Bison backline, playing all 90 minutes in 18 of the Bison’s 21 fixtures. James, a rising junior, totaled five goals and five assists, and finished fifth in the conference with 15 points. Garcia-Terrell finished with 12 points in her inaugural season. The forward scored five goals and assisted on two.

FDU brings back three All-NEC First Team winners in 2025 with Ana Salas (Madrid, Spain/Liceo Italiano), Laura Martinez (Palma de Mallorca, Spain/Colegio Santa Teresa) and Andrea Ougaard (Roskilde, Denmark/Roskilde Katedralskole) all returning for Eric Teepe’s Knights this fall. Salas tied for second in the league with 16 points last season. The All-NEC trio combined for 18 goal contributions a year ago.

Under the direction of head coach Phil Casella, Wagner returns All-NEC Rookie Team selections Alana Arjona (Upper Saddle River, NJ/Northern Highlands Regional), Deirdre Meberg (Pine Bush, NY/Pine Bush) and Haley Knapp (Brampton, Ontario, Canada/Heart Lake Secondary) to the 2025 squad. Arjona and Meberg each scored three goals in their freshmen campaigns.

The top four postseason-eligible schools at the end of the regular season will qualify for the NEC Tournament, with the winner advancing to the NCAA Tournament if eligible. New Haven is ineligible for NEC postseason play in 2025, while Le Moyne and Mercyhurst are not eligible for the NCAA Tournament during their DI reclassification.

The 2025 women’s soccer season kicks off on Aug. 14 when eight NEC schools open up their non-conference slate.
  
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.