Men's Soccer | 8/20/2026 10:00:00 AM
TRAFFORD, Pa. (pacathletics.org) - After winning its first league title since 2005 last season, Grove City College earned the top spot in the 2026 Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) men's soccer preseason poll. Voted on by the conference's 13 head coaches, this year's poll was announced Thursday, as well as the PAC's Players to Watch List.
The Wolverines and 21st-year head coach Mike Dreves, the 2025 PAC Coach of the Year, gathered 11 first-place votes and 132 points to finish atop the preseason poll for the seventh time in the last eight years. Grove City went 10-0-1 against PAC foes in the regular season to earn the top seed in the conference tournament and defeated Geneva College 2-0 in the semifinals and Franciscan University 1-0 in the title match to claim its third PAC crown in program history. The Wolverines also earned a bid to the NCAA Tournament, where they dropped a 1-0 decision in double overtime at Calvin College in the first round to finish with a 15-3-2 record.
Last year's runner-up Franciscan, who earned a bid to last year's ECAC Tournament and advanced to the semifinals, finished second in this year's poll with the final two first-place votes and 120 points. Allegheny College just edged out Geneva for third place, as the Gators totaled 101 points, while the Golden Tornadoes had 100 to rank fourth.
Taking fifth place with 92 points was Saint Vincent College, followed by Waynesburg University in sixth with 77, Washington & Jefferson College placed seventh (73), Chatham University came in eighth (51) and Hiram College ranked ninth (43). Rounding out the balloting was Bethany College (34), Westminster College (24) and Thiel College (23). Saint Francis University was not counted in the 2026 poll, but is represented by three players on the Watch List.
The 2026 season will be Saint Francis' first in the PAC, as the Red Wolves begin conference play while they reclassify from Division I to Division III. Saint Francis, whose matches will not count in the conference standings while SFU reclassifies, opens the season Sept. 15th at home against Saint Vincent.
The 2026 Players to Watch list is highlighted with 24 All-PAC players from 2025, including six First Team selections, four Second Team players and 14 who made Honorable Mention. All three major award winners from a year ago will be back on the field this fall, including Grove City's Noah Gray, the Offensive Player of the Year, Grove City's Colton Hudson, the Defensive Player of the Year, and Daniel Maddock from Saint Vincent, who was the PAC Newcomer of the Year.
Gray's honor marked the eighth time a Grove City player earned the top player/offensive player award in PAC history and first since Sam Belitz was recognized in 2021. The Wolverine forward led the conference with 14 goals and 35 points, while also ranking third with four game-winning goals and tying for fourth with seven assists. Much of his damage occurred in conference competition, as Gray compiled 10 goals, six assists and 26 points in league action.
A key cog on a stout Wolverines' defensive unit, Hudson started all 19 matches he appeared last year and was the first Grove City player to earn Defensive Player of the Year since the award began in 2023. He helped the team allow just 12 goals all season, including surrendering only seven goals in 11 PAC matches with seven of their 10 shutouts against league foes. It marked the fourth year in a row Grove City gave up less than 10 goals in PAC play.
Maddock was the initial Saint Vincent winner of the Newcomer of the Year award since the PAC began giving the honor in 2019. A Second Team All-PAC selection at forward as well, he tied for fifth in the conference with nine goals and fifth overall with 23 points. More than half of his points came in PAC matches with five goals and three assists for 13 points.
The Players to Watch list also includes 28 student-athletes who earned recognition on the Fall 2025 PAC Academic Honor Roll, which recognizes student-athletes on varsity sports teams who earned a grade-point average (GPA) of 3.6 or higher on a 4.0 scale during their semester of competition.
The conference's regular season will conclude on Wednesday, October 28th, with the six-team PAC Championship Tournament slated to start with quarterfinal action on Saturday, Oct. 31st. The championship match is scheduled for Saturday, November 7th.
| 2026 PAC Men's Soccer Preseason Coaches' Poll (Predicted order of finish) |
| School (first-place votes) |
Points |
2025 record (conference) |
| 1. Grove City College (11) |
132 |
15-3-2 (10-0-1 PAC) |
| 2. Franciscan University (2) |
120 |
11-10-1 (7-2-2 PAC) |
| 3. Allegheny College |
101 |
9-8-5 (6-3-2 PAC) |
| 4. Geneva College |
100 |
7-10-2 (5-4-2 PAC) |
| 5. Saint Vincent College |
92 |
11-4-5 (5-2-4 PAC) |
| 6. Waynesburg University |
77 |
7-6-5 (2-4-5 PAC) |
| 7. Washington & Jefferson College |
73 |
9-8-2 (5-5-1 PAC) |
| 8. Chatham University |
51 |
4-9-6 (2-4-5 PAC) |
| 9. Hiram College |
43 |
7-8-3 (3-5-3 PAC) |
| 10. Bethany College |
34 |
5-9-3 (4-6-1 PAC) |
| 11. Westminster College |
24 |
1-13-4 (1-7-3 PAC) |
| 12. Thiel College |
23 |
4-13-1 (1-9-1 PAC) |
| Saint Francis University* |
--- |
8-9-2 (7-2 NEC) |
* - Ineligible for PAC Championship as school reclassifies from Division I
2026 PAC Men's Soccer Players to Watch
1=2025 1st Team All-PAC / 2=2nd Team All-PAC / HM = Honorable Mention
| Allegheny College |
| Name |
Yr. |
Pos. |
Hometown/High School |
| Cadan Bennett (HM) |
Jr. |
GK |
Gibsonia, Pa./Pine-Richland |
| Will Gruca (1) |
Sr. |
M |
Baden, Pa./Ambridge |
| Micah Khembo |
Jr. |
F |
Pittsburgh, Pa./North Catholic |
| Nathan Tolliver |
So. |
M |
Columbus, Ohio/Upper Arlington |
| Bethany College |
| Name |
Yr. |
Pos. |
Hometown/High School |
| Derieck Hernandez |
Jr. |
F |
New Orleans, La./Kenner Discovery |
| Chatham University |
| Name |
Yr. |
Pos. |
Hometown/High School |
| Charlie Ayers (HM) |
Jr. |
D |
Brentwood, Tnn./Ravenwood |
| Nico Gibbins |
So. |
M |
Thornton, Colo./Broomfield |
| Francis LaBarbera |
Jr. |
D |
Laurel, Md./Atholton |
| Caleb Manse |
Jr. |
M |
Maple Grove, Minn./Maple Grove |
| Garrett Peterson |
So. |
D |
Dublin, Ohio/Dublin Coffman |
| Franciscan University |
| Name |
Yr. |
Pos. |
Hometown/High School |
| Colm Corcoran |
Jr. |
M |
Lawrence, NJ/Homeschool |
| Andrew Goduti (HM) |
So. |
M |
Naples, Fla./Barron Collier |
| Aiden Miller |
Sr. |
GK |
Galena, Ohio/Olentangy Berlin |
| George Phillips |
So. |
M |
Endwell, NY/Seton Catholic Central |
| Anthony Venditti (HM) |
Sr. |
M |
Steubenville, Ohio/Homeschool |
| Geneva College |
| Name |
Yr. |
Pos. |
Hometown/High School |
| Msafiri Amisi (2) |
So. |
F |
Lancaster, Pa./Lancaster Mennonite |
| Luke Main |
Jr. |
M |
Denver, Pa./Cocalico |
| Travis Miller |
So. |
F |
Mechanicsburg, Pa./Mechanicsburg Area |
| Logan Pappert (HM) |
So. |
M |
Ellwood City, Pa./Central Catholic |
| Grove City College |
| Name |
Yr. |
Pos. |
Hometown/High School |
| Noah Gray (1) |
Sr. |
M |
Glen Mills, Pa./The Christian Academy |
| Colton Hudson (1) |
Sr. |
D |
Murrysville, Pa./Franklin Regional |
| Jake Kimmich (1) |
Sr. |
D |
Murrysville, Pa./Franklin Regional |
| Keller Krieger (1) |
So. |
GK |
Jacksonville, Fla./Providence |
| Hiram College |
| Name |
Yr. |
Pos. |
Hometown/High School |
| Carmine Boscarello (HM) |
Jr. |
M |
Olmsted Falls, Ohio/Olmsted Falls |
| Alex Lineen |
Jr. |
F |
Hamburg, NY/Hamburg |
| Simon Schonfeld (HM) |
Sr. |
D |
Wooster, Ohio/Wooster |
| Derek Ufholz (HM) |
So. |
GK |
Mentor, Ohio/Mentor |
| Jimmy Zeilmann (2) |
Sr. |
D |
North Royalton, Ohio/North Royalton |
| Saint Francis University |
| Name |
Yr. |
Pos. |
Hometown/High School |
| Japhy McGuinness |
Fr. |
M |
Saudi Arabia |
| Alvaro Planas |
Sr. |
F |
Valladolid, Spain/Nuestra Señora del Lourdes |
| Lorenzo Plaza |
Fr. |
M |
Manila, Philippines |
| Saint Vincent College |
| Name |
Yr. |
Pos. |
Hometown/High School |
| Jack Billick (HM) |
Jr. |
M |
Pittsburgh, Pa./Seton-LaSalle |
| Cade Coldiron (HM) |
Sr. |
D |
Powell, Ohio/Mars Area-Pa. |
| Bruno Hurtado |
Sr. |
M |
Santa Cruz, Bolivia/Santa Cruz Cooperative School |
| Daniel Maddock (2) |
So. |
F |
North Huntingdon, Pa./Norwin |
| Cameron Mulvanny (HM) |
Sr. |
M |
Denton, Texas/John H. Guyer |
| Thiel College |
| Name |
Yr. |
Pos. |
Hometown/High School |
| Bryce Bobich |
So. |
M/D |
Plum, Pa./Plum |
| Grant Becker (HM) |
Sr. |
M |
North Olmsted, Ohio/North Olmsted |
| Mitchell Strauss (HM) |
Jr. |
F |
Bradford, Pa./Bradford Area |
| Washington & Jefferson College |
| Name |
Yr. |
Pos. |
Hometown/High School |
| Jonathan Barahona |
So. |
F/M |
Leesburg, Va./Tuscarora |
| Zach Casey |
Jr. |
M |
Glen Allen, Va./Deep Run |
| Luke Curran |
So. |
D/M/F |
Ellicott City, Md./Mount Saint Joseph |
| Logen Mackey |
Sr. |
F/M |
McDonald, Pa./West Allegheny |
| Jacek Piekut |
So. |
M |
Pittsburgh, Pa./Taylor Allderdice |
| Waynesburg University |
| Name |
Yr. |
Pos. |
Hometown/High School |
| John Engel (2) |
So. |
F |
Dallas, Ga./Easy Paulding |
| Zachary Johnson (1) |
Sr. |
F |
Raceland, Ky./Saint Joseph Central Catholic |
| Sarpong Kwabiah |
Jr. |
M |
Odenton, Md./Meade |
| Westminster College |
| Name |
Yr. |
Pos. |
Hometown/High School |
| Trent Davey |
Jr. |
D |
Butler, Pa./Slippery Rock |
| Jackson Friday |
So. |
F |
Bethel Park, Pa./Bethel Park |
| Orrin Milcic (HM) |
Sr. |
M |
Butler, Pa./Homeschooled (Knoch) |