Lancaster, Pa. – (8/26/2026) – Less than a week before opening day, Atlantic East Conference (AEC) Commissioner Rebecca Mullen has officially released the results of the
2026 Men's Soccer Preseason Poll. Garnering five of the six available first-place votes and totaling 25 points, Marymount University placed atop the coaches' standings forecast. Gwynedd Mercy University received the remaining first-place vote and totaled 14 points to rank fourth in the poll.
Following the Saints, the AEC coaches ranked Saint Elizabeth University with 18 total points. The remainder of projection included Immaculata University (16 total points), the Griffins (14, 1 first-place vote), Centenary University (N.J.) (12), and Pratt Institute (5).
In 2025, a thrilling 3-2 victory over Centenary University (N.J.) on October 29 was one of several factors that earned Gwynedd Mercy University the #5 seed for the AEC Men's Soccer Championship Tournament. The Griffins treasured the postseason opportunity as a 2-1 AEC First Round win over #4 Saint Elizabeth University (Nov. 1) ensured them a semifinal appearance opposite the eventual league champions, #1 Neumann University (L, 0-3 on Nov. 4). Despite a 3-0 loss to the Knights, the Red and Gold finished the season 8-11 overall and 3-4 in league play; it was the most wins for the program since 2016 (9-11-0) and their best finish as a member of the AEC. Forward
Braedon Kehan '26 (1
st Team) and midfielder
Luke O'Donnell (Glenside, Pa.) (2
nd Team) represented on the All-AEC Men's Soccer Team; both garnered the second All-AEC laurels of their collegiate careers as the Griffin captains respectively earned All-AEC First Team honors in 2023 and 2024.
The complete results of the
2026 AEC Men's Soccer Preseason Poll are available list below and available by using the provided links.
2026 Atlantic East Conference (AEC) Men's Soccer Preseason Poll
| Rank. Team |
Points |
First-Place Votes |
| 1. Marymount University |
25 |
5 |
| 2. Saint Elizabeth University |
18 |
|
| 3. Immaculata University |
16 |
|
| 4. Gwynedd Mercy University |
14 |
1 |
| 5. Centenary University (N.J.) |
12 |
|
| 6. Pratt Institute |
5 |
|
