Newtown, Pa. (Men's Soccer) - The Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Commonwealth coaches have released their preseason poll ahead of the 2026 men's soccer season, and defending conference champion Messiah is once again the favorite to sit atop the league.
Messiah claimed seven of the nine possible first-place votes and totaled 62 points to top the preseason poll. The Falcons enter the season looking to extend a run that has produced seven straight MAC Commonwealth titles, including a 2-0 win over Stevenson in last year's championship match.
York was picked second with 55 points and a first-place vote of its own, followed by Stevenson in third with 46 points and a first-place vote. Neumann rounds out the top four with 45 points, just one back of Stevenson, while Hood sits fifth at 34 points.
The full preseason order: Messiah (62 points, 7 first-place votes), York (55, 1), Stevenson (46, 1), Neumann (45), Hood (34), Widener (28), Alvernia (24), Eastern (22) and Albright (8).
2026 MAC Commonwealth Season Preview
Messiah enters the fall looking to extend a stretch of dominance that has produced 19 conference titles since 2000 and seven straight since the run began in earnest, most recently a 2-0 win over Stevenson in November's title game. The Falcons placed six players on the 2025 All-MAC Commonwealth teams and bring back a strong core, led by First Team junior defender Matt Griffin and Second Team junior defender Davis Rody, who assisted on the championship-winning goal. Sophomore-turned-junior midfielder Grant Shreiner also returns after First Team honors, giving Messiah plenty to work with even as First Team standouts Davis Pagett and Patrick Lee depart.
York and Stevenson enter as the closest challengers, separated by nine points in the poll. York returns reigning MAC Commonwealth Defensive Player of the Year Dylan Marco, a junior heading into his senior season, along with First Team junior midfielder Gavin Huey and Second Team pieces Tannor Wiszneski and Colin Findlay. Stevenson, which reached the championship match, brings back Second Team junior midfielder Owen Haviland and junior defender Jacob Greene after an 11-7-2 season — enough returning pieces that coaches still slotted the Mustangs firmly in the league's top tier.
Neumann jumps into the top four in their first year in the conference, a sign coaches expect a program on the rise. Hood returns 2025 MAC Commonwealth Rookie of the Year Adam Labows in goal, a first-year All-Conference selection now heading into his sophomore season, along with Second Team junior midfielder Cristian Topovich, who ranked among the conference's points leaders during Hood's run to the No. 4 seed.
Further down the poll, Widener, Alvernia, Eastern and Albright will be chasing that fifth spot and a shot at the new play-in game. Eastern returns Second Team juniors Zach Sievert and João Tarabel after finishing fifth in conference play, while Albright brings back Second Team sophomore-turned-junior midfielder Gael Velazquez. With the new format putting extra weight on the four and five seeds, every result down the stretch could carry postseason implications for this group.
2025 MAC Commonwealth Championship Notes
Messiah entered the 2025 MAC Commonwealth Tournament as the No. 1 seed after a 6-0-1 run through conference play and carried that momentum to a seventh-straight conference title, downing Stevenson 2-0 in the championship match. Jordan Gilman broke through in the 37th minute for what proved to be the game-winning goal and was named MAC Commonwealth Tournament MVP, while Davis Pagett added an insurance goal in the 87th minute off a Kyle Spodnik assist. Goalkeeper Kessler Forrest made two saves to preserve the clean sheet. Messiah advanced to the title game with a win over Hood in the semifinals, while Stevenson topped York to reach the final. With the win, Messiah earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament and advanced to the Sweet Sixteen before its season ended.
2026 Season Schedule
- Season opener: September 1, 2026
- Conference play begins: October 3, 2026
- Postseason format: The top five teams in the MAC Commonwealth standings will qualify for the conference tournament
- Play-in game (No. 4 vs. No. 5): November 3, 2026
- Semifinals: November 5, 2026
- Championship: November 7, 2026