Ivy League Preseason Outlook
The 2026 Ivy League women's soccer preseason poll placed Princeton at the summit with 120 points and ten first‑place votes, while Dartmouth followed closely with 109 points and four first‑place votes. Columbia secured fourth position with 81 points, and the remaining top eight spots were filled by Harvard, Penn, Cornell and Yale, each earning 71, 45, 26 and 26 points respectively.
Brown University earned third place in the poll with 98 total points and two first‑place votes, signaling that the Bears are viewed as a legitimate contender despite not topping the chart. The preseason ranking reflects the committee's confidence in the program's recent trajectory and its potential to challenge the league's traditional powerhouses.
Brown Bears' Key Returners
The Bears will be anchored by a core group of experienced players who helped shape a 9‑4‑4 record in 2025 and secured a berth in the Ivy League Tournament before falling in the semifinals. Joy Okonye, the 2025 Ivy League Offensive Player of the Year, returns to lead the attack, bringing a proven scoring touch that earned her the conference's top offensive honor.
Joining Okonye are Corine Gregory, Audrey Lam, Ayla Sahin and Brooke Birtwistle, all of whom earned Second Team All‑Ivy or Honorable Mention recognitions in 2025. Their collective experience and proven performances provide depth and versatility as the team prepares for the upcoming schedule.
Brown will open its 2026 campaign at home against New Haven on August 20 at 7:00 p.m., a match that will be streamed on ESPN+. The early‑season showdown offers a first glimpse of how the Bears' revamped roster will translate preseason optimism into on‑field results.