Preseason Landscape
The latest Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference men’s soccer preseason poll has positioned Gannon University at the summit of the Western Division, earning five first‑place votes and marking its fifth straight year atop the division. Millersville University captured the top spot in the Eastern Division with four first‑place votes, setting the stage for a competitive 2026 campaign.
Gannon’s 2025 season saw the team net a conference‑leading 65 goals, a statistic that underpins its preseason favoritism. Senior forward Rafa Hyde, a First Team All‑Conference selection, returns after scoring 10 goals last year, while midfielder Jensen Peake also comes back to bolster the attack. Their experience forms a core that the conference expects to translate into another dominant year.
In the East, Millersville arrives with momentum after capturing the 2025 PSAC Championship. Key returnees include forward Zander Leik, who contributed 11 goals and four assists in the previous campaign, and a supporting cast that aims to sustain the team’s recent success. The university’s coaching staff expressed confidence that the blend of veteran talent and fresh energy will keep the team at the division’s forefront.
Other programs are also shaping expectations. Seton Hill finished second in the West with an 11‑6‑1 record last season, while Lock Haven, ranked third in the West, brings back defensive standout Danny Ogan, the conference’s Defensive Player of the Year. Bloomsburg, the 2024 champions, sit third in the East preseason poll, promising to remain a factor as the new schedule unfolds.
The 2026 PSAC men’s soccer season is slated to begin on August 27, 2026, a date that will set the tone for a year filled with rivalry and rising talent. Fans can anticipate a schedule that showcases the renewed vigor of traditional powers and the emergence of new contenders across both divisions.