BOSTON – Vermont men's soccer has been selected as preseason favorites in the America East Conference for the second straight season. The defending National Champions had five Catamounts receive preseason All-Conference honors as the league announced the results of the 2025 America East Preseason Coaches' Poll on Wednesday.
RELATED LINKS
America East Release
2025 Schedule | 2025 Roster
Voting was conducted by the league's head coaches, who were not allowed to vote for their own team or student-athletes.
The Catamounts picked up all seven possible first-place votes and scored a total of 49 points in the poll. New Hampshire was selected to finish in second, garnering 40 total points followed by Bryant in third with 38 points and one first-place vote. UMBC wrapped up the top four in fourth with 33 total points while NJIT came next in fifth with 21 points. Binghamton was selected sixth followed by UMass Lowell and UAlbany who each tied for seventh.
Maximilian Kissel,
David Ismail,
Ryan Zellefrow,
Nick Lockermann, and
Niklas Herceg took up five of the possible 11 spots on the Preseason All-Conference Team.
Kissel returns for his senior season with the Catamounts after earning NCAA All-Tournament Team honors, America East All-Conference Second Team honors, and NCAA Tournament Offensive Most Outstanding Player recognition in 2024. The forward from Wiesbaden, Germany tallied 24 points on 11 goals (second most on team) and two assists during his junior season, including the game-winning goal in overtime to lift Vermont past Marshall 2-1 in the NCAA Championship game. Kissel led the entire nation with six game-winning goals (career high), and his 11 total during the 2024 season is tied for sixth most in a single season in UVM men's soccer history.
Ismail enters his second season as a Catamount coming off a junior campaign recording 10 points on three goals and four assists. The Bayreuth, Germany native scored a viral highlight reel game-winning goal against Hofstra in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, helping propel UVM to the next round. Ismail was crucial for Vermont in the postseason, overall notching two goals and one assist throughout the 2024 NCAA Tournament. In 2024, Ismail appeared in 21 matches for Vermont, starting in 20 of those matches.
A native of Berywn, Pennsylvania, Zellefrow returns to UVM for his sophomore season after appearing in all 24 matches in 2024, starting in 18 of those matches. He registered two goals and two assist as a first year and played a crucial role for the Catamounts during the 2024 NCAA College Cup.
Lockermann steps into his junior campaign after missing 17 matches in 2024 due to injury. Lockermann lands on the America East Preseason All-Conference team for the second year in a row. He became the seventh Catamount to win America East Rookie of the Year in 2023. In his first year, the defender from Nuremberg, Germany earned starts in all 21 matches and played 90 minutes or more in 17 contests. Lockermann registered a team-high seven assists, which ranked second in America East. He was named to the All-Northeast Third Team.
Herceg enters his sophomore season after an incredible first year campaign, earning numerous accolades including NCAA Tournament Defensive Most Outstanding Player, NCAA All-Tournament Team, America East All-Conference Second Team, America East All-Rookie Team, and America East All-Championship Team. The goalkeeper from Alsdorf, Germany finished his first-year season with a 12-1-3 record and led the nation in save percentage (0.851) and ranked fourth in goals against average (0.67). Herceg posted six shutouts in 16 matches started. His 0.67 GAA was the third best GAA in a single season in UVM men's soccer history. He allowed just three goals with 29 saves over 565:22 minutes in all six NCAA Tournament matches (0.42 GAA).
2025 AMERICA EAST MEN'S SOCCER PRESEASON POLL
Pl. School Pts. (1st)
1. Vermont 49 (7)
2. New Hampshire 40
3. Bryant 38 (1)
4. UMBC 33
5. NJIT 21
6. Binghamton 17
T7. UMass Lowell 13
T7. UAlbany 13
2025 AMERICA EAST MEN'S SOCCER PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE
Men's Preseason All-Conference
F Ryan Calheira (UMBC)
F
Maximilian Kissel (Vermont)
F
David Ismail (Vermont)
F Marc Pitarch (Bryant)
M Santiago Blasco Gomez (Bryant)
M Matteo Brossel (New Hampshire)
M
Ryan Zellefrow (Vermont)
D Tibo Jacobs (Bryant)
D
Nick Lockermann (Vermont)
D Max Voigt (New Hampshire)
GK
Niklas Herceg (Vermont)
The defending National Champions kick off the 2025 season at home, hosting Sacred Heart on Thursday, August 21 at 6 p.m. from Virtue Field for the team's season opener. The Catamounts will then stay at home for an afternoon matchup with Boston University on Sunday, August 24 at 1 p.m.
For news and updates about the Vermont men's soccer program, follow @UVMmsoccer on Instagram, X, and Facebook, and visit UVMathletics.com.
EastRise Credit Union is the presenting sponsor of Vermont soccer
