BOSTON – Following his senior season on the men's soccer team at UVM, David Ismail has been named the 2026 America East Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year, as announce by the conference on Thursday afternoon.
 
Ismail is the fourth UVM men's soccer play to win the award (Yaniv Bazini 2024-25, Connor Tobin 2008-09, Chris Shaver 2000-01), which has been given out every year since 1996. This also marks the second consecutive year a player from the Vermont men's soccer squad has won the award, the first time that has happened in program history.
 
This past year Ismail led Vermont in goals (10), points (23), shots (53), shots on goal (23), and game-winning goals (4). His ten goals and four game-winning goals also tied for the league best in those departments. Ismail was the America East Tournament Most Outstanding Player and was named to the America East All-Conference First Team, All-Academic Team, All-Championship Team, United Soccer Coaches All-Northeast Region First Team, and United Soccer Coaches All-America Second Team, all while leading the Catamounts to an unbeaten regular season, the longest win streak in the nation and the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament.
 
Ismail owns a 3.84 GPA as a business administration major and has appeared in 40 games over the past two seasons at Vermont with 13 goals and seven assists. In 2024 he helped the Catamounts win the NCAA National Championship, earning an assist in the team's 2-1 overtime victory against Marshall.

Ismail will return to Vermont for a third season as he looks to build upon his performance a season ago and help the Catamounts clinch a third straight conference crown. 
 
For more news 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