BOSTON – Vermont men's soccer, the back-to-back America East Champions, has been selected to finish second in the America East Preseason Poll. The Catamounts received two first place votes and a total of 44 points. UVM had two Catamounts receive preseason All-Conference honors as the league announce the results of the 2026 America East Preseason Coaches' Poll on Tuesday.
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Voting was conducted by the league's head coaches, who were not allowed to vote for their own team. Bryant edged out Vermont with six first place votes and a total of 47 points. This is the first time Vermont hasn't been selected as America East Preseason favorites since the 2023 season. New Hampshire (34 pts.) and UAlbany (33 pts.) rounded out the league's top four teams.
Niklas Herceg and
David Ismail were each named on the Preseason All-Conference Team for the second consecutive season.
Herceg returns for his junior season with the Catamounts after an incredible sophomore campaign that resulted in the native of Alsdorf, Germany being selected 16th overall to FC Dallas in the first round of the MLS Draft, tying the record for the highest draft pick in program history. Herceg turned in one of the finest seasons by a goalkeeper in program history, posting a 14-1-5 record with a 0.74 goals-against average, 10 shutouts, and 55 saves while leading Vermont to its first-ever unbeaten regular season (14-0-5), a second straight America East Championship, and the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament. He earned America East Goalkeeper of the Year, ECAC Defensive Player of the Year, United Soccer Coaches First Team All-America and All-Northeast Region honors, First Team All-Conference recognition, and was a MAC Hermann Trophy semifinalist. Herceg's 10 shutouts tied for the third-most in a single season in program history, while his 14 victories ranked third all-time, and he allowed just two goals in eight conference matches—the fewest ever by a Vermont team during league play.
Ismail returns to Catamount Country as a graduate student looking to build on a career high season in 2025, seeing the Bayreuth, Germany native start in all 19 matches as team captain, helping lead Vermont to its first-ever unbeaten regular season, an America East Regular Season and Championship double, and the No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. The forward earned United Soccer Coaches Second Team All-America, First Team All-Northeast Region, America East First Team All-Conference, America East All-Championship Team, and America East Championship Most Outstanding Player honors after leading the Catamounts with career highs of 10 goals, three assists, and 23 points. Ismail scored four game-winning goals, found the net in both the America East Semifinal and Championship, and caught fire down the stretch with six goals and two assists over a six-match span from Oct. 18 through Nov. 11.
2026 AMERICA EAST MEN'S SOCCER PRESEASON POLL
Men's Preseason Poll
Pl. School Points
1. Bryant 47 (6)
2. Vermont 44 (2)
3. New Hampshire 34
4. UAlbany 33
5. UMBC 27
6. UMass Lowell 19
7. NJIT 12
8. Binghamton 8
2026 AMERICA EAST MEN'S SOCCER PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE
Men's Preseason All-Conference
F Xahvi DeRoza (New Hampshire)
F Brady Geho (Bryant)
F Ivar Gissurarson (UAlbany)
F David Ismail (Vermont)
M Alexander Clive (UAlbany)
M Fernando Delgado (Bryant)
M Paco Fernandez (Bryant)
D Rodrigo Hermelo (UAlbany)
D Christien Merritt (Bryant)
D Jojo Ocran (Bryant)
D Max Voigt (New Hampshire)
GK Niklas Herceg (Vermont)
The defending back-to-back America East champions kick off the 2026 season at home, hosting Geroge Mason on Thursday, August 20 at 6 p.m. from Virtue Field for the team's season opener. The Catamounts will then stay home for an afternoon matchup with Colgate on Sunday, August 23 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
