2026 NAC Women's Soccer Preseason Poll & Players to Watch

8/26/2026 2:00:00 PM

WATERVILLE, Maine – The 2026 North Atlantic Conference (NAC) Women’s Soccer Preseason Poll has been announced, and 2025 champions Lesley University is forecasted to secure the North Atlantic Conference title this season according to a vote of NAC women’s soccer coaches.

The defending NAC champions secured five first-place votes and 61 points overall. Husson University garnered two first-place votes and earned second-place with 54 points, while Maine Maritime Academy finished third with 52 points and the final first-place vote. Rounding out the top five vote getters are Vermont State University Johnson and UMaine-Farmington who tied for fourth with 36 points each.

In sixth place with 24 points is Thomas College followed by UMaine-Presque Isle who notched 17 points with Vermont State University Lyndon (10 points) completing the poll.

The Lynx looks to repeat as NAC champions after defeating Maine Maritime Academy last fall by a 3-1 score in the 2025 finale, earning their first North Atlantic Conference title. Under the leadership of head coach Paul Vasconcelos and his staff (2025 Coaching Staff of the Year), the Lynx return three 2025 All-NAC First Team honorees: Bethany Slivka, Maddy Duskocy, and Leecy Cruz.

Six NAC women's soccer teams open the 2026 season on Tuesday, September 1. Non-conference play will continue through the first two weeks until NAC action starts Saturday, September 19.

Click on each team below to view their capsules and Players to Watch

2026 NAC Women's Soccer Preseason Coaches’ Poll
Institution – Points (First Place Votes)

Head Coach:	Paul Vasconcelos
Head Coach's Overall Coaching Record (Record/Seasons)	259-83-29 21st season
Head Coach's Record at School: (Record/Seasons)	259-83-29 21st season
Last Season's Record (Overall/Conference):	11-4-6 overall / 7-0-2 NAC
No. of Starters Returning:	5
No. of Starters Lost:	6
No. of Returning Roster Players from 2024 team:	14
Top Returning Players (Name/Position/Year):	Bethany Slivka / CM / Senior Elsie Koehler / CM / Junior Maddy Duskocy / CB / Graduate Student Leecy Cruz / F / Junior
Top Newcomers (Name/Position/Year):	Peyton Rees Cameron Wedding Ella Mannarino

Head Coach:	Dennis Mullins
Head Coach's Overall Coaching Record (Record/Seasons)	58-32-7/6th Season
Head Coach's Record at School: (Record/Seasons)	58-32-7/6th Season
Last Season's Record (Overall/Conference):	11-6-2 overall / 7-0-2 NAC
No. of Starters Returning:	6
No. of Starters Lost:	5
No. of Returning Roster Players from 2024 team:	16
Top Returning Players (Name/Position/Year):	Emma Nicholson / Defender / Senior Thea Gerfen / Defender / Sophomore Hailey Tarbox / Midfielder / Junior Jaquie Pangburn / Forward / Sophomore Olivia Charles / Forward / Senior
Top Newcomers (Name/Position/Year):	Avery Danis / Midfielder / Freshman Alanna Nichols / Forward / Freshman Sydney Moon / Forward / Freshman

Head Coach:	Levi Evans
Head Coach's Overall Coaching Record (Record/Seasons)	98-71-19/Nine Seasons
Head Coach's Record at School: (Record/Seasons)	12-7-1/One Season
Last Season's Record (Overall/Conference):	12-7-1 overall / 6-2-1 NAC
No. of Starters Returning:	9
No. of Starters Lost:	2
No. of Returning Roster Players from 2024 team:	16
Top Returning Players (Name/Position/Year):	Hadley Stoddard / Forward / Junior Abby Wong / Midfielder / Senior Isa Thesing / Goalkeeper / Senior Mayako Brown / Forward / Senior Tarin Barrett / Defender / Sophomore
Top Newcomers (Name/Position/Year):	N/A

Head Coach:	Norm Peterson
Head Coach's Overall Coaching Record (Record/Seasons)	-
Head Coach's Record at School: (Record/Seasons)	30-34-13/ 5 Seasons
Last Season's Record (Overall/Conference):	8-4-5 overall / 4-2-4 NAC
No. of Starters Returning:	7
No. of Starters Lost:	4
No. of Returning Roster Players from 2024 team:	15
Top Returning Players (Name/Position/Year):	Moriah Stefanik / Forward / Sophomore Shelby Royea/ Midfield/ Junior Jenna Jones/ Forward/ Junior
Top Newcomers (Name/Position/Year):	Willow Clements / Defense / First-Year Elias Heaton / Goalkeeper / Sophomore Emilia Garcia / Midfielder / First-Year

Head Coach:	Molly Wilkie
Head Coach's Overall Coaching Record (Record/Seasons)	134-157-21/18th Season
Head Coach's Record at School: (Record/Seasons)	134-157-21/18th Season
Last Season's Record (Overall/Conference):	8-8-3 overall / 4-4-2 NAC
No. of Starters Returning:	5
No. of Starters Lost:	6
No. of Returning Roster Players from 2024 team:	15
Top Returning Players (Name/Position/Year):	Emma Dunn / Forward / Senior Rita Benoit / Midfield / Senior Liana Sawyer / Goalkeeper / Senior Kyri Meak / Midfield / Sophomore
Top Newcomers (Name/Position/Year):	Halle Clifford / Forward / First-year Kelsea Noyes / Defender / First-year

Head Coach:	Lacey Campbell
Head Coach's Overall Coaching Record (Record/Seasons)	0-0-0 0 Seasons
Head Coach's Record at School: (Record/Seasons)	0-0-0 0 Seasons
Last Season's Record (Overall/Conference):	5-12-2 overall / 4-4-1 NAC
No. of Starters Returning:	6
No. of Starters Lost:	5
No. of Returning Roster Players from 2024 team:	10
Top Returning Players (Name/Position/Year):	Emily Rock / Goalkeeper / Senior Amber Fortin / Defense / Senior Lexi Wallingford / Midfield / Senior Briley Rutledge / Midfield / Sophomore Yaribel Pena / Forward / Junior
Top Newcomers (Name/Position/Year):	Kelsie Lambert / Forward / First Year Riley Smith / Forward / First Year Mia Ramos / Forward / First Year

Head Coach:	John Ala
Head Coach's Overall Coaching Record (Record/Seasons)	5-21-3
Head Coach's Record at School: (Record/Seasons)	5-21-3
Last Season's Record (Overall/Conference):	2-12-1 overall / 2-7 NAC
No. of Starters Returning:	10
No. of Starters Lost:	2
No. of Returning Roster Players from 2024 team:	13
Top Returning Players (Name/Position/Year):	Kamryn Clavette / Forward / Sophomore Ella McCarthy / Midfield / Junior Michaela Carney / Keeper / Junior Shelby Theriault / Defense / Junior
Top Newcomers (Name/Position/Year):	Brianna Levesque / Midfield / First-Year Olivia Cote / Forward / First-Year Emma Doughty / Forward / First-Year

Head Coach:	Quinn Bressler
Head Coach's Overall Coaching Record (Record/Seasons)	0-0-0 0 Seasons
Head Coach's Record at School: (Record/Seasons)	0-0-0 0 Seasons
Last Season's Record (Overall/Conference):	1-12 overall / 0-9 NAC
No. of Starters Returning:	4
No. of Starters Lost:	7
No. of Returning Roster Players from 2024 team:	5
Top Returning Players (Name/Position/Year):	Aracely Delgado-Juarez / Goalkeeper / Sophomore Sarah Collier / Forward / Junior
Top Newcomers (Name/Position/Year):	Emily Clark / Defense / Freshman Wahaila Granillo / Midfield / Freshman

2026 NAC Players to Watch

The North Atlantic Conference is pleased to present the 2026 Women's Soccer Preseason Players to Watch list, which includes 20 student-athletes who were selected by their head coaches to represent their respective teams.

Shelby Royea | Junior | Midfielder | Alburgh, Vt.
Royea, a 2025 North Atlantic Conference Second Team All-Conference honoree, returns to the pitch after playing and starting in 16 games in her sophomore season. Royea helped lead the Badgers to a 2025 NAC women's soccer tournament appearance.
Jenna Jones | Junior | Forward | Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada
Jones appeared in 16 games with 10 starts as a sophomore during the 2025 season. She recorded seven goals and three assists for 17 total points along with two game-winning goals. She also tallied 20 shots attempts, putting 14 on goal for a .700 SOG%. The junior forward was also named to the 2025 NAC All-Conference Third Team.
Emma Nicholson | Senior | Defender | Petoskey, Mich.
A veteran leader on a lethal defensive unit, Emma Nicholson is looking to help the Husson women’s soccer team back to the top of the NAC. A NAC All-Conference third team selection this past season, Nicholson will look to take the next step on the backline for Husson, after the departure of three-time NAC Defensive Player of the Year, Caley Nault. Nicholson showcases the physicality to match up with strong strikers, while also having the ability to match the speed of wingers to make her an all-around threat for the Husson defense.
Olivia Charles | Senior | Forward | Barboursville, W.Va.
Olivia Charles is looking for a bounce-back senior season after missing time with injury during last year. Charles is an elite offensive threat in the midfield for Husson, as she has tallied 10 goals in 29 career games played with the Eagles after transferring in from Regent University, where she scored 18 goals in 17 games as a freshman, ranking sixth in the NCAA in her first year of collegiate soccer.
Elsie Koehler | Junior | Midfielder | Portland, Ore.
Koehler played in 18 games and started a career-high 12 for the Lynx during the 2025 season. The junior scored six goals, including a game-winner against UMaine-Farmington on October 11, 2025, and dished out two assists. She was named to the 2025 All-NAC Third Team, All-NAC Tournament Team, and NAC All-Academic Team.
Maddy Duskocy | Graduate Student | Defender | Ellington, Conn.
Maddy Duskocy appeared in all 21 games for the Lynx, a career high, while starting a team-high 18 contests during the 2025 season. Named a co-captain by her teammates, Duskocy earned First Team All-NAC honors as a defender and was selected to the NAC All-Tournament Team. She also earned CSC Academic All-District honors and 2025 NAC Academic All-Conference honors. Duskocy finished the season with one goal and one assist.
Aracely Delgado-Juarez | Sophomore | Goalkeeper/Center Back | LaBelle, Fla.
Aracely played nine games in goal for the Hornets last season. She recorded 113 saves on the season, including making a school record 32 saves in the season’s final game against SUNY Canton. Aracely will again be looked to to backstop the Hornets this year.
Wahaila Granillo | First-Year | Forward/Midfielder | Albuquerque, N.M.
Wahaila was a two-year varsity starter at Sandia High School in Albuquerque, NM. A talented scorer and distributor, Wahaila scored double figure goals and recorded over 50 assists over her high school career. She is expected to be an integral part of the Lyndon attack, playing out of the midfield.
Hadley Stoddard | Junior | Midfielder | Old Orchard Beach, Maine
Stoddard appeared in 20 games for the Mariners with 20 starts as a sophomore. The Maine native led the conference with 21 goals and tied the Maine Maritime program record for most goals in a season while tallying five assists, 71 shots and 53 shots on goal. She also finished fifth in the nation in goals and sixth in game-winning goals (7). Stoddard was selected to the 2025 NAC All-Conference First Team, NAC All-Tournament Team, and CSC Academic All-District Team.
Isa Thesing | Senior | Goalkeeper/Defender | Sulphur Springs, Texas
Thesing appeared in 20 games making 20 starts as a junior. She finished the 2025 season 12-7-1 with a 1.16 goals against average. The senior keeper tallied 67 saves and a .744 save percentage, along with a seven shutouts. Thesing earned NAC Defensive Player of the Week twice and was selected to the NAC 2025 All-Conference Second Team.
Kyri Meak | Sophomore | Midfielder | Winslow, Maine
The sophomore midfielder made an immediate impact a season ago as a rookie, finishing the season with seven goals and three assists en route to being named to the NAC 2nd Team All-Conference. This season, Meak will look to once again provide a scoring punch for the Beavers from her center midfield position.
Emma Dunn | Senior | Foward | Farmington, Maine
Dunn made the transition from outside back to forward to start last season and Farmington benefitted instantly from the positional switch. Dunn finished the season with five goals and one assist on her way to being named to the NAC 3rd Team All-Conference. Dunn will once again provide speed, toughness, and relentless effort up top this season for the Beavers.
Kamryn Clavette | Sophomore | Forward | Madawaska, Maine
Kamryn was one of the most successful rookies in the NAC last year and is expected to be the lifeblood of the Owls' offensive third. Last year, she led the team with seven goals, putting 20 of 28 shots on target while starting all 15 games.
Michaela Carney | Junior | Goalkeeper/Defender | Ashland, Maine
Carney anchored the Owls in net last year, racking up 103 saves in nine games including a season high 24 saves at Delhi. Carney finished 4th in the league in total saves despite only playing nine games as the Owls' keeper while the rest she spent in the field, starting all 15 games as a sophomore.
Emily Rock | Senior | Goalkeeper | Bridgton, Maine
Goalkeeper from Bridgton, Maine. Heading into her senior season, Rock is a former NAC All-Conference Second Team selection and eclipsed 300 career saves in three seasons. Heading into her senior year, Rock will look to continue her consistency in net.
Briley Rutledge | Sophomore | Midfielder | Waterbury Center, Vt.
Midfielder from Waterbury Center, Vermont. In her first season, Rutledge was a 2x NAC Rookie of the Week and made the NAC All-Conference Second Team. Rutledge scored seven goals and added three assists last season as she enters her sophomore year.