NEW YORK – Akron and Georgetown earned the top spots in their respective divisions as the BIG EAST Conference announced the 2026 Preseason Men’s Soccer Coaches’ Poll and all-conference awards.
Georgetown was selected unanimously by the league’s men’s soccer coaches to finish atop the East Division, while Akron was the unanimous preseason favorite in the Midwest Division. Both programs received 66 points and 11 first-place votes.
Georgetown forward Mitchell Baker was voted BIG EAST Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, Seton Hall midfielder Til Kauschke garnered Preseason Midfielder of the Year honors, Georgetown defender Tate Lampman was selected Preseason Defensive Player of the Year and UConn goalkeeper Kyle Durham earned Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year recognition.
Georgetown enters 2026 after capturing both the BIG EAST regular-season and tournament championships in 2025 and advancing to the NCAA Championship quarterfinals. The Hoyas finished the campaign 14-4-4 overall. Georgetown collected 66 points and all 11 available first-place votes in the East Division poll. UConn followed in second with 46 points, while Providence received the remaining first-place vote and 45 points to place third. St. John’s was picked fourth with 37 points, followed by Seton Hall with 36 and Villanova with 16.
Akron also advanced to the NCAA Championship quarterfinals in 2025, finishing the season with a 13-5-3 overall record. The Zips received 66 points and 11 first-place votes to lead the Midwest Division. Creighton earned the remaining first-place vote and 56 points to rank second, followed by Xavier with 43 points. Marquette was selected fourth with 34 points, DePaul fifth with 27 and Butler sixth with 20.
Baker enters his junior season following a decorated 2025 campaign in which he earned United Soccer Coaches Second Team All-America honors and was named a MAC Hermann Trophy semifinalist. A unanimous First Team All-BIG EAST selection, Baker led the conference with 14 goals and added three assists for 31 points while starting all 21 matches in which he appeared. His 14 goals ranked eighth nationally, while his five game-winning goals led the BIG EAST. Baker was also selected 10th overall by the Colorado Rapids in the 2026 MLS SuperDraft.
Kauschke was named to the All-BIG EAST Second Team and United Soccer Coaches All-East Region First Team in 2025. The Seton Hall junior started all 19 matches and finished second on the team with 12 points, totaling four goals and four assists. He converted all three of his penalty-kick opportunities and was named to the 2026 United Soccer Coaches Midfielders to Watch list.
Lampman helped anchor a Georgetown back line that combined for 11 shutouts in 2025. The junior started all 13 matches in which he appeared after missing a portion of the season due to injury and totaled two goals and two assists. He was named the BIG EAST Championship’s Most Outstanding Defensive Player and earned a spot on the All-Tournament Team. The 2024 BIG EAST Freshman of the Year was also invited to the U.S. Under-20 Men’s National Team camp ahead of the 2026 season.
Durham earned the preseason goalkeeper honor following a standout first season in goal for UConn. The redshirt junior started all 21 matches and led the nation with 98 saves while pacing BIG EAST goalkeepers in saves per game (4.67) and save percentage (.803). Durham recorded eight clean sheets and a 1.14 goals-against average en route to All-BIG EAST Second Team and United Soccer Coaches All-Region Third Team honors.
A total of 12 student-athletes were selected to the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team due to a tie in the voting. Georgetown led all programs with three selections, while Akron, Providence and Seton Hall each placed two student-athletes on the team. Creighton’s Matthew Reed and Georgetown’s Mitchell Baker were unanimous selections.
Preseason All-BIG EAST honors and the coaches’ polls were decided by a vote of the league’s head coaches, who were not permitted to vote for their own team or players. The 2026 season begins Thursday, Aug. 20, with BIG EAST teams in action across the country.