CARMEL, Ind - The Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) has announced the results of its men’s soccer preseason coaches’ poll on Wednesday morning with 2025 HCAC Regular-Season and Tournament Champion Transylvania selected to repeat. The Pioneers earned 79 points in the poll and seven of a possible 10 first place votes.
Hanover ranked second in this year’s voting, collecting 74 points and the three remaining first place votes. Rose-Hulman completed the top three with 66 points in this year’s voting. The four through six spots were separated by one point each. Bluffton earned 49 points to claim the No. 4 spot, followed by Anderson with 48, and then Mount St. Joseph with 47.
The Pios return a number of All-Conference performers including 2025 Newcomer of the Year Stone Work (Honolulu, Hawaii). Also returning are All-HCAC First Teamers Gus Dickman (New Albany, Ind.), Ethan Gudorf (Troy, Ohio), McKay Wheatley (Louisville, Ky.), and Cole Varela (Elizabethtown, Ky.).
Following the regular season, the 2026 HCAC Men’s Soccer Championship is scheduled to begin on Saturday, Oct. 31 with the final taking place on Saturday, Nov. 7. The top six teams at the end of the regular season will qualify for the tournament with the winner earning the league’s automatic qualifier into the 2026 NCAA Division III Men’s Soccer Championship.
2026 HCAC Men's Soccer Preseason Coaches' Poll Results
| 1. |
Transylvania |
79 (7) |
| 2. |
Hanover |
74 (3) |
| 3. |
Rose-Hulman |
66 |
| 4. |
Bluffton |
49 |
| 5. |
Anderson |
48 |
| 6. |
Mount St. Joseph |
47 |
| 7. |
Berea |
26 |
| 8. |
Manchester |
23 |
| 9. |
Franklin |
21 |
| 10. |
Earlham |
17 |
2026 Team-by-Team Capsules
Transylvania Pioneers (Lexington, Ky.)
Predicted 2026 HCAC Finish = First place with 79 poll points and seven first place votes.
Head Coach = Ben Federici (2025 Coach of the Year)
2025 Results = 14-3-3 Overall, 9-0 (27 points) HCAC (Regular-Season Champion, Tournament Champion)
Returning HCAC All-Conference Players = 7
- (1st Team) Gus Dickman, Senior Forward, New Albany, Ind.
- (1st Team) Ethan Gudorf, Senior Defense, Troy, Ohio
- (1st Team) McKay Wheatley, Senior Midfield, Louisville, Ky.
- (1st Team) Stone Work, Sophomore Forward, Honolulu, Hawaii (2025 Newcomer of the Year)
- (1st Team) Cole Varela, Senior Forward, Elizabethtown, Ky.
- (2nd Team) Joany Chavez, Sophomore Midfield, Lexington, Ky.
- (2nd Team) Charles Nichols, Junior Defense, Lexington, Ky.
Hanover College Panthers (Hanover, Ind.)
Predicted 2026 HCAC Finish = Second place with 74 poll points and three first place votes.
Head Coach = Matthew Wilkerson
2025 Results = 14-4-3 Overall, 8-1 (24 points) HCAC (2nd place)
Returning HCAC All-Conference Players = 6
- (1st Team) Andrew Beck, Senior Defense, Louisville, Ky.
- (2nd Team) Miles McMillen, Senior Midfield, Louisville, Ky.
- (2nd Team) Andrew Pavlisko, Junior Forward, Maineville, Ohio
- (2nd Team) McLain Barber, Senior Defense, Frankfort, Ky.
- (2nd Team) Cole Hubert, Junior Midfield, Burlington, Ky.
- (3rd Team) Gavin Yearwood, Sophomore Midfield, Louisville, Ky.
Other Players to Watch =
- David Betz, Sophomore Defense, Louisville, Ky.
- Grant Doherty, Junior Defense, Mount Vernon, Ind.
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology Fightin’ Engineers (Terre Haute, Ind.)
Predicted 2026 HCAC Finish = Third place with 66 poll points.
Head Coach = Sean Helliwell
2025 Results = 10-5-4 Overall, 4-2-3 (15 points) HCAC (Tied for 3rd place, No. 3 Tournament Seed)
Returning HCAC All-Conference Players = 2
- (2nd Team) Oliver Fila, Senior Midfield, New Rochelle, N.Y.
- (2nd Team) Ryan Shapiro, Junior Forward, Broomfield, Colo.
Other Players to Watch in 2026 =
- Chase Kedzior, Senior Midfield, Wheaton, Ill.
- Eli Miller, Junior Forward, Indianapolis, Ind.
- Cameron Hannah, Junior Defense, Clarkston, Mich.
- Landon Kangas, Junior Defense, Plainfield, Ill.
Bluffton University Beavers (Bluffton, Ohio)
Predicted 2026 HCAC Finish = Fourth place with 49 poll points.
Head Coach = Nathan Herrera
2025 Results = 8-10-1 Overall, 5-4 (15 points) HCAC (Tied for 3rd place, No. 4 Tournament Seed)
Returning HCAC All-Conference Players = 1
- (3rd Team) Jaden Ngufor, Sophomore Forward, London, Ontario
Other Players to Watch in 2026 =
- William Clark, Sophomore Midfield, Mount Blanchard, Ohio
- Jacob Hoffmann, Sophomore Midfield, Toledo, Ohio
- Nick Meyer, Sophomore Forward, Lewisburg, Ohio
- Collin Scheid, Senior Defense, Lima, Ohio
Anderson University Ravens (Anderson, Ind.)
Predicted 2026 HCAC Finish = Fifth place with 48 poll points.
Head Coach = Adam Christensen
2025 Results = 8-7-5 Overall, 3-3-3 (12 points) HCAC (6th place)
Returning HCAC All-Conference Players = 1
- (1st Team) Jack Harris, Junior Defense, Hobart, Ind.
Other Players to Watch in 2026 =
- Emmett Kindler, Graduate Defense, Oak Park, Ill.
- Ashton Kuss, Junior Defense/Midfield, Monroe, Ohio
- Cohen Wintin, Junior Forward, New Palestine, Ind.
Mount St. Joseph Lions (Cincinnati, Ohio)
Predicted 2026 HCAC Finish = Sixth place with 47 poll points.
Head Coach = Anthony Clark
2025 Results = 6-10-3 Overall, 4-3-2 (14 points) HCAC (5th place)
Returning HCAC All-Conference Players = 3
- (1st Team) Brady Diedenhofer, Junior Forward, Newport, Ky.
- (2nd Team) Brennan Lewis, Sophomore Forward, Lawrenceburg, Ind.
- (2nd Team) Mohit Naphray, Junior Midfield, Walsall, England
Other Players to Watch in 2026 =
- Presley Boyle, Senior Forward, Edinburgh, Scotland
- JT Roden, Senior Forward, Lawrenceburg, Ind.
- Collin Schneeman, Sophomore Defense, Cincinnati, Ohio
- Aidan Sweeney, Sophomore Defense, Springboro, Ohio
Berea College Mountaineers (Berea, Ky.)
Predicted 2026 HCAC Finish = Seventh place with 26 poll points.
Head Coach = Xavier Tomlin
2025 Results = 2-12-3 Overall, 1-7-1 (4 points) HCAC (Tied for 9th place)
Returning HCAC All-Conference Players = 2
- (2nd Team) Peter Mensah, Junior Defense, Columbus, Ohio
- (3rd Team) Tobore Takpor, Senior Forward, Laplace, La.
Other Players to Watch in 2026 =
- Marcus Bishop, Senior Goalkeeper, Knoxville, Tenn.
- Carlos Field-Bennett, Senior, Midfield, Bainbridge Island, Wash.
- Victor Hernandez, Senior Midfield, Houston, Texas
Manchester University Spartans (North Manchester, Ind.)
Predicted 2026 HCAC Finish = Eighth place with 23 poll points.
Head Coach = Olaoluwade Ladapo
2025 Results = 3-10-4 Overall, 2-6-1 (7 points) HCAC (Tied for 7th place)
Returning HCAC All-Conference Players = 2
- (3rd Team) Alan Galvez, Sophomore Defense, Indianapolis, Ind.
- (3rd Team) Will Martin, Junior Goalkeeper, Goshen, Ind.
Other Players to Watch in 2026 =
- Marcelo Cuahuizo, Senior Defense, Warsaw, Ind.
- Grant Gerber, Sophomore Defense, Huntertown, Ind.
- Noah Junchaya, Junior Midfield, Howell, N.J.
Franklin College Grizzlies (Franklin, Ind.)
Predicted 2026 HCAC Finish = Ninth place with 21 poll points.
Head Coach = Josh Hughes
2025 Results = 2-14-1 Overall, 1-7-1 (4 points) HCAC (Tied for 9th place)
Returning HCAC All-Conference Players = 1
- (3rd Team) Russell Bilohlavek, Senior Midfield, Bloomington, Ind.
Other Players to Watch in 2026 =
- Jacobo Alarcon Salazar, Sophomore Defense, Manizales, Colombia
- Lane Trump, Sophomore Midfield, Clayton, Ind.
Earlham College Quakers (Richmond, Ind.)
Predicted 2026 HCAC Finish = Tenth place with 17 poll points.
Head Coach = Aaron Gustine
2025 Results = 3-11-3 Overall, 2-6-1 (7 points) HCAC (Tied for 7th place)
Returning HCAC All-Conference Players = 1
- (3rd Team) Luke Hamaker, Junior Defense, Fletcher, Ohio
Other Players to Watch in 2026 =
- Grant Courtad, Junior Midfield, Lexington, Ky.
- Mason Paul, Junior Midfield, Baltimore, Md.
- Rhoi Phulusa, Junior Forward, Rockville, Md.
- Sawyer Sheetz, Sophomore Defense, Indianapolis, Ind.
- Levi Smith, Sophomore Midfield, Prattville, Ala.
- Sirapob Tippayapaphanupap, Junior Midfield, Chonburi, Thailand