COLONIA, N.J. – Back-to-back defending ECC Men’s Soccer Regular Season Champions, Queens have been slated as the top team in the 2026 Men’s Soccer Preseason Poll, as voted on by the league's nine head coaches. Additionally, the Knights had sophomore forward Bradyn Brown named Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, and redshirt-senior defender Tommy Wagner tabbed Preseason Defensive Player of the Year.
 
Queens were the prohibitive favorite in the poll, collecting eight first place votes and 80 points to lead all nine teams. The Knights have dominated the ECC over the past two seasons, winning back-to-back ECC Regular Season titles and going unbeaten in conference play with a combined 13-0-3 record. Despite the success in the regular season, Queens has failed to win an ECC Championship over the timespan, claiming the program’s only crown in 2023. Overall in 2025, the Knights posted a 13-3-4 record, making a run to the ECC final, where they fell to Roberts Wesleyan, on penalty kicks. The high-powered attack of Queens led to them leading the ECC in 11 statistical categories, nine of which were offensive stats. The categories included scoring offense (2.45), total goals (49), total assists (46), assists per game (2.30), total points (144), points per game (7.20), goal differential (31), shots on goal per game (8.65), and corner kicks per game (6.95). The Knights ranked among the nation’s best in shots on goal (2^nd NCAA), corner kicks (4^th NCAA), points per game (8^th NCAA), while ranking ninth nationally in total goals, goal differential, and shots per game. Queens also led the ECC in team goal against average and won-lost-tied percentage, while ranking second in save percentage, shot accuracy, and shots per game.
 
Defending ECC Champions, Roberts Wesleyan was voted second in the poll, garnering 71 points and the final first place vote. The Redhawks edged top seeded Queens 4-3 on penalty kicks, following a 1-1 draw, to secure their program’s first ever ECC Championship crown since joining the conference in 2012 and earning their first trip into the NCAA Tournament field last fall. Roberts concluded its championship campaign with an overall record of 10-3-7, which included a conference mark of 4-1-3. Hailing as one of the nation’s and ECC’s top defensive squads in 2025, the Redhawks led the conference with 5.90 saves per game and a 0.803 save percentage, quantities that ranked seventh and 19^th in the nation, respectively. On the offensive side of the field, the Redhawks ranked third amongst ECC teams in scoring offense, goals, assists, and points.
 
Voted third in the preseason poll was Mercy, collecting 56 points. The Mavericks’ five ECC Championships are the most among current members, with the most recent titles coming in 2022 and 2019. Since winning their last title and dating back to the 2023 season, the Mavericks have compiled a 13-1-10 ECC regular season tally. Mercy posted a 7-6-5 overall record last season, going 3-1-4 in the ECC. The Mavericks qualified for the ECC Tournament in 2025 as the No. 4 seed but dropped their first round contest to the District of Columbia, 1-0 in overtime.
 
The poll rounded out with St. Thomas Aquinas (54), District of Columbia (44), Molloy (39), D’Youville (30), Staten Island (20), and Daemen (11).

A freshman sensation last season, Brown appeared in 20 matches with 12 starts, recorded a team-leading 30 points on 13 goals, four assists, and four game-winning goals. His 30 points and 13 goals set program single-season rookie records at Queens. Brown led the ECC in game-winning goals, penalty kicks, and shot accuracy, while he ranked second in total goals and total points. Furthermore, his points per game, his shots per game, and his shots on goal per game each ranked fourth on the conference leaderboard. The Lindenhurst, N.Y. native was unanimously named ECC Rookie of the Year and earned All-ECC First Team honors. Brown followed his ECC accolades up with D2CCA All-Region First Team recognition and D2CCA All-American status.
 
Leading Queens backline, Wagner was chosen as the 2025 ECC Defensive Player of the Year and was an All-ECC First Team selection last year. A resident of East Northport, N.Y., Wagner also received D2CCA All-Region First Team honors in 2025. He appeared and started in 19 matches, logging 1,613 minutes, and contributed one goal and one assist offensively. Wagner helped anchor a defensive unit that led the ECC in team goals against average and produced five shutouts on the season.


2026 ECC Men’s Soccer Preseason Poll
1. Queens - 80 points (8 first-place votes)
2. Roberts Wesleyan - 71 points (1 first-place vote)
3. Mercy - 56 points
4. St. Thomas Aquinas - 54 points
5. District of Columbia - 44 points
6. Molloy - 39 points
7. D'Youville - 30 points
8. Staten Island - 20 points
9. Daemen - 11 points
 
Offensive Player of the Year
Bradyn Brown – Queens
 
Defensive Player of the Year
Tommy Wagner – Queens
 
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Founded as the New York Collegiate Athletic Conference in 1989 and rechristened the East Coast Conference in July 2006, the ECC was formed to enhance intercollegiate athletic competition among member institutions and to assist them in integrating athletics into their academic program in a fiscally sound way. The ECC is committed to the highest standards of scholarship, sportsmanship, teamwork, and citizenship. Its mission is to promote the total person concept in its student-athletes, which stresses the abilities to excel in academic achievement, athletic competition, and positive character traits. East Coast Conference members include: Daemen University (Amherst, N.Y.); University of the District of Columbia (Washington, D.C.); D'Youville University (Buffalo, N.Y.); Mercy University (Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.); Molloy University (Rockville Centre, N.Y.); Queens College (Flushing, N.Y.); Roberts Wesleyan University (Rochester, N.Y.); College of Staten Island (Staten Island, N.Y.); and St. Thomas Aquinas College (Sparkill, N.Y.). The ECC also is home to 13 associate members in the sports of women’s bowling (3), men’s and women’s indoor track & field (3), men's volleyball (2), field hockey (1), and men’s lacrosse (1).

The ECC sponsors the following championship sports: baseball; men’s and women’s basketball; women's bowling; men’s and women’s cross country; field hockey; men’s and women’s lacrosse; men’s and women’s indoor track and field; men’s and women’s outdoor track and field; men’s and women’s soccer; softball; and men's and women’s volleyball.
 
The East Coast Conference is a proud member of the NCAA and Division II. Division II is a dynamic and engaging group of colleges, institutions and conferences of varying sizes and educational missions. Division II members encourage and support diversity; value sportsmanship, fairness and equity; and place the highest priority on the overall educational excellence of the student-athlete.