GREENVILLE, S.C. – Defending champion, Francis Marion University is picked atop 2025 Conference Carolinas Men’s Soccer Preseason Poll with runner-up Chowan University coming in second.
The Patriots won their first Conference Carolinas tournament crown a season ago, also winning the Conference Carolinas East Division. Francis Marion earned six first place votes and 183 points, to sit atop the poll. Chowan, the 2023 tournament champion and 2024 runner-up received four first place votes and 180 points to follow Francis Marion.
Southwest Division champion, Young Harris College and northwest division champion Converse University earned the final five first place votes, three going to the Mountain Lions and two to Converse. Young Harris is picked third with 174 points as they are followed by the Valkyries in fifth with 167 points.
Emmanuel University is picked fith with 124 points, followed closely by Barton College’s 122 points at sixth. Lees-McRae College is seventh with 113 points, only one point ahead of the University of Mount Olive’s 112 points in eighth. Belmont Abbey College's 94 points lands the Crusaders ninth while North Greenville University rounds out the top 10 with 83 points.
Southern Wesleyan University (69), King University (68), Erskine College (37), Ferrum College (25) and Shorter University (24) rounded out the poll.
The 2025 Conference Carolinas Men’s Soccer Championship is scheduled to start with preliminary rounds on November 5 and 8 before the semifinals and final will be competed at Truist Soccer Complex at Bryan Park in Browns Summit, North Carolina on November 13 and 15.
The preseason poll was voted on by the league's head coaches and they can't vote for their own school.
2025 Conference Carolinas
Men’s Soccer Preseason Poll
|
School |
Total (First Place) |
| 1 |
Francis Marion |
183 (6) |
| 2 |
Chowan |
180 (4) |
| 3 |
Young Harris |
174 (3) |
| 4 |
Converse |
167 (2) |
| 5 |
Emmanuel |
124 |
| 6 |
Barton |
122 |
| 7 |
Lees-McRae |
113 |
| 8 |
Mount Olive |
112 |
| 9 |
Belmont Abbey |
94 |
| 10 |
North Greenville |
83 |
| 11 |
Southern Wesleyan |
69 |
| 12 |
King |
68 |
| 13 |
Erskine |
37 |
| 14 |
Ferrum |
25 |
| 15 |
Shorter |
24 |
2025 Conference Carolinas Men’s Soccer
Players to Watch
Barton
- Yuki Minari, Sr., D/F, Komaki, Japan
- Charlie Mumford, So., M, Basingstoke, England
- Kai Thurston, So., D, Harleston, England
Belmont Abbey
- Trent McConnaughey, Sr., GK, Dublin, Ohio
- Pat Hissim, Jr., D, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
- Sam Jordan, Sr., F, Stamford, England (2024 All-Conference Carolinas third team)
Chowan
- Robbie Deighan, So., M, Bolton, England (2024 Conference Carolinas Freshman of the Year)
- Sam Deacon, Sr., F/M Bradford, England
- Matty Doyle, So., D, Knottingley, England
Converse
- Guilherme Fontes, Sr., F/M, São Paulo, Brazil (2024 All-Conference Carolinas first team, 2024 D2CCA All-Southeast Region second team, 2023 All-Conference Carolinas third team)
- Martin Burgos, Sr., D, Santiago De, Spain (2024 Conference Carolinas All-Tournament)
- Amro Shibeika, So., M, Charlotte, North Carolina
Emmanuel
- Pau Nel-lo Recasens, Sr., D, La Riera De Gaià, Tarragona
- Colin Wedderburn, Sr., D, Conyers, Georgia
- Rezhis Koxhaj, Sr., F, Brussels, Belgium
Erskine
- Austin Wilson, Fr., F, Due West, South Carolina,
- Kenny-All Hakazimana, Jr., Quebec City, Canada
- Sean O'Laughlin, Fr., Holly Springs, North Carolina
Ferrum
- Jonathan Nicacio, Sr., F, Naples, Florida
- Payton Rausch, Sr., F, Fruitland Park, Florida
- Jadon Brooks, Jr., F, Cary, North Carolina
Francis Marion
- Mario Buelga, Sr., M, Gijon, Spain (2024 All-Conference Carolinas first team, 2024 D2CCA All-Region first team, 2024 United Soccer Coaches All-Region second team)
- David Guevara, Sr., D, Guayaquil, Ecuador (2024 All-Conference Carolinas third team, 2024 United Soccer Coaches All-Region third team)
- Antonio Garda, Sr., M, A Coruna, Spain (2024 All-Conference Carolinas third team)
King
- Joe Elliott, Sr., D, Oxford, England
- Jake Moriarty, Sr., D, East Longmeadow, Massachusetts
- Ricky Sexton, Sr., F, Mobile, Alabama
Lees-McRae
- Adam Condron, So., D, Dublin, Ireland
- Jonathan Kienle, Jr., GK, Heidenheim, Germany
- Nils Schulze, Jr., M, Frankfurt, Germany (2023 All-Conference Carolinas second team)
Mount Olive
- Kevin Jimenez, So., D, Knightdale, North Carolina
- Immanuel Duran, Jr., M, Georgetown, Cayman Islands
- Alagie Njie, So., M, Redford, Michigan
North Greenville
- Lucas Di Pasquale, Sr., D, Metabief, France
- Ricardo Marques, Sr., GK, Lisboa, Portugal
- Vinicius Silva, Jr., F, Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Shorter
- Charles Garcia, Sr., M, Calhoun, Georgia
- Isiah Johnson, So., D, Rome, Georgia
- Joao Beer, So., F, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil
Southern Wesleyan
- Gabriel Melendez, Sr., M, Midway, Georgia
- Brody Schroeder, Jr., F, Lawrenceville, Georgia
- Emilio Cordero, Fr., F, San Jose, Costa Rica
Young Harris
- Thomas Kleinpenning, Jr., M, Ulft, The Netherlands (2024 & 2023 All-Conference Carolinas first team)
- Leho Le Louarn, Sr., M, Rennes, France, (2024 All-Conference Carolinas second team)
- Filip Zander, So., F, Stockholm, Sweden