GREENVILLE, S.C. – Defending champion, Young Harris College is picked atop 2026 Conference Carolinas Men's Soccer Preseason Poll.
The Mountain Lions won their first Conference Carolinas tournament crown a season ago, also winning the Conference Carolinas Southwest Division. Young Harris earned nine first place votes and 189 points, to sit atop the poll. Francis Marion followed Young Harris as the 2026 east division champions received three first place votes and 174 points.
Chowan University, North Greenville University and Converse University all received one first place votes coming in third, fourth and fifth. The Hawks registered 169 points in third while 2026 Northwest Division champion North Greenville game in fourth with 161 points. Converse rounded out the top five with 146 points.
Barton College is picked sixth with 119 points, followed closely by Lees-McRae College's 116 points at seventh. Belmont Abbey College is eighth with 99 points, only two points ahead of the University of Mount Olive's 97 points in ninth. Emmanuel University rounds out the top 10 with 81 points.
Ferrum College (68), King University (57), Southern Wesleyan University (56), Erskine College (27) and Shorter University (16) finished the poll.
The 2026 Conference Carolinas Men's Soccer Championship is scheduled to start with preliminary rounds on October 28 and 31 before the semifinals and final will be competed at Truist Soccer Complex at Bryan Park in Browns Summit, North Carolina on November 6 and 8.
The preseason poll was voted on by the league's head coaches and they can't vote for their own school.
2026 Conference Carolinas
Men's Soccer Preseason Poll
|
School |
Points (1st Place) |
| 1 |
Young Harris |
189 (9) |
| 2 |
Francis Marion |
174 (3) |
| 3 |
Chowan |
169 (1) |
| 4 |
North Greenville |
161 (1) |
| 5 |
Converse |
146 (1) |
| 6 |
Barton |
119 |
| 7 |
Lees-McRae |
116 |
| 8 |
Belmont Abbey |
99 |
| 9 |
Mount Olive |
97 |
| 10 |
Emmanuel |
81 |
| 11 |
Ferrum |
68 |
| 12 |
King |
57 |
| 13 |
Southern Wesleyan |
56 |
| 14 |
Erskine |
27 |
| 15 |
Shorter |
16 |
2026 Conference Carolinas Men's Soccer
Players to Watch
Barton
- Akos Tajtyi, Sr., M, Castellon, Spain
- Charlie Mumford, Jr., M, Basingstoke, England
- Kai Thurston, Sr., D, Harleston, England
Belmont Abbey
- Luca Pereira, Jr., M, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Sam Howe, Jr., M, Charlotte, North Carolina
- Pat Hissim, Sr., D, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Chowan
- Clay Verdin, So., M, Burlington, North Carolina (2025 Conference Carolinas All-Tournament)
- Lucas Kibrya, So., GK, Birmingham, England
- Robbie Deighan, Jr., M/F, Bolton, England (2024 Conference Carolinas Freshman of the Year)
Converse
- Jacob Bandel, So., F, Sherrills Ford, North Carolina (2025 All-Conference first team, D2 CCA All-Southeast Region second team)
- Levi Bankirer, So., F, Mooresville, North Carolina (2025 All-Conference second team)
- Jesper Schierholz, Sr., D, Walsrode, Germany (2025 All-Conference third team)
Emmanuel
- Dylan Persinger, Sr., D, Loganville, Georgia
- Alex Walker, Sr., M, Lawrenceville, Georgia
- Pau Recasens, Sr., D, La Riera De Gaià, Tarragona
Erskine
- Joe Roberts, Sr., M, Southend, England
- Evan Williams, Sr., F, Camden, South Carolina
- Aaron Cardoza-Paz, Sr., M, West Palm Beach, Florida
Ferrum
- Michael Arzillo, Sr., GK, Virginia Beach, Virginia
- Oliver McIntosh, So., F, Sydney, Australia
- Filimon Asfha, Sr., M, Birmingham, England
Francis Marion
- David Guevara, Gr., D, Guayaquil, Ecuador (2025 D2 CCA All-Southeast Region first team, 2025 United Soccer Coaches All-Southeast Region second team, 2025 All-Conference Carolinas first team, 2024 United Soccer Coaches All-Southeast Region third team, 2024 All-Conference Carolinas third team)
- Gian-Carlo Kama, Gr., F, Paris, France (2025 All-SAC first team)
- Vicent Sanchis, Gr., GK, Valencia, Spain
King
- Jacob Pope, So., M, Portsmouth, England
- Eric Swain, Sr., M, Marietta, Georgia
- Cian McGoey, Sr., M, Limerick, Ireland
Lees-McRae
- Adam Condron, Jr., D, Dublin, Ireland (2025 All-Conference Carolinas third team)
- Conor Hart, Sr., M, Atlanta, Georgia
- Jonathan Kienle, Sr., GK, Heidenheim, Germany
Mount Olive
- Kevin Jimenez, Jr. D, Knightdale, North Carolina
- Haytham Abraham, Sr., M, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
- Pierce Slater, Sophomore, F, Charlottesville, Virginia
North Greenville
- Ezra Hoffman, Gr., F, Dacula, Georgia
- Ethan Henderson, So., F, Hartlepool, England
- Rodrigo Silva, Jr., D, Los Andes, Valparaiso, Chile (All-Conference Carolinas second team)
Shorter
- Gabe DeHart, So., F, Armuchee, Georgia
- Levi Treviño, Gr., M, Douglasville, Georgia
- Carter Morningstar, Jr., F, Kathleen, Georgia
Southern Wesleyan
- Sebastian Zumbado, So., F, Heredia, Costa Rica
- Jacob Zúñiga, Fr., F, San Jose, Costa Rica
- Davíð Leó Lund, Fr., D, Husavik, Iceland
Young Harris
- Filip Zander, Jr., F, Stockholm, Sweden (2025 All-Conference Carolinas first team, 2025 D2 CCA All-Southeast Region first team)
- Daniel Osorno, Sr., F, Medellin, Colombia (2025 All-Conference Carolinas third team)
- Fredrik Berge, Jr., M, Norway, Kristiansand