SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Defending regular season champion Denver was the top selection in the Summit League men's soccer preseason coaches' poll released Tuesday by league officials. The Pioneers earned five first-place votes and secured 35 points overall in the poll, which is voted on by the league's seven head coaches. Fellow 2024 NCAA Tournament participants Kansas City and UMass joined DU in the top three.
The Pioneers were ranked No. 3 in the United Soccer Coaches (USC) Preseason Poll and No. 4 in the Top Drawer Soccer Preseason Poll. DU was the No. 3 National Seed a season ago and advanced to the College Cup for the second time in program history.
Reigning tournament champion Kansas City was tabbed to finish second after collecting one first-place vote and registering 30 overall points. The Roos made the program’s deepest run in the 2024 postseason, advancing to the third round and were ranked No. 18 in the USC preseason poll and No. 13 in the Top Drawer poll.
UMass, who is one of two new affiliate members for the 2025, was selected to finish third with 28 points and claimed the remaining first-place vote. The Minutemen, who tied for third in the Atlantic 10 regular season in 2024, advanced to the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals a season ago after earning an at-large bid to the field.
Oral Roberts and Omaha were tabbed fourth and fifth respectively as the Golden Eagles garnered 20 points, while the Mavericks earned 18.
Delaware, who joins UMass as an affiliate member, was pegged for sixth with 13 points, while St. Thomas rounded out the poll with six points. The Blue Hens arrive in the Summit from the Coastal Athletic Association where they finished 10
th in the regular season.
The Summit League Men’s Soccer Championship returns to a four-team field in 2025. The No. 1 seed will host the No. 4 seed and the No. 2 seed will host the No. 3 seed in semifinal matches on their respective campuses to be played on Sunday, Nov. 9. The highest-remaining seed will host a title tilt between the semifinal winners on Saturday, Nov. 15.
| 2025 Summit League Men's Soccer Preseason Coaches' Poll |
| Rank |
School |
Points (1st) |
2024 Record (SL) |
| 1. |
Denver |
35 (5) |
15-3-5 (7-1-0, 21 pts) |
| 2. |
Kansas City |
30 (1) |
14-5-3 (5-2-1, 16 pts |
| 3. |
UMass# |
28 (1) |
10-3-5 (5-2-1, 16 pts)# |
| 4. |
Oral Roberts |
20 |
7-6-3 (4-4-0, 12 pts) |
| 5. |
Omaha |
15 |
7-7-3 (2-5-1, 7 pts) |
| 6. |
Delaware@ |
13 |
7-7-2 (2-6-0, 6 pts)@ |
| 7. |
St. Thomas |
6 |
4-10-2 (1-7-0, 3 pts) |
# Atlantic 10 record @ Coastal Athletic record
Players to Watch
Bryce Willoughby | Denver | Redshirt Junior | Forward
• 2024 All-Summit League Second Team, 2023 All-Summit League Honorable Mention
• Played in 22 of 23 matches in 2024, starting eight to help Pioneers advance to second NCAA College Cup in program history
• Posted back-to-back seasons with five goals and has 24 career points to his credit (10g, 4 a)
Trevor Wright | Denver | Redshirt Senior | Defender
• 2024 All-Summit League Second Team, 2022 All-Summit League First Team and USC All-West Region First Team
• Captain on 2024 DU squad that advanced to the NCAA College Cup for the second time in program history
• Started all 23 matches in 2024, leading the Pioneers to a 15-3-5 finish and Summit League regular season title
Jeremy Francou | Kansas City | Junior | Forward
• 2024 All-Summit League Honorable Mention, 2024 Summit League All-Newcomer Team
• Tallied four goals and two assists in just 10 appearances
• Started all four of KC’s postseason games, including 2024 Summit League Tournament title game and three NCAA Tournament tilts
Bryson Gosch | Kansas City | Redshirt Junior | Defender
• 2024 All-Summit League Honorable Mention, 2024 Summit League All-Tournament Team
• Captain on 2024 KC squad that advanced to the third round of the NCAA Tournament, the furthest ever for a Roos squad
• Started all 21 games for a KC squad that broke the program’s single-season record for wins with 14
Matt Cence | UMass | Senior | Midfielder
• Started 21 games, helping lead UMass to the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals
• Played full 90 minutes in 12 contests and 110 in the Atlantic-10 quarterfinals vs. Saint Louis
• Ranked third in the Atlantic 10 with a career-high eight assists
Aidan Kelly | UMass | Senior | Defender
• 2024 USC All-Southeast Region Second Team, 2023 All-Atlantic 10 Second Team
• Started all 22 games for Minutemen in 2024, helping UMass reach NCAA Tournament quarterfinals
• Ranked third on the team with four goals and 10 points
Jakub Grzesiak | Oral Roberts | Senior | Goalkeeper
• 2023 All-Summit League Second Team, 2023 USC All-West Region Third Team
• 20 career starts in two seasons with the Golden Eagles
• Posted six career shutouts – all in 2023
Juan Moreno | Oral Roberts | Senior | Forward
• 2023 All-Summit League First Team
• Started 36 career matches in three seasons for the Golden Eagles
• Tallied career-high 11 points in 2023, scoring four goals to go with three assists
Stefan Bilinac | Omaha | Senior | Midfielder
• Started nine games and appeared in 14 games during first season as a Maverick in 2024
• 2023 All-Region 11 First Team at the NJCAA level
Italo Jenkins | Omaha | Junior | Forward
• Tallied four goals and an assist in first season with the Mavericks in 2024
• Three of four goals came during Summit League action
• Oregon State transfer made seven starts and appeared in 17 matches for Omaha last season
Jan Schroeder | Delaware | Junior | Defender
• 2024 All-Coastal Athletic Association Third Team, 2023 CAA All-Rookie Team
• Started all 10 matches played during 2024 season
• Led Blue Hens in assists with six, which was tied for fifth most in CAA
Marius Stenner | Delaware | Sophomore | Forward
• 2024 CAA Rookie of the Year, 2024 All-CAA First Team, 2024 All-CAA Rookie Team
• Led all NCAA freshman with five game-winning goals
• Shared team lead and tied for third in CAA with nine goals
Mathis Guffroy | St. Thomas | Graduate Student | Midfielder
• Transfer from Texas Wesleyan (NAIA) where he tallied 47 career goals and 27 assists
• 2024 NAIA All-American, 2024 Sooner Athletic Conference Player of the Year, 2024 All-SAC First Team
• Led the SAC with 19 goals and 13 assists in 2024
Moritz Krenc | St. Thomas | Goalkeeper
• Made 27 starts between the pipes for the Tommies in two seasons, including all 16 in 2024
• Led all Summit League goalkeepers with 91 saves and a 5.7 saves per game average in 2024
• Registered career-high 10 saves against Oral Roberts on Oct. 12
Note: Players to Watch nominated by league's head coaches
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