AMHERST, N.Y. — The East Coast Conference released its 2026 men's soccer preseason poll on Tuesday, with Daemen being picked ninth. 

In the poll, Daemen received 11 points, putting the Wildcats in the No. 9 spot. Queens was selected first with 80 points (eight first-place votes), followed by Roberts Wesleyan with 71 points (one first-place vote). Mercy was picked third with 56 points. St. Thomas Aquinas was slotted fourth with 54 points, followed by the University of the District of Columbia in fifth with 44 points, and Molloy in sixth with 39 points. D'Youville (30 points) was selected seventh, and Staten Island (20 points) was picked eighth. 

Daemen returns 18 players from last season, bringing a strong veteran presence to the team. Senior midfielder Amin Garcia (Leganes, Spain) scored two goals last season. Tim Florek (Marburg, Germany), Stefan Jankovic (Reykjavík, Iceland), Selim Ozleplebici (Thousand Oaks, Calif.), and Thomas Wikan (Inderøy, Norway) also contributed with a goal. Niko Elie (Auckland, New Zealand) helped anchor the backline, starting all 14 games he played and logging 1,002 minutes. 

The Wildcats finished with a 1-16 record in 2025, including a 0-8 mark in ECC play.   

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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Daemen University features the premier NCAA Division II athletics program in the Buffalo-Niagara region, sponsoring 17 intercollegiate teams. For the latest information on Daemen Athletics, follow the Wildcats via social media on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram, or sign up to receive customizable news alerts, e-mail newsletters and weekly schedule alerts.

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