NORTH ATTLEBORO, Mass. - Off the heals of a run to the NCAA DII Final Four last season, the Southern New Hampshire Penmen have been selected by the Northeast 10 coaches to win the league's championship this fall. SNHU was 7-1-1 in conference last year, falling in both the NE10 and NCAA semifinals.
Allowing less than one goal per game last season, SNHU boasted one of the nation's top defenses and returns key cogs, including Alex Pons - a first-team All-Region performer. Alejo Caceres and Tyler Kraft return as anchors in the midfield while Felipe di Paola is back as the team's leading scorer.
The two teams that met in the NE10 Championship last fall - Bentley and Franklin Pierce - were selected second and third in the poll. Both teams went on to the NCAA Tournament. Joaco Lauria Calvo and Jesse Oostendorp lead FPU's defense while Bentley is bringing back Logan Veloria and Michael Gouvin as all-NE10 talent from 2025.
Each of the three teams picked 1-2-3 in the NE10 coaches' poll have won a regular season conference championship over the last three years, while FPU has dominated in the playoffs, claiming four of the last five NE10 Championship titles. SNHU took home the trophy in 2024. All three schools earned first-place votes this season.
August 27th is the first full-schedule day for men's soccer in the NE10, with the championship final slated for November 7th.
The complete NE10 Coaches' Poll is listed below.
| Rank |
Team |
Votes |
1st Place Votes |
| 1 |
SNHU |
79 |
7 |
| 2 |
Bentley |
70 |
1 |
| 3 |
Franklin Pierce |
69 |
2 |
| 4 |
Adelphi |
57 |
|
| 5 |
SCSU |
49 |
|
| 6 |
Saint Michael's |
39 |
|
| 7 |
AIC |
37 |
|
| 8 |
Saint Anselm |
24 |
|
| 9 |
Pace |
15 |
|
| 10 |
Assumption |
11 |
|
ABOUT THE NE10
The NE10 is an association of 10 diverse institutions serving student-athletes across 24 NCAA Division II sports. Together we build brilliant futures by embracing the journey of every student-athlete.
Each year, 4,500 of those student-athletes compete in conference championships in 24 sports, making the NE10 the largest DII conference in the country in terms of sport sponsorship. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the NE10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.
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