WINTHROP, Mass. – Rivier University has claimed the top spot in the 2026 Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) women's soccer preseason coaches' poll, as voted on by the league's 14 head coaches. Looking to avenge their loss in the 2025 GNAC Championship, the Raiders received seven first-place votes and totaled 186 points.

Saint Joseph's College of Maine was selected seventh in the preseason poll, receiving 113 points. Head coach Jennelle Harris returns for her 14th season at the helm of the Monks, as Saint Joseph's looks to secure another GNAC Tournament berth in 2026.

Saint Joseph's returns junior Maeve Davis (Scarborough, Maine), who earned Third Team All-GNAC honors last season. The defender started all 17 contests for the Monks and logged 1,200 minutes.

The Monks also return juniors Ashlyn Guerette (Merrimack, N.H.) and Abbey Laney (Standish, Maine). Guerette is expected to anchor the Monks in goal after recording 101 saves and six shutouts last season. Laney looks to take another step forward after finishing third on the team in both goals and points in 2025.

Emmanuel College finished just behind Rivier in second place with 184 points and also received seven first-place votes. Lasell University rounded out the top three with 159 points.

Albertus Magnus College (155), Regis College (136), and the University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) (114) followed Lasell in the poll.

Norwich University (107) claimed the final projected playoff spot at eighth.

Elms College (86), Simmons University (63), Colby-Sawyer College (60), New England College (43), Dean College (42), and Mitchell College (22) rounded out the preseason poll.

The 2026 GNAC women's soccer season kicks off on Tuesday, September 1, with 10 of the conference's 14 teams opening their seasons. Conference play begins Saturday, September 12, with six GNAC contests on the schedule. Saint Joseph's will open conference play on Wednesday, September 16, at Lasell University.

The top eight teams in the conference standings will qualify for the GNAC Tournament, which begins Saturday, October 31, with the quarterfinals. The semifinals are scheduled for Wednesday, November 4, followed by the GNAC Championship on Saturday, November 7. The conference champion will earn the GNAC's automatic berth into the 2026 NCAA Division III Women's Soccer Tournament.



2026 GNAC Women's Soccer Preseason Coaches' Poll