Women's Soccer

Maine Picked to Repeat as 2026 #AEWSOC Preseason Poll and Preseason All-Conference is Released

BOSTON – Following the program’s third consecutive conference title, Maine women’s soccer was picked first in the 2026 America East Women’s Soccer Preseason Poll. The Conference also released its Preseason All-Conference Team on Thursday afternoon.
 
The Black Bears captured their third straight title in penalty kicks against second seeded Vermont last November and top this year’s preseason poll with 60 total points and four first place votes. 2025 regular season champion Binghamton was picked second with 58 points while capturing four first place votes. Vermont took home the final first place vote and finished third in the poll with 53 points.
 
UMass Lowell captured fourth in the poll with 40 points, while New Hampshire (35) and Bryant (33) rounded out the top six.
 
Binghamton led all schools with five selections on the Preseason All-Conference team, while Maine and Vermont each had a pair. UMass Lowell and Bryant each had a single honoree. Jahkaya Davis, Ann Buckwalter and Sophia Garafalo are all repeat selections for the Bearcats.
 
Preseason Poll
Pl. School Points
1. Maine 60 (4)
2. Binghamton 58 (4)
3. Vermont 53 (1)
4. UMass Lowell 40
5. New Hampshire 35
6. Bryant 33
7. NJIT 20
8. UMBC 16
9. UAlbany 9
 
 
Women’s Preseason All-Conference
F Nora Belin (UMass Lowell)
F Jahkaya Davis (Binghamton)
F Paige Luke (Binghamton)
M Anna Buckwalter (Binghamton)
M Madeline Gardner (Vermont)
M Luise Reinwald (Maine)
D Colleen Ardolino (Bryant)
D Sophia Garofalo (Binghamton)
D Olivia Grisdale (Maine)
D Bridget Kennedy (Vermont)
GK Rebecca Kessler (Binghamton)
 
Need to Know:
  • Maine was picked first and seeks to become the first program to win four straight titles since Boston U captured five straight from 2007-2011.
  • The Black Bears return seven starters, including their entire defense, from last year’s championship after reaching the final as a No. 4 Seed
  • Binghamton has claimed the #AEWSOC regular season title in three of the past four seasons, placing third in 2024. The Bearcats’ five preseason all-conference honorees is the most for any program.
  • Anna Buckwalter earned #AEWSOC Co-Midfielder of the Year honors a season ago while teammate Sophia Garofalo was honored as the Defender of the Year. Jahkaya Davis and Paige Luke were also first-team all-conference honorees.
  • Vermont took third in the preseason poll after reaching the 2025 championship and finishing second in the league with a 5-1-2 conference record.
  • UMass Lowell took fourth in the poll after finishing third in the conference a season ago.
 
The 2026 season begins on Wednesday, August 12 with three teams in action as Vermont hosts Merrimack, UMass Lowell travels to Providence and Maine plays at Rhode Island. New Hampshire, Binghamton and UMBC open the season a day later. Bryant, NJIT and UAlbany start their seasons on Sunday, Aug. 16.
 
Fans will once again be able to watch nearly every #AEWSOC contest this season. Select games will air on The AE on ESPN while others will air on AmericaEast.TV. Those games will be available on computers, OTT devices and the America East app, which is available on all IOS and Android devices and can be found by searching ‘America East Conference’ in app stores.
 
About the America East:
Founded in 1979, the America East Conference is an elite NCAA Division I athletic conference that fosters an environment for student-athletes to become champions. Comprised of academically renowned, like-minded member institutions located in the Northeast region of the United States, America East is committed to broad-based excellence and progressive in its approach to supporting its more than 3,500 student-athletes across 18 sponsored sports. For more information, visit www.AmericaEast.com and follow the America East Conference and its social media channels, @AmericaEast.

- America East Conference – Where Champions Rise