Five different teams have laid claim to either a regular season or tournament title in the last three years, showing the league's balance. That should be much the same in 2025 as four of those teams take the top four spots in the coaches preseason poll. Lyon sits atop the poll after back-to-back regular season titles and is eligible for the postseason this year for the first time since joining the league. Spalding won its first ever SLIAC tournament championship last year and is ranked #2 with prior champions Greenville and Webster following in the poll.
Lyon College received 60 points to lead the preseason poll, picking up five first-place nods. The Scots have claimed a share of the regular season title in each of their first two years in the SLIAC. Head Coach Emanuel Santos returns eight starters from last year's squad that was 11-5-4 overall and 6-1-2 in conference play. Leading the list of returners are All-Conference performers Gabriel Rangel, Tomas Biasi, and Matheus Nunes. Rangel is on of the top keepers in the league, leading the SLIAC in goals against average while recording five shutouts. Nunes was third in the SLIAC with 6 assists while Biasi will anchor the back line. Other returners are Joao Barros, Micah Rangel, Lucca Torres, and Christian De La Rosa; who will be joined by 18 newcomers to the program.
Spalding University received 57 points and four first-place votes from league coaches in the voting. The Golden Eagles return eight starters from a team that made a run to a tournament title last fall. Head Coach Adam Boyer benefits from the return of two-time SLIAC Player of the Year Mustafa Almohammedawi; who posted 14 goals and 5 assists one year ago. Fellow All-Conference players Eddie Mendez-Perez, Oliver Frankenfeld, Kevin Mulume, Forte Bess, and Micah Mattes give the team an experienced and talented core. Jose Huerta and Benit Mulume are also back after earning minutes as freshmen last season. New faces to keep an eye on are transfer Marlon Amaya and freshmen Bilombele Kanzulu and Carter Payne.
Picked third on the poll is Greenville University with 50 points. The Panthers earned a share of the regular season title last year, going 6-1-2. Head Coach Chris Swift brings back six starters and is confident he was able to fill some holes through a strong recruiting class. Among the starters coming back are First Team All-SLIAC performers Andres Garcia and Gabriel Sule. Garcia led the team with 23 points, recording a SLIAC high 9 assists, while Sule paced the team with 8 goals, adding 3 assists. Pedro Kamada started 10 games as a freshman defender and earned Second Team All-Conference honors last fall. Top newcomers include Luther Ramsey, Jahir Jean Baptiste, and Will Malone.
Webster University was chosen fourth on the poll with 44 points. The Gorloks finished 9-5-4 last fall while advancing to the tournament championship game. Scott Price and Luke Dillon headline the list of returners after earning All-Conference honors last year. Price was one of two players in the league to reach double digit goals last year (10) while Dillon ranked among the league leaders in several goalkeeping categories. Danny Nusinovic, Ian Meyer, Hayden Hatley, Luke Walsh, and Elmin Lemes all will play key roles. Vlad Sennikov and Enzo Proni shined during the spring semester and should work into the lineup for head coach Nenad Curic.
Principia College comes in fifth in the voting with 36 points. The Panthers were 7-6-3 in their first year under head coach Markus Bathelt. He returns seven starters but did lose some depth with the departure of 10 players. Effenberg Joy, who picked up All-Conference honors last season, led the team with 7 goals last season. Diego Alas and Jonathan Keller form part the attackers while Diego De Manuel Romero will hold down the midfield position and Nacho Cachaza returns to head up the defense. A strong group of newcomers includes Edgar Cartagena, Sebastian Castro, Alejandro Liborio, and Damilola Odunuga.
Westminster College was picked sixth, tallying 29 points. The Blue Jays were 3-10-5 overall last season, going 2-2-5 in conference play. They are coached by Brian O'Connor.
Blackburn College was picked 7th, totaling 24 points. The Beavers finished 3-10-5 last fall and return 10 starters. Head Coach Josh Oswald will build his lineup around All-Conference midfielder Johnny Perla. The sophomore tallied two goals in his first collegiate season last year while starting all 18 games for the Beavers. The team welcomes 20 freshmen, which brings their underclassman total to 37 players, making up one of the largest rosters in program history.
Eureka College comes in eighth on the poll with 16 points. Head Coach Ryan Woodside led the Red Devils to a 3-13-2 overall record last fall and brings back six starters. Joyce Kabesa is one of those returning starters after putting up 6 goals last season. Michael DeCarlo is also back after tallying 1 goal and 5 assists. Sophomores Uli Castenada and Walter Medrano bring plenty of experience to the field after combining for 31 starts last fall. Transfers Landon Porch and Michael Kondilis should step into the lineup and play important roles right away.
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