BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Lee University men's soccer team has been projected to finish seventh in the 2026 Gulf South Conference Men's Soccer Coaches Preseason Poll. First-place votes were divided between three teams. Auburn University at Montgomery received (4) first-place votes but had 94 overall points in gaining the top spot. Second place Mississippi Christian (formerly Mississippi College) garnered more No.1 votes (6), however, came up short with 90 points. Christian Brothers University climbed up the ladder to the third place while the University of Alabama in Huntsville and Montevallo University rounded out the top five.
"I am never worried about preseason rankings – whether we are ranked at the top or further down the list," noted Lee Coach Derek Potteiger as he eyed the poll. "Often times these rankings reflect how things went the previous season, and this is a new season. I am not surprised that AUM is ranked at the top. I think there are a number of strong teams in the GSC and so it will be interesting to see how things unfold in the first few weeks of the conference games.
In years past conference games have been played on Friday and Sunday, but that will change this season. "I think all of the GSC coaches are excited about the new schedule in terms of playing Wednesday/Saturday games," added Potteiger, who begins his tenth year as the Lee head coach. "Hopefully, that will allow all of us to play our best soccer in all the games this season."
The Flames did not have a player listed on the GSC Men's Soccer Preseason Team. Mississippi Christian led the squad with three players highlighted. UAH, AUM, Christian Brothers, the University of Montevallo, and the University of West Alabama each had two players singled out. Coach Potteiger, who has 11 freshmen on his 2026 roster, elected not to place any on the GSC Men's Soccer Newcomers to Watch List.
"I know we didn't have anyone listed as Preseason All-GSC, but we have some very good returning players – just so happens most of them were injured last year and missed significant portions, or the entirety, of the GSC schedule," pointed out Potteiger. "Additionally, we brought in a number of new players and their first week's (here) have been very solid; and it would have been hard to single out just one or two of them."
Graduate student 6-foot-2 Marcos Garcia, 6-foot red-shirt senior Matias Milla Munoz and 5-foot-11 junior Jesse Thompson will captain the 2026 Lee squad. Garcia is a forward who tallied three goals last season. Munoz and Thompson were part of a solid defensive unit that held conference opponents to two goals or less in 11 of 12 games last season.
The Flames open the season at Emmanuel University on August 27 (7 p.m.). They will begin the home season on August 29 (7 p.m.) at the Ray Conn Sports Complex. It is back on the road to kick off the September slate, traveling to Lenoir-Ryne University (Sept. 2nd, 5 p.m.) and then it is back to the Ray Conn Complex (Sept. 5th) for a 7 p.m. kick against Tusculum University.
2026 GSC Men's Soccer Coaches Preseason Poll
1. AUM (4), 94 points
2. Mississippi Christian (6), 90 points
3. Christian Brothers (1), 77 points
4. UAH, 68 points
5. Montevallo, 59 points
6. West Alabama, 58 points
7. Lee, 51 points
8. Trevecca Nazarene, 42 points
9. Union, 31 points
10. Delta State, 21 points
11. Spring Hill, 14 points
First-place votes in parentheses
2026 GSC Men's Soccer Preseason Team
Sonny Wright, Jr., GK, UAH
Oil Orzechowski, Sr., F, UAH^
Alan De Paula, Sr., D, AUM^
Benjamin Hoffmann, Jr., F, AUM*
Olivier van der Tuin, Gr., F, Christian Brothers
Daiki Ebihara, Jr., M, Christian Brothers
Luke Nolan, So., M, Mississippi Christian
Alvaro Pena, Jr., D, Mississippi Christian^
Gage Sorey, Sr., D, Mississippi Christian*
Alexander Mueller, So., M, Montevallo
Dakota Hart, Sr., M, Montevallo
Oisin Griffin, Gr., D, West Alabama
David Nunez, Jr., F, West Alabama*
