GRINNELL, Iowa – The Illinois College men's soccer team has been picked to finish fourth in the annual Midwest Conference Preseason Coaches Poll, the league announced today.
IC earned 47 points in the poll after finishing the 2025 season with an 80305 overall record and a 3-2-3 slate in conference action. Headlining the returnees for IC is
Jives Efemini. The senior earned second-team All-MWC accolades a year ago. Efemini will be joined by classmates
Joe Aiello,
Logan Corgan,
TJ Esseily,
Blake Morrison,
Kristofer Ruiz,
Jared Santillan, and
Carter Uhlmann in guiding the Blueboys in 2026.
Conference newcomer Luther received nine first-place votes and was picked to win the title. The Norse, ranked 25th nationally by the United Soccer Coaches in the USC's 2026 preseason poll, received all nine possible first-place votes and 81 points.
Lake Forest, the defending MWC regular season and tournament champions, picked up the remaining first-place vote and took second with 72 points.
Grinnell came in third with 57 points, with the Blueboys garnering 51, and Beloit earning 47 to round out the top half of the poll.
Ripon (43 points), Cornell (37 points) and Knox (36 points) came in sixth, seventh and eighth with just seven points separating the three schools. Lawrence (15 points) and Monmouth (11points) rounded out the poll.
IC opens play on September 1st when it hosts Illinois Wesleyan at 6:30 p.m. at England Stadium.
For the first time, the Midwest Conference Men's Soccer Tournament features an expanded field of six teams who will compete for the tournament title and the automatic qualifier to the NCAA Tournament. Quarterfinal action kicks off on Tuesday, November 3, while the semifinals and finals are scheduled for Friday and Saturday (November 6-7).
2026 MWC Men's Soccer Preseason Coaches' Poll Results
1. Luther College (9 first-place votes) - 81 points
2. Lake Forest College (1) - 72 points
3. Grinnell College - 57 points
4. Illinois College - 51 points
5. Beloit College - 47 points
6. Ripon College - 43 points
7. Cornell College - 37 points
8. Knox College - 36 points
9. Lawrence University - 15 points
10. Monmouth College - 11 points
( ) = first place votes
