KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Continuing a trend of excellence for Christopher Newport men's soccer, the Captains will open the 2026 season ranked No. 24 in the nation according to the United Soccer Coaches Division III Preseason Poll. Christopher Newport has been ranked every year since 2018 and at least once in 11 of the last 12 seasons overall. 

Head coach Justin Chezem enters his seventh season at the helm and has piled up an impressive five NCAA Tournament appearances in his first six seasons. In those postseason appearances, the Captains have won at least one game in all five and reached the sectional round in the 2021 campaign. CNU is coming off a Coast-To-Coast Athletic Conference Championship and a season that saw them finish No. 24 in the poll with a 13-3-5 overall record. 

The preseason poll features defending national champion Tufts University at the top and followed in the top five by Trinity (Texas), St. Olaf, Emory, and Bowdoin. 

Last season, Christopher Newport defeated national runner-up Trinity during the regular season, proving its mettle against the best Division III had to offer in 2025. CNU also earned a draw against Dickinson, ranked No. 6 in the poll, and captured a 3-1 win against Hampden-Sydney, receiving votes. 

The Captains will return second team All-Region defender Carson Friedlein to headline a suffocating defense that allowed just 16 goals in 21 games last season. That mark ranked among the top-30 nationally while CNU also ranked 34th in save percentage. Friedlein made an impact on the offensive end as well, scoring 10 points on four goals with two assists. He notched the gamewinning tally against Trinity and added two more game-winning goals during the year. 

CNU secured the most wins in a year since 2019 and graduated just four starters from the lineup heading into 2026. Alongside Friedlein, veterans Yazan Yaghmmour, Miles Maggioncalda, and Colin Skwirut helped lock down opposing offenses last year and return for their senior seasons. The veteran depth includes 21 upperclassmen with 12 seniors set to take the field for the final time in 2026. Manzi Siibo, Drew McWhinney, and Joe Summerfield lead the offensive weapons in the senior class while Michael Hackworth is also set to return for his last year after a thrilling overtime game-winning goal in the NCAA Tournament punctuated 2025. 

Seven freshmen and a pair of transfers will add depth to the lineup along with a talented sophomore class that got valuable experience in 2025. 

Christopher Newport will open the season with six straight home games and eight of the first nine at Captains Field. The opener is scheduled for Friday, September 4 against Moravian University at 5:00 p.m. 
 

National - Pre-season Poll - August 4, 2026

Rank	School	Prev	W-L-T
1	Tufts University	1	20-1-3
2	Trinity University (Texas)	2	20-2-1
3	St. Olaf College	3	20-3-3
4	Emory University	4	17-2-3
5	Bowdoin College	5	12-4-4
6	Dickinson College	6	16-1-7
7	Wheaton College (Mass.)	7	17-2-4
8	Augsburg College	8	18-3-3
9	Connecticut College	9	12-3-6
10	Williams College	10	10-5-4
11	SUNY Cortland	11	14-1-6
12	Rowan University	12	17-4-4
13	Macalester College	13	17-4-4
14	Washington University (Mo.)	14	14-4-1
14	University of Lynchburg	14	19-2-2
16	Messiah University	16	12-8-2
17	University of Scranton	17	13-1-6
18	Brandeis University	18	10-4-5
19	Middlebury College	19	11-6-2
20	University of Chicago	20	12-3-5
21	Denison University	21	14-3-3
22	University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire	22	13-3-4
23	University of Massachusetts-Boston	23	13-4-4
24	Christopher Newport University	24	13-3-5
25	Luther College	25	10-3-7

Records shown are final 2025 records.

Also receiving votes: Catholic University, Wesleyan University, University of Lynchburg, Babson College, Calvin University, Hampden-Sydney College, Edgewood University, Texas Lutheran University