CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - The American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) has released its 2026 men's soccer preseason coaches' poll on Tuesday, Aug. 25 with Wartburg being picked to win the A-R-C with six first-place votes.
The Knights will open the regular season on Wednesday, Sept. 1 at home against Cornell College beginning at 7 p.m. at Salzwedel Field.
Full A-R-C Men's Soccer Preseason Poll
1. Wartburg College - 46 (6)
2. Loras College - 38 (1)
T-3. Central College - 37 (1)
T-3. Nebraska Wesleyan University - 37
5. Simpson College - 23
6. University of Dubuque - 19
7. Coe College - 13
8. Buena Vista University - 11
A-R-C Preview
Christian Coridon enters year one as the head coach of the Knights with the key core returning from last year's regular season co-champions. Wartburg returns eight starters, including Flori Gembo, Alima Mmunga, Carson Kay, Blake Whitlow, and Joseph Svoboda as all-conference honorees from a season ago.
"I'm excited about the upcoming season and the experience this group brings. The culture we've built gives me great confidence that our team will compete in every match. The A-R-C will be as competitive as ever, with every program continuing to improve. There are no easy games in this conference. Every match is a battle and we're looking forward to embracing that challenge and competing at a high level throughout the season."
