PORTLAND, Ore. – The Great Northwest Athletic Conference announced its Men's Soccer Preseason Coaches Poll on Monday afternoon, with the 25
th-ranked Seattle Pacific University men's soccer team chosen as the favorites to win the conference in 2026.
The Falcons are featured at the top of the 2026 GNAC Preseason Coaches Poll. They received two first place votes and totaled 32 points to earn the top spot. The Falcons enter the season ranked nationally as well, checking in at 25 in the United Soccer Coaches Preseason Poll going into 2026.
Western Oregon collected three first-place votes but missed out on the top spot by two points to land in second place. Western Washington accumulated 24 points to round out the top three.
Northwest Nazarene collected one first-place vote but tied Simon Fraser with 17 points for fourth place. Saint Martin's rounds out the poll in sixth place.
"It's always nice to be recognized by the other coaches, but we know that polls mean nothing and we must earn it again through the way we train, compete, and approach each day," head coach
Kevin Sakuda said.
Last season, the Falcons secured a 10-win season for the first time since 2021. It was the 43rd time in program history that the Falcons have won 10 or more games in a single season. SPU earned a share of the GNAC Regular Season Championship and qualified for the conference's inaugural tournament. It was the fifth regular-season GNAC title in program history. Five regular-season GNAC Championships are the third-most in the conference. It was the second regular-season GNAC title the Falcons have won under coach Sakuda. Sakuda was named the GNAC Coach of the Year.
The Falcons qualified for the NCAA Tournament for the 37th time in program history. They played eventual national champions Midwestern State in the second round, where a goal with two seconds left in the second overtime brought the Falcons' season to an end.
Sakuda's GNAC Coach of the Year was one of 10 GNAC Postseason Awards earned by the Falcons in 2025. Two players were named D2 CCA All-Region. Three more Falcons earned United Soccer Coaches All-Region honors. Academically, the Falcons placed 11 on the GNAC All-Academic Team. Five Falcons were named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District team.
Victor Cabanas returns for 2026 after beeing named the 2025 GNAC Freshman of the Year and a First Team All-GNAC honoree.
Rafael Lucio returns to the Falcons after being a unanimous First Team All-GNAC selection a season ago. Lucio led the conference in shots on goal per game.
JJ Diaz missed some time last season but earned a GNAC Player of the Week award in 2025. Diaz led the team with seven goals, including a hat trick in the GNAC semifinals.
The Falcons welcomed 14 newcomers to the 2026 roster this season.
Willem Ficek and
Marcos Bravo lead a group of five transfer students that are new to the Falcons.
Isaac Grimes,
Cooper Schneider, and
Hugh Lear are three of eight first-year Falcons new to the team this season.
"We're proud of what we accomplished last season, but this is a new team, and we understand that nothing carries over," Sakuda said. "Our focus right now is figuring out what the identity of this 2026 team will be, and that means continuing to put the work in every day, being disciplined in our preparation, and competing every day to get better."
The Falcons lift the lid on the 2026 season on Thursday, when they face off against fifth-ranked Stanislaus State at Interbay Soccer Stadium at 7:00 p.m. Then on Saturday, the Falcons welcome back program alumni for Legacy Day, where the 40-year anniversary of the 1986 national championship team will be celebrated during halftime of SPU's match against Chico State at 1:00 p.m.
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