BIG EAST Announces Preseason Men’s Soccer Poll and Awards

Jonathan Turner
2 days ago
2 min read

NATIONAL SOCCER NEWS: www.nationalsoccernetwork.com

NEW YORK (Aug. 19, 2025) – Akron and Georgetown have been selected as preseason favorites in the BIG EAST Conference, as the league released its annual coaches’ poll and all-conference awards on Monday.

No. 21 Akron earned the top spot in the Midwest Division, while No. 25 Georgetown was picked to win the East Division. DePaul junior midfielder Noeh Hernandez was named the BIG EAST Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, Seton Hall senior defender Agustin Resch was tabbed Defensive Player of the Year, and Akron redshirt senior goalkeeper Mitch Budler earned Goalkeeper of the Year honors.

East Division Outlook

Defending BIG EAST tournament champion Georgetown led the East Division poll with 65 points and 10 first-place votes. Providence, the 2024 runner-up and co-division champion, followed with 56 points and two first-place votes. St. John’s (45) was picked third, while Connecticut (34) and Seton Hall (30) rounded out the top five. Villanova earned 16 points to place sixth.

Midwest Division Outlook

After a dominant 7-0-1 mark in Midwest play last season, Akron once again tops the poll with 65 points and 10 first-place votes. Creighton received two first-place votes and placed second with 57 points, while Xavier (41) was picked third. Marquette (34), DePaul (26) and Butler (23) completed the division rankings.

Preseason Standouts

Hernandez, the reigning BIG EAST Midfielder of the Year, returns after leading DePaul with eight goals and nine assists in 2024. His 25 total points ranked second in the league, as he helped spark the Blue Demons’ best offensive season in nearly three decades.

Resch, a senior leader for Seton Hall, anchored a defense that posted eight shutouts in 2024, the program’s highest total since 2004.

Budler, the league’s reigning Goalkeeper of the Year, was a stalwart in net for Akron with nine shutouts and a 0.93 goals against average last season. Over his career, he has compiled a 29-10-15 record with 132 saves in 4,864 minutes of action.

Preseason All-BIG EAST Team

A total of 11 players were named to the preseason all-conference team, led by four selections from Georgetown and two from Providence. Hernandez, Resch and Budler headline the group.

Preseason Offensive Player of the Year