NEW HAVEN, Conn. (August 11, 2026) – Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference women’s soccer coaches have chosen Thomas Jefferson University for the No. 1 spot in the 2026 standings. The results of the CACC Preseason Coaches Poll were announced today by Commissioner Dan Mara.
Jefferson (17-3-1, 10-0-1 in 2025) won its third consecutive CACC regular-season championship in 2025. After reaching the conference semifinals, the Rams advance to the NCAA Division II East Regional final (overall round of 16) for the second year in a row. Jefferson is ranked No. 11 in the national Division II preseason coaches poll.
The Rams received eight of 12 first-place votes in the CACC poll and 118 total points. Wilmington University, last year’s CACC champion, collected one first-place vote and was chosen for second place with 95 points. Chestnut Hill College was picked for third place with 94 points, followed closely by Caldwell University with 90 points in fourth and the University of Bridgeport with 88 in fifth. Bridgeport received the other three first-place votes.
The next three positions in the poll went to, respectively, Georgian Court University (6th, 76 points), Holy Family University (7th, 58), and Goldey-Beacom College (8th, 52). Felician University landed in the ninth position with 49 points, followed by Dominican University New York (39), Post University (20), and Lincoln (Pa.) University (13).
The regular season begins on Thursday, August 27, with eight CACC teams in action. Conference play is slated to start on Sept. 15. At season’s end, the top eight teams in the standings will qualify for the CACC Championship tournament. The quarterfinals and semifinals will be held on Nov. 1 and 4 at campus sites. Wilmington will host the championship final on Nov. 7 at the WilmU Athletics Complex in Newark, Del. The CACC champion will automatically qualify for the 2026 NCAA Division II East Region Championship.
2026 CACC WOMEN’S SOCCER PRESEASON COACHES POLL
(First-place votes in parentheses)
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1.
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Thomas Jefferson University (8)
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118 pts.
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2.
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Wilmington University (1)
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95
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3.
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Chestnut Hill College
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94
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4.
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Caldwell University
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90
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5.
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University of Bridgeport (3)
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88
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6.
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Georgian Court University
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76
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7.
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Holy Family University
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58
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8.
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Goldey-Beacom College
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52
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9.
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Felician University
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49
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10.
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Dominican University New York
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39
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11.
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Post University
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20
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12.
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Lincoln University of Pennsylvania
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13
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Founded in 1961, the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference has been affiliated with NCAA Division II for 21 years. Conference institutions compete for championships in 18 sports – seven for men, 10 for women, and one co-ed. The CACC contains 11 full members in Connecticut, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. Membership includes the University of Bridgeport, Caldwell University, Chestnut Hill College, Dominican University New York, Felician University, Georgian Court University, Goldey-Beacom College, Holy Family University, Post University, Thomas Jefferson University, and Wilmington University.