On Thursday morning, the Ohio Valley Conference released the Men's soccer preseason poll with the Lions being picked to finish first. Lindenwood received 11 of 16 first place votes, ahead of HCU and SIUE who finished tied for second with 80 points.The OVC preseason favorites are coming off of a remarkable 2025 campaign in which they set the Division I era record for wins in a single season (14-3-4), and became the first program to qualify for the NCAA Division I National Tournament in school history.

Rounding out the rest of the poll consists of Eastern Illinois (52), UTRGV (46), UIW (42), Western Illinois (36), and Southern Indiana (18). In addition to the poll, the OVC also released the Players to Watch for the upcoming season which features Lindenwood forward Luca Bartoni. Bartoni scored seven goals along with five assists, totaling 19 points for the Lions in 2025, and he finished last season as the 2025 OVC Forward of the Year and the OVC Tournament MVP in his first season with the Black and Gold.

The season opener for the Lions will be played at home in one week from today on August 20 at 7 p.m. where the Lions will face Chicago State inside of Steward Field at Hunter Stadium.
 
2026 OVC Men's Soccer Predicted Order of Finish
1. Lindenwood (11)- 94 points     
2. HCU (2) - 80 points
    SIUE (3)- 80 points
4. Eastern Illinois- 52 points
5. UTRGV- 46 points
6. UIW- 42 points
7. Western Illinois- 36 points
8. Southern Indiana-18 points
 
2026 OVC Men's Soccer Preseason Players to Watch
Conner Bayliss (CB, So.), Eastern Illinois
Ryan Okerayi (F, Sr.), HCU
Luca Bartoni (F, Sr.), Lindenwood
Mathias Clausen (D, So.), SIUE
Garrett Morris (F, Fifth Year), Southern Indiana
Diego Robles (F, Jr.), UIW
Mouhamed Pouye (MF, Sr.), UTRGV
Xavier Gagnon (F, Sr.), Western Illinois