TURLOCK, Calif.--- The No. 5 Stan State men's soccer team, under the direction of fourth-year head coach
John Powell, has been picked to finish second in the 2026 California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) regular-season standings, according to the conference's preseason coaches' poll.
The Warriors received four first-place votes and totaled 148 points, finishing just seven points behind preseason favorite Cal State Dominguez Hills. The Toros collected five first-place votes and 155 points. Since Powell has taking over as Stan State head men's soccer coach, this is the highest that the Warriors have been picked to finish in the preseason poll.
Stan State enters the season ranked No. 5 in the United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division II Men's Soccer Preseason Poll, matching its final national ranking from the 2025 campaign. The Warriors are the highest-ranked CCAA team in the preseason national poll. Cal State Dominguez Hills is ranked No. 20, while Cal State San Bernardino is receiving votes.
Cal Poly Pomona was picked third in the CCAA preseason poll with 142 points and two first-place votes, while Cal State LA received one first-place vote and 137 points to place fourth. Cal State San Bernardino rounded out the top five with 119 points and one first-place vote.
Stan State enters 2026 following one of the most successful seasons in program history. The Warriors posted a 17-2-1 overall record in 2025, climbed to No. 1 in the nation for two consecutive weeks and recorded a school-record 14-match unbeaten streak. They captured the CCAA Tournament Championship for the first time since 2012 and advanced to the NCAA Division II Third Round before finishing the season ranked No. 5 nationally.
The Warriors return a strong group from last season's championship team, including several players who earned postseason recognition in 2025.
Gerardo Flores returns after being named a United Soccer Coaches First Team All-American, CCAA Forward of the Year, D2CCA First Team All-West Region and United Soccer Coaches First Team All-West Region. Flores was also named the United Soccer Coaches National Player of the Month during the 2025 campaign.
Emmanuel Duran also returns after earning United Soccer Coaches Third Team All-America, First Team All-CCAA and United Soccer Coaches First Team All-West Region honors.
Federico Barbieri and
Jose Ponce are among the returning Warriors after each received All-CCAA Honorable Mention recognition last season, while
Adrian Yepez earned All-CCAA Honorable Mention and CSC Academic All-District honors.
Alexis Cervantes also returns after being selected to the CCAA All-Tournament Team.
Those honorees are part of a veteran group returning from a Stan State squad that captured the 2025 CCAA Tournament Championship and advanced to the NCAA Division II Third Round.
The Warriors also continued their success in the classroom during the 2025-26 academic year. Stan State earned the United Soccer Coaches College Team Academic Award after posting a team grade-point average of at least 3.0. Ten Warriors earned recognition on the CCAA All-Academic Team, while several members of the program also received CCAA Fall Academic Honor Roll and Stan State Honor Roll recognition.
Powell was selected as the 2025 CCAA Coach of the Year, while the Stan State coaching staff was named the United Soccer Coaches West Region Coaching Staff of the Year.
The top seven teams in the final CCAA regular-season standings will advance to the 2026 CCAA Men's Soccer Tournament presented by FloCollege. The quarterfinals will be held at campus sites on Sunday, Nov. 1, with the top seed receiving a bye. The semifinals and championship will be held at Kellogg Stadium on the campus of Cal Poly Pomona in Pomona, Calif., with the semifinals scheduled for Friday, Nov. 6, and the championship match on Sunday, Nov. 8.
Stan State opens the 2026 season on Aug. 27 at No. 25 Seattle Pacific before facing Western Washington on Aug. 29. The Warriors make their home debut Sept. 3 against Saint Martin's at Warrior Stadium and open CCAA play Sept. 18 when they host Cal State Monterey Bay.
2026 CCAA Men's Soccer Preseason Coaches' Poll
| Rank |
Team |
Points |
| 1. |
Cal State Dominguez Hills (5) |
155 |
| 2. |
Stan State (4) |
148 |
| 3. |
Cal Poly Pomona (2) |
142 |
| 4. |
Cal State LA (1) |
137 |
| 5. |
Cal State San Bernardino (1) |
119 |
| 6. |
Cal State East Bay |
96 |
| 7. |
Cal State San Marcos |
90 |
| 8. |
Chico State |
69 |
| 9. |
Cal State Monterey Bay |
62 |
| 10. |
Menlo |
60 |
| 11. |
Fresno Pacific |
47 |
| 12. |
UC Merced |
31 |
| 13. |
Cal Poly Humboldt |
27 |
First-place votes are listed in parentheses.
