KANSAS CITY, Mo.--- Coming off one of the finest seasons in program history, the Stan State men's soccer team, coached by John Powell, will begin the 2026 season ranked No. 5 in the nation in the United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division II Men's Soccer Preseason Top 25, the organization announced on Tuesday.

The Warriors, who finished the 2025 campaign with a 17-2-1 record and advanced to the NCAA Division II Third Round, maintain the same national ranking they held at the conclusion of last season.

Stan State is one of three CCAA programs recognized in the preseason poll. Cal State Dominguez Hills is ranked No. 20, while Cal State San Bernardino received votes. The No. 5 ranking also marks the first time in program history that the Warriors have been ranked among the nation's top 10 in the United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division II Preseason Poll.

The 2025 season was one of the most successful in program history as the Warriors climbed to No. 1 in the nation for two consecutive weeks, posted a school-record 14-match unbeaten streak, captured the program's first CCAA Tournament championship since 2012, and advanced to the NCAA Division II Third Round for the deepest postseason run in school history and the program's first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2015.

The Warriors also earned extensive national recognition. Gerardo Flores and Ian Reis were named United Soccer Coaches First Team All-Americans, while Angel Ruiz-Hernandez and Samuel Villanueva earned Second Team honors and Emmanuel Duran was selected to the Third Team. Villanueva added D2CCA First Team All-America accolades, while Ruiz-Hernandez earned D2CCA Third Team honors.

Regionally, Emmanuel Duran, Flores, Reis, Ruiz-Hernandez, and Villanueva earned United Soccer Coaches All-West Region honors, while Flores, Ruiz-Hernandez, and Villanueva also received D2CCA All-West Region recognition. Flores was named the United Soccer Coaches National Player of the Month.

At the conference level, Flores, Reis, Ruiz-Hernandez, Villanueva, and Duran earned All-CCAA First Team honors. Sebastian Carbajal was named to the Second Team, while Federico Barbieri, Jose Ponce, Landon Real Ruiz, and Adrian Yepez received Honorable Mention recognition. Carbajal was named CCAA Freshman of the Year, Flores earned CCAA Forward of the Year honors, Ruiz-Hernandez was selected CCAA Goalkeeper of the Year, and John Powell was named CCAA Coach of the Year. Villanueva and Reis were named the CCAA Tournament Offensive and Defensive MVPs, respectively, while Alexis Cervantes, Duran, and Ruiz-Hernandez were selected to the CCAA All-Tournament Team.

The Stan State coaching staff of John Powell, Eduardo Flores, Desmond Madrigal, and Casey Clark was named the United Soccer Coaches West Region Coaching Staff of the Year.

Academically, Villanueva earned Academic All-America honors and was joined by Adrian Yepez as an Academic All-District selection. Villanueva also earned United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-West Region recognition.

Stan State opens the 2026 season with a challenging two-match road trip to the Pacific Northwest, beginning Aug. 27 at preseason 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 against Cal State Monterey Bay. Conference highlights include a Sept. 20 home matchup with preseason No. 20 Cal State Dominguez Hills and an Oct. 2 home contest against RV Cal State San Bernardino before the regular season concludes Oct. 29 at Fresno Pacific.
Midwestern State claimed the No. 1 spot in the preseason rankings, followed by Rollins, Fort Hays State, Southern New Hampshire and Stan State to round out the top five.