The defending OVC regular season and tournament champion Lindenwood Lions were picked to finish in first place the conference preseason poll, released on Friday. (Photo: Thomas Grove)
BRENTWOOD, TN — The Ohio Valley Conference released its 2026 preseason men’s soccer poll on Friday and in it announced that 2025 defending regular season and tournament champion Lindenwood University was voted the favorite to win the league title again this season.
Lindenwood, which went 14-3-4 overall and 6-2-2 in conference games last season, received 11 of 16 first-place votes and 94 total points to top the poll voting of league head coaches and communications directors.
Houston Christian, the team Lindenwood beat in the conference championship game last year and has been in the OVC Tournament Final each of the past two years, finished tied with SIU-Edwardsville, which won the regular season and tournament titles in 2023 and 2024, for second-place with 80 total points.
HCU earned two first-place votes, while SIUE received three. Eastern Illinois (54 points), Texas-Rio Grande Valley (46 points), Incarnate Word (42 points), Western Illinois (36 points) and Southern Indiana (18 points) rounded out the voting.
The top six teams in the standings will qualify for the 2026 OVC Men’s Soccer Championship Tournament, which will take place November 8, 11 & 14 in St. Charles at Lindenwood’s Hunter Stadium.
The Lions will open their season on Thursday, August 20, with a home game against Chicago State. Opening kick is scheduled for 7 p.m., and the game will be streamed live on ESPN+.
2026 OVC Men’s Soccer Players to Watch
Conner Bayliss (Center Back, Sophomore), Eastern Illinois
Ryan Okerayi (Forward, Senior), Houston Christian
Luca Bartoni (Forward, Senior), Lindenwood
Mathias Clausen (Defender, Sophomore), SIU-Edwardsville
Garrett Morris (Midfielder, Fifth Year), Southern Indiana
Diego Robles (Forward, Junior), Incarnate Word
Mouhamed Pouye (Midfielder, Senior), Texas-Rio Grande Valley
Xavier Gagnon (Forward, Senior), Western Illinois
Returning All-OVC Selections
Luca Bartoni (Forward, Senior), Lindenwood
Nathan Bessinger (Midfielder, Senior), Western Illinois
Ricardo Garcia (Midfielder, Senior), Houston Christian
Nico Kross (Defender, Senior), Houston Christian
Ryan Okerayi (Forward, Senior), Houston Christian
2026 LINDENWOOD LIONS MEN’S SOCCER SCHEDULE
| Date | Time | At | Opponent | Location | TV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 20, 2026 (Thursday) | 7:00 p.m. | Home | Chicago State | Hunter Stadium |  |
| August 24, 2026 (Monday) | 2:00 p.m. | Away | IU Indy | Indianapolis, IN | |
| August 26, 2026 (Wednesday) | 7:00 p.m. | Home | Blackburn College | Hunter Stadium | |
| August 30, 2026 (Sunday) | 12:00 p.m. | Away | Wright State | Dayton, OH | |
| September 4, 2026 (Friday) | 4:00 p.m. | Away | Butler | Indianapolis, IN | |
| September 11, 2026 (Friday) | 7:00 p.m. | Home | Evansville | Hunter Stadium | |
| September 15, 2026 (Tuesday) | 7:00 p.m. | Home | Tulsa | Hunter Stadium | |
| September 20, 2026 (Sunday) | 9:00 p.m. | Away | Seattle University | Seattle, WA | |
| September 26, 2026 (Saturday) | 6:30 p.m. | Away | Texas Rio Grande Valley* | Edinburg, TX | |
| October 1, 2026 (Thursday) | 7:00 p.m. | Home | Incarnate Word* | Hunter Stadium | |
| October 4, 2026 (Sunday) | 1:00 p.m. | Home | Houston Christian* | Hunter Stadium | |
| October 8, 2026 (Thursday) | 7:00 p.m. | Home | Texas Rio Grande Valley* | Hunter Stadium | |
| October 11, 2026 (Sunday) | 3:00 p.m. | Home | Western Illinois* | Hunter Stadium | |
| October 15, 2026 (Thursday) | 6:00 p.m. | Away | SIU-Edwardsville* | Edwardsville, IL | |
| October 18, 2026 (Sunday) | 3:00 p.m. | Away | Southern Indiana* | Evansville, IN | |
| October 23, 2026 (Friday) | 7:00 p.m. | Home | Eastern Illinois* | Hunter Stadium | |
| October 29, 2026 (Thursday) | 7:00 p.m. | Away | Houston Christian* | Houston, TX | |
| November 1, 2026 (Sunday) | 1:00 p.m. | Away | Incarnate Word* | San Antonio, TX | |
| November 8-14, 2026 | TBA | Home | Ohio Valley Conference Tournament | Hunter Stadium |
* – denotes Ohio Valley Conference game