LOCK HAVEN, Pa.- Following its third PSAC Semifinal appearance in as many seasons a season ago, expectations remain high for the West Chester University men's soccer program in 2026 as the Golden Rams were picked second in the PSAC Preseason Coaches' poll as announced by the league office on Tuesday afternoon.
West Chester punched its ticket to the PSAC Tournament on the final day of the regular season last fall with a 2-1 victory on Rockwell Field over the Raiders and met longtime PSAC East rival turned PSAC West member Lock Haven in the PSAC Quarterfinals. West Chester used a second-half PK to grab a one-goal lead as senior
Owen Slack stepped to the spot and buried the chance for the lone goal of the game on a cold, blustery afternoon on Rockwell Field. The Golden Rams returned to the PSAC Semifinals for the third season in a row and met Gannon once again, falling to the Golden Knights by a 2-1 final to bring a successful 2025 season to a close.
The Golden Rams men received two first place votes and were picked to finish second in the PSAC East with a strong returning core, including three of their top four scorers from a year ago as
Maksym Komperda (Whitehall, Pa./Allentown Central Catholic), Luke Newman (Mission Viejo, Ca./Santa Margarita Catholic), and Peter Tichy (Bethlehem, Pa./Freedom) all return as do
Ian Alicea (Huntingdon Valley, Pa./Lower Moreland) and a pair of experienced keepers in
Jaden Howard (Townsend, De./Middletown) and Alexi Amanatidis (Huntingdon Valley, Pa./The Shipley School).
Millersville, who captured the PSAC East regular season crown with a record of 7-1-2 (the Marauders' lone loss came by a 2-1 final in West Chester to open PSAC East play) in league action last fall is the preseason favorite to repeat with four first-place votes, followed by West Chester and Bloomsburg, who were the three PSAC East teams to make the PSAC Tournament last fall. East Stroudsburg, Shepherd, and Shippensburg rounded out the PSAC East Preseason poll. In the PSAC West, Gannon was the unanimous favorite with all five available first-place votes, followed by Seton Hill, Lock Haven, Slippery Rock, California, and Pitt-Johnstown.
West Chester opened fall camp on Monday morning in preparation for its season opener at home against Jefferson on August 27 at 3 p.m.
