St. Paul, MN -- The Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) released the 2025 Men's Soccer Preseason Coaches Poll Tuesday, with the NCU Men's Soccer team picked to finish fifth for the second straight year. The poll is voted on by all the head coaches in the conference. Coaches cannot vote for their own team.

2025 UMAC Men's Soccer Preseason Coaches Poll

        1. UW-Superior | 36 (6)
        2. Bethany Lutheran | 30 (1)
        3. Northwestern | 25
        4. Crown | 22
        5. North Central | 17
        7. Minnesota Morris | 12
        8. Martin Luther | 5

Top Returners
Ricardo Vera Martinez, Sr., M | 2024 All-UMAC Honorable Mention | 2024 NCCAA DII North Region First-team | Team-high 7 assists in 2024 (started all 21 games)
Ulrich Mvogo, Sr., F | Team Captain | 5 goals and 1 assist in 2024
Diego Zavala Varela, Gr., D | 4 goals and 1 assist in 2024 (started all 21 games)
Alex Chacich, Sr., F | 3 goals and 2 assists in 2024
Gerald Nolasco, Jr., D | Team Captain | Started 18 games in 2024

The North Central University (NCU) men's soccer program has announced its full 2025 season schedule. Under the leadership of second-year head coach Keith Bleyer, the Rams are set for an exciting campaign that includes 9 home games at Elliot Park Field. Click to see the men's FULL SCHEDULE. 

The regular season officially begins on Labor Day, Monday, September 1st, when the Rams travel across the Twin Cities to battle Hamline University in St. Paul, MN. NCU returns home for its home opener just three days later on Thursday, September 4th, welcoming another MIAC opponent in Bethel University to Elliot Park Field for a 4:00 PM kickoff. The non-conference slate continues with trips to Simpson College (Sept. 8th) and a home match against Saint John's University (Sept. 11th), followed by a weekend clash against Waldorf University (Sept. 13th) in Minneapolis.   

NCU opens Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) play on the road on Wednesday, September 17th, in a rematch with the defending UMAC champions, the University of Wisconsin-Superior Yellowjackets. The Rams will celebrate "Senior Day" on Wednesday, October 29th against the University of Minnesota Morris before closing out the regular season at Crown College on Saturday, November 1st.

Men's Soccer sets its sights on qualifying for the 2025 UMAC Postseason Tournament, which is scheduled to be played on November 5-8. NCU also aims to return to the NCCAA North Regionals held in Ankeny, Iowa on November 10-12, with hopes of advancing to the NCCAA DII National Tournament in Kissimmee, Florida starting November 17th.

All fans are encouraged to tune into the official Rams Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter (X) pages for updates on men's soccer and all things NCU Athletics.