The University of Akron Athletics
Akron Selected to Win BIG EAST Midwest Division, Agunbiade and Dreas Earn Preseason Accolades
August 11 | Men's Soccer
NEW YORK – The BIG EAST Conference announced the 2026 Preseason Coaches' Poll and all-conference awards on Tuesday as No. 8/12 Akron was selected by the league's men's soccer coaches to finish as the top team in the Midwest Division, while No. 5/5 Georgetown was tabbed to win the East Division.
Akron had two players tabbed on the preseason All-BIG EAST Preseason team as junior forward Remi Agunbiade and senior midfielder Matt Dreas were selected among the 12-member group.
Agunbiade was selected in second round of MLS SuperDraft (No. 58 overall) by San Diego FC and named to TopDrawerSoccer.com National Team of the Week twice (Dec. 2, Sept. 29) in 2025. He appeared in 20 matches, including 16 starts and scored seven goals and added a pair of assists on the strength of 30 shots with 15 on goal, earning 16 points for the Blue & Gold.
Dreas was a second team United Soccer Coaches All-East Region recipient and second team All-BIG EAST selection. He started all 21 matches for Akron as the Zips advanced to the Quarterfinal Round of the NCAA Tournament. He netted one goal and tallied one assist, totaling three points for the Blue and Gold. Dreas was key contributor in the midfield unit that limited opponents to 0.71 goals per game.
Akron advanced to the NCAA Championship quarterfinals in 2025, finishing the season with a 13-5-3 overall record. The Zips received 66 points and 11 first-place votes to lead the Midwest Division. Creighton earned the remaining first-place vote and 56 points to rank second, followed by Xavier with 43 points. Marquette was selected fourth with 34 points, DePaul fifth with 27 and Butler sixth with 20.
Over an eight-match conference season, the team with the highest overall conference points will secure the No. 1 seed, while the team in the opposite division with the highest conference point total will secure the No. 2 seed. The remaining two seeds, regardless of division, will be determined by conference points.
A total of 12 student-athletes were selected to the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team due to a tie in the voting. Georgetown led all programs with three selections, while Akron, Providence and Seton Hall each placed two student-athletes on the team. Creighton's Matthew Reed and Georgetown's Mitchell Baker were unanimous selections.
All-BIG EAST honors and preseason polls were decided by a vote of the league's head coaches, who were not permitted to vote for their own team or players. The 2026 season gets underway on Thursday, Aug. 20. Conference action begins Friday, Sept. 19.
BIG EAST Preseason Men's Soccer Coaches' Poll
East Division
(first-place votes)
1. Georgetown (11) 66
2. UConn 46
3. Providence (1) 45
4. St. John's 37
5. Seton Hall 36
6. Villanova 16
Midwest Division
(first-place votes)
1. Akron (11) 66
2. Creighton (1) 56
3. Xavier 43
4. Marquette 34
5. DePaul 27
6. Butler 20
Preseason BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Year
Mitchell Baker, F, Georgetown
Preseason BIG EAST Midfielder of the Year
Til Kauschke, M, Seton Hall
Preseason BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year
Tate Lampman, D, Georgetown
Preseason BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Year
Kyle Durham, GK, UConn
Preseason All-BIG EAST Team ^
Remi Agunbiade, F, Akron
Matt Dreas, M, Akron
Kyle Durham, GK, UConn
Matthew Reed, D, Creighton *
Noeh Hernandez, M, DePaul
Mitchell Baker, F, Georgetown *
Tate Lampman, D, Georgetown
Matthew Van Horn, M, Georgetown
Brandon Marshall, D, Providence
Sam Montalto, F, Providence
Til Kauschke, M, Seton Hall
Mikkel Lejbowicz, F, Seton Hall
*Unanimous Selection
^12 members on the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team due to a tie in the voting.
Akron had two players tabbed on the preseason All-BIG EAST Preseason team as junior forward Remi Agunbiade and senior midfielder Matt Dreas were selected among the 12-member group.
Agunbiade was selected in second round of MLS SuperDraft (No. 58 overall) by San Diego FC and named to TopDrawerSoccer.com National Team of the Week twice (Dec. 2, Sept. 29) in 2025. He appeared in 20 matches, including 16 starts and scored seven goals and added a pair of assists on the strength of 30 shots with 15 on goal, earning 16 points for the Blue & Gold.Dreas was a second team United Soccer Coaches All-East Region recipient and second team All-BIG EAST selection. He started all 21 matches for Akron as the Zips advanced to the Quarterfinal Round of the NCAA Tournament. He netted one goal and tallied one assist, totaling three points for the Blue and Gold. Dreas was key contributor in the midfield unit that limited opponents to 0.71 goals per game.
Akron advanced to the NCAA Championship quarterfinals in 2025, finishing the season with a 13-5-3 overall record. The Zips received 66 points and 11 first-place votes to lead the Midwest Division. Creighton earned the remaining first-place vote and 56 points to rank second, followed by Xavier with 43 points. Marquette was selected fourth with 34 points, DePaul fifth with 27 and Butler sixth with 20.Over an eight-match conference season, the team with the highest overall conference points will secure the No. 1 seed, while the team in the opposite division with the highest conference point total will secure the No. 2 seed. The remaining two seeds, regardless of division, will be determined by conference points.
A total of 12 student-athletes were selected to the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team due to a tie in the voting. Georgetown led all programs with three selections, while Akron, Providence and Seton Hall each placed two student-athletes on the team. Creighton's Matthew Reed and Georgetown's Mitchell Baker were unanimous selections.
All-BIG EAST honors and preseason polls were decided by a vote of the league's head coaches, who were not permitted to vote for their own team or players. The 2026 season gets underway on Thursday, Aug. 20. Conference action begins Friday, Sept. 19.
BIG EAST Preseason Men's Soccer Coaches' Poll
East Division
(first-place votes)
1. Georgetown (11) 66
2. UConn 46
3. Providence (1) 45
4. St. John's 37
5. Seton Hall 36
6. Villanova 16
Midwest Division
(first-place votes)
1. Akron (11) 66
2. Creighton (1) 56
3. Xavier 43
4. Marquette 34
5. DePaul 27
6. Butler 20
Preseason BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Year
Mitchell Baker, F, Georgetown
Preseason BIG EAST Midfielder of the Year
Til Kauschke, M, Seton Hall
Preseason BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year
Tate Lampman, D, Georgetown
Preseason BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Year
Kyle Durham, GK, UConn
Preseason All-BIG EAST Team ^
Remi Agunbiade, F, Akron
Matt Dreas, M, Akron
Kyle Durham, GK, UConn
Matthew Reed, D, Creighton *
Noeh Hernandez, M, DePaul
Mitchell Baker, F, Georgetown *
Tate Lampman, D, Georgetown
Matthew Van Horn, M, Georgetown
Brandon Marshall, D, Providence
Sam Montalto, F, Providence
Til Kauschke, M, Seton Hall
Mikkel Lejbowicz, F, Seton Hall
*Unanimous Selection
^12 members on the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team due to a tie in the voting.
Players Mentioned
F
/ Men's Soccer
MF
/ Men's SoccerWednesday, April 22
Wednesday, April 22
Wednesday, April 22
Wednesday, April 22
