The Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) released its preseason poll for the upcoming men's soccer season and Dordt University was tabbed eighth among the 11 conference teams.
Voted upon by the 11 head coaches, the Defenders accounted for 32 points, just ahead of ninth place Doane (Neb.) with 30.
Concordia, the 2025 GPAC postseason champion and the lone conference team to qualify for the NAIA National Championship, was picked first and totaled 91 points. Northwestern, the 2025 regular season champion, accumulated 88 points and was second. Both Concordia and Northwestern garnered four first place votes.
Morningside (82pts, 3 first place votes), Midland (73pts) and Briar Cliff (66pts) round out the top five.
Dordt opens the season with a pair of road matches this week in Montana against Carroll (Aug.20) and Providence (Aug.22).
Notes:
- this is the Defenders first season under Head Coach Tim Lee, who is joined on staff by assistants Michael Catanzarite, David Lee and Stevie Hodes.
- Dordt finished the 2025 season with a 5-6-6 overall record
- the Defenders went 2-4-4 and finished seventh among 11 teams in conference play
- Northwestern won the conference regular season title with a 9-0-1 record
- Concordia won the GPAC postseason title and was the lone GPAC team to qualify for the NAIA National Championship
- two GPAC teams, Midland and Concordia, received votes in the final NAIA Coaches poll
- Lee inherits a Defenders squad that returns 13 players from last year
- 10 players are back who started at least on match for the Defenders
- Julian Janssen returns after earning all-conference honors last year
- the combined 2025 record of the Defenders non-conference opponents is 64-71-17
- Dordt will play 10 GPAC matches, five both at home and on the road
- the Defenders begin conference play at home against Concordia on Sept.19
- combined 2025 record of all 18 opponents: 143-157-39 (48% win)
- the GPAC Tournament will be on Oct.31, Nov.6 and Nov.10
