A new regular season champion is expected for a fourth consecutive year as Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges edged out the University of Redlands by just two points in the 2025 SCIAC Men’s Soccer Preseason Poll, as voted by the league’s head coaches.
The reigning SCIAC Tournament champions advanced to the third round of the NCAA Championship after finishing a single point behind Redlands in the regular season table. Two-time All-SCIAC First Team defender
Shaan Malik is back along with forwards
James Gomez and
John Laidlaw, who with 57 shots on goal between them comprised two-thirds of a potent CMS attack that averaged over two goals across 23 games.
Defending champion Redlands and Coaching Staff of the Year winner
Ralph Perez also welcome back a trio of All-Conference performers in First Team goalkeeper
Brady Bachman as well as Second Team forward
Anders Beckton and midfielder
Connor Claborn. Bachman and the Bulldogs defense surrendered fewer than a goal per game while Beckton ranked third in the conference with eight assists while also putting the fifth-most shots on net (31).
The 2023 regular season champion Occidental College Tigers bring back three past All-SCIAC selections in First Team choice
Vicente Navarro and Second Teamers
Aiden Aley (2024) and
Tyler Na-Nakornpanom (2022). Chapman University also won the regular season as recently as 2022 and retained
Alex Glynn in goal, where the rising senior ranked fourth in the league for goals against average.
Hector Duenas-Pena took over goalkeeping duties for a University of La Verne squad that will have to replace the majority of its offense with new head coach
Drew Rea. The senior was a steady presence between the posts with the third-most saves per game in the conference. SCIAC Tournament regulars for the past four years, the California Lutheran University Kingsmen bring back defensive stalwart
Jack Gominiak, who has totaled 2,754 minutes of action over the past two seasons. Both Whittier College All-SCIAC selections return in midfield standout
Rowan Slater and
Jack Hindmarsh, one of just two rookies to earn All-Conference distinction last year as one half of the Poets’ dynamic outside back sophomore duo along with
Anthony Dolce.
Caltech was the only team with three players ranked among the top 10 in the conference for points per game and the entire trio will have another go together this year. Three-time All-SCIAC pick
Etienne Casanova pulls the strings as an attacking midfielder behind three-time First Team choice
Ishaan Mantripragada and Newcomer of the Year
Matthew Luk, both of whom missed time with injury but still managed eight goals apiece with Luk adding six assists. Another three-time All-Conference selection,
Niclas Ulrich, is the top returner for Pomona-Pitzer Colleges which will be led by
Clint Moore.
2025 SCIAC Men’s Soccer Preseason Poll
1. Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, 75 points (four first-place votes)
2. Redlands, 73 pts (4)
3. Occidental, 62 pts (1)
4. Chapman, 48 pts
5. La Verne, 37 pts
6. California Lutheran, 34 pts
7. Whittier, 27 pts
8. Caltech, 25 pts
9. Pomona-Pitzer, 24 pts
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