INDIANAPOLIS – Defending Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) champion Ashland has been selected as the favorite to capture the 2026 Great Midwest Women's Soccer Championship title, according to the annual preseason poll voted on by the league's head coaches.
The Eagles garnered 119 points and 10 first-place votes after capturing both the 2025 Great Midwest regular season and tournament championships before advancing to the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional. Cedarville received the remaining two first-place votes and finished second with 110 points, while Findlay was close behind in third with 109 points, setting the stage for what promises to be another competitive race atop the conference standings.
The Eagles will look to replace standouts in Dani Hicks and Jaya Daniel, but return a depth of talent that includes Adi Turnbaugh, Tessa Blain, and Sofia Divine. Turnbaugh, a senior defender, anchored a defense that allowed just 11 goals on the season. Ashland’s goals-against average ranked ninth in all of Division II at .495 per game. Blain returns after a successful rookie season where she connected on seven goals and four assists for 19 points. Divine started in eight games for AU, scoring five goals and three assists for 13 points over the course of 19 games. Ashland ended the 2026 season ranked as high as No. 13 by the United Soccer Coaches (USC) poll.
For Cedarville, freshman standout Savannah McConnell will return for head coach Johnathan Meade. McConnell started and played in all 22 games as a midfielder, leading the Yellow Jackets to a 12-3-7 overall record, that included two ties with nationally-ranked Ashland.
The 2025 Freshman of the Year Addison Williams is set to return for Findlay, slotted at the No. 3 spot. Williams appeared in 18 games, logging 751 minutes during her freshman season. She led the team with eight goals and a conference second-best 0.44 goals per game. Junior midfielder Avary Zeisloft, a third team all-region selection, made 16 starts, scoring four goals for Findlay.
Northwood was picked fourth with 94 points, followed by Lake Erie (78), Thomas More (62), Walsh (61), Ohio Dominican (54), Tiffin (40), Malone (40), Ursuline (19) and Kentucky Wesleyan (12).
Northwood's success will again be built around one of the conference's stingiest defenses, led by co-Goalkeeper of the Year Lindsay Jacob. Jacob tabbed 95 saves through 20 games and led the league in shutouts with 10. Offensive threats in Mari Jackson and Ella Boyd are also set to make their return. Jackson totaled 12 points, that included six goals on 17 shots on goal. For Boyd, the junior forward started in 18 games, where she connected on four goals and dished out four assists. The Timberwolves will look win their second G-MAC championship title.
Lake Erie, under 2025 Coach of the Year Carl Contrascier, surprised the league last year after being projected 11
th in the preseason poll and earning the No. 5 seed in the conference championship tournament. Contrascier will look to replace all-conference selection Leonie Witt, but returns one of the team’s top goal-scorers in Isabella Carvvalho, who appeared in 19 games and notched 11 points for the Storm.
The 2026 season is set to begin on August 27 with a slate of non-conference matchups.
2026 Great Midwest Women's Soccer Coaches Preseason Poll
| Rank |
Team |
Points |
| 1. |
Ashland (10) |
119 |
| 2. |
Cedarville (2) |
110 |
| 3. |
Findlay |
109 |
| 4. |
Northwood |
94 |
| 5. |
Lake Erie |
78 |
| 6. |
Thomas More |
62 |
| 7. |
Walsh |
61 |
| t8. |
Ohio Dominican |
54 |
| t8. |
Tiffin |
40 |
| 10. |
Malone |
40 |
| 11. |
Ursuline |
19 |
| 12. |
Kentucky Wesleyan |
12 |