Marlborough, Mass. - August 28, 2026 - As the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) men’s soccer season approaches in just a few days, a mix of proven veterans and rising contributors are positioned to shape the conference race. From established award winners to players stepping into larger roles, these 10 standouts are worth keeping an eye on throughout the fall.
1. Declan Rhatigan, F, Wheaton
Senior - Holderness, New Hampshire
Declan Rhatigan, a NEWMAC All-Conference Second Team selection a season ago, led the NEWMAC in goals with 11 and ranked second in assists with six en route to a historic 2025 campaign for the Lyons. Rhatigan became the first player in school history to open the season with a hat trick and went on to start in all 23 contests for Wheaton. Rhatigan’s relentless offensive pressure landed the Lyons in the NCAA Division III Quarterfinals for the first time since 2003.
2. Alex Yablonovskiy, F, Babson
Senior - Berkeley Heights, New Jersey
Alex Yablonovskiy earned All-Region and All-NEWMAC accolades last fall after producing career highs of 10 goals, four assists and 24 points in 21 matches for the Beavers. He tied for eighth in the region in goals and 10th in points, and was one of three players tied for the team lead with two game-winning markers on the year. Yablonovskiy and the Beavers will look to claim their third straightNEWMAC title in 2026.
3. Shikhar Motupally, M, MIT
Junior - Avon, Connecticut
Shikhar Motupally was placed on the All-Region Third Team and All-NEWMAC Second Team in 2025 during his rookie campaign as he finished the season with five goals and two assists for 12 points. He notched a pair of game-winning goals and will look to bring the Engineers back to the NEWMAC playoffs this fall.
4. Adin Pezo, F, WPI
Sophomore - Everett, Massachusetts
Adin Pezo is the reigning NEWMAC Rookie of the Year and will lead the Engineers as WPI looks for another deep postseason run in 2026. Pezo, the third NEWMAC Rookie of the Year in WPI men’s soccer history, appeared in 18 matches with 13 starts and tied for the team lead with three goals and adding an assist for seven points last fall.
5. Connor Policarpio, F, Springfield
Senior - Bristol, Connecticut
Connor Policarpio will lead the offensive unit for Springfield in 2026 after collecting six goals and three assists for 15 points as a junior. Policarpio started in all 18 matches for the Pride last fall. With Policarpio on the roster, Springfield has made the postseason tournament every year and the Pride will look to him to help the program to its first NEWMAC Championship title since 2018 this year.
6. Cole Miller, M, Coast Guard
Senior - Annapolis, Maryland
Miller enjoyed a breakout 2025 campaign as a junior, leading the Bears with 13 points behind a team-high six goals. He was named NEWMAC Offensive Athlete of the Week for his two-goal performance at Emerson College, and later netted the opening goal in Coast Guard's NEWMAC Tournament semifinal match-up at Babson College. The Maryland product scored three game-winning goals, sharing a four-way tie for the league lead, and was one of two Bears to be named First Team All-Conference.
7. Adonis Santiago, GK, Salve Regina
Junior - Oakdale, Connecticut
Adonis Santiago earned All-NEWMAC Second Team accolades in 2025 after a strong season between the pipes for Salve Regina. Santiago played in nine games and over the course of 765 minutes, he posted four shutouts, three wins, made 57 saves and produced a goals against average of just 0.71. In fact as a team, Salve Regina ranked second in Division III in save percentage (0.892) and 27th nationally in goals against average (0.733) last fall as the Seahawks produced eight total clean sheets a year ago.
8. Daniel Bede, D, Emerson
Senior - Framingham, Massachusetts
Daniel Bede was selected to the NEWMAC All-Conference First Team in 2025 for the first time after starting all 19 games on the backline in his second season at Emerson. He has started all 38 matches over his two seasons at Emerson, having netted one goal during his sophomore season. As a team, the Lions ranked sixth in the NEWMAC last fall in both goals against average and shutouts.
9. Carter Benoff, M, Clark
Senior - Holliston, Massachusetts
Rising senior Carter Benoff played in all 17 games for Clark a season ago and was the team’s leader in goals (2), assists (3) and points (7) in 2025. Benoff will look to help the Cougars back to the NEWMAC Tournament in 2026 for the first time since 2019.
10. Owen Kane, D, Wheaton
Senior - Pembroke, Massachusetts
Rising senior Owen Kane and All-NEWMAC First Teamer a year ago played in all 23 matches for the Lyons last season and helped Wheaton to a historic 2025 campaign that ended in the NCAA Division III Quarterfinals. He set career highs in goals, assists and points, while also being a key piece of the defensive unit that produced a goals against average of 0.57 and allowed just 13 goals across 23 contests. Wheaton ranked top-10 nationally in goals against average, winning percentage, save percentage and goal differential a season ago.
About the NEWMAC
The NEWMAC is an association of 13 selective academic institutions: Babson College, Clark University, U.S Coast Guard Academy, Emerson College, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Mount Holyoke College, Saint Anselm College (beginning reclassification process with NCAA in 2027-28), Salve Regina University, Smith College, Springfield College, Wellesley College, Wheaton College, and Worcester Polytechnic Institute, that are committed to providing high quality competitive athletic opportunities for student-athletes within an educational and respectful environment that embodies the NCAA Division III Philosophy. The conference also partners with seven Associate Members: New York University (Men's Volleyball, 2026-2027), Norwich University (Football), Simmons College (Rowing), SUNY Maritime College (Football), SUNY New Paltz (Men's Volleyball, 2026-2027), U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (Football), and Vassar College (Men's Volleyball, 2026-2027), while sponsoring 21 sports.