NESCAC

[Kuiper]

More NESCAC schedules

Trinity (CT)

Opening at National Champion Tufts is a kick in the mid-section for a team that hasn't won a single conference game in the last two seasons.  It also doesn't bode well that they have Wesleyan, a team that beat them 4-1 last season, on the schedule TWICE (although they seem to be trolling the Cardinals by not identifying EITHER game as a NESCAC game).  As far as non-conference games, they drop Western New England in favor of Hunter College.

Hamilton

Hamilton had a stingy defense and some solid results last season, including a 0-0 tie with Middlebury, 1-0 victory over Bowdoin, and a 2-2 tie with Wesleyan, but couldn't get over the hump.  Because of their location away from most other NESCAC schools, they tend to have a more diverse (and sometimes more competitive) non-conference schedule.  This year, they trade out Oswego State, SUNY Poly, and SUNY Oneonta for Clarkson, Rochester, and SUNY Morrisville.

[Kuiper]

Tufts posted its 2026 roster.

Tufts

I kind of prefer when they don't do it this early, since it preserves the nostalgic illusion that preseason training is still a tryout and the roster isn't quite set until it's over.  Nevertheless, it's fun to start looking at where things stand for the defending national champions.  A few observations:

Antic and Pensky are back for a 5th year, as previously announced. 

They do get a DI transfer GK from Providence in Julian Ballester, but he doesn't come with much experience.  Zach Ubamadu, who was listed as a junior, is apparently not coming back, so the transfer takes his spot and a freshman takes the other GK position vacated by Sammy Kao.  So, they basically have four goalkeepers, but only Antic has any experience to speak of.

The other transfer is Riley Gray from San Diego State, who didn't see anytime in his 1 year there.  He's a 6'3" defender, which makes him one of the tallest defenders on the team and perhaps fills a role James Flagg played last season off the bench.