Four St. Mary’s College of Maryland athletic programs enter the 2026 fall season picked at or sharing the top spot in their United East Conference preseason polls, as voted on by the league’s head coaches.
Men’s soccer was tabbed the outright favorite, receiving seven first-place votes and 116 points — the most of any team in the poll, a result independently confirmed through the conference’s own release. Head coach Alun Oliver, the reigning United East Coach of the Year, returns an experienced group off an undefeated 8-0 conference season and a second straight regular-season title, led by All-Region selections Nick Haney and Zach Blaum. The Seahawks have already opened the season 2-1, including a 4-2 win over Eastern Mennonite.
Women’s soccer shares the top spot with defending champion Penn State Harrisburg, each drawing six first-place votes and 116 points. St. Mary’s also went 8-0 in conference play last season and reached the United East championship game for a second consecutive year. Head coach Peter Krech, a 2009 SMCM alumnus, returns most of last year’s starters, including captains Megan Rusk and Keira O’Neail and 2025 United East Defensive Player of the Year Allie Petryszak. The Seahawks opened this season with a comeback 2-1 win over Hood College.
Field hockey enters as the defending United East champion, having swept the regular-season and tournament titles in 2025 before advancing to the NCAA Division III Championship. The Seahawks received five first-place votes as they pursue a third straight conference title under head coach Allyson Osborne. St. Mary’s dropped its first game of this season, 1-0 to Bridgewater (Va.), after opening with an overtime win over Batten.
Women’s cross country, chasing a sixth consecutive United East crown, edged Lancaster Bible College by three points for the top preseason spot, drawing five first-place votes and 114 points. Head coach Reava Potter returns four of five scoring runners from last year’s championship squad, led by First Team All-United East performer Ella Mitchell, who placed second overall at the 2025 championship meet. The team opened its season fifth of 15 teams at Lebanon Valley’s Dutchmen Invite, with Mitchell leading the Seahawks in 12th.
Coaches across the four programs pointed to a shared emphasis heading into the season: strong team culture, connection, and a commitment to competing for one another. The preseason recognition adds to a broader stretch of momentum for Seahawk Athletics, which also posted record United East academic honors this summer, with 13 St. Mary’s teams earning the conference’s Team Academic Award and a department-record 229 combined All-Academic selections across the 2025-26 academic year.
2026 Seahawks to Watch
- Men’s Soccer (No. 1) — vs. Catholic, Sept. 9, 4:30 p.m.
- Women’s Soccer (T-No. 1) — vs. Stevenson, Sept. 9, 7 p.m.
- Field Hockey (No. 1) — at York (Pa.), Sept. 12, 12 p.m.
- Women’s Cross Country (No. 1) — Seahawk Classic, Sept. 18, 4:30 p.m., Oak Ridge Park, Hughesville
