WESTERVILLE, Ohio – Ohio Northern, under the direction of seventh-year Head Coach Chris Matejka, has been picked by the league coaches to win the Ohio Athletic Conference men’s soccer title in 2026.
Ohio Northern received five of nine first place votes to collect 59 points. Followed closely by Otterbein in second with 56 points and three first place votes and Mount Union in third with 55 points and one first place vote. Head coaches do not vote for their own teams in the balloting.
The Polar Bears finished the 2025 season with a 12-0-7 overall record and placed first in the OAC with a 6-0-2 mark. They fell to Otterbein in penalty kicks in the OAC Tournament finals.
The Polar Bears will open the season with a 4:30 p.m. kickoff on Tuesday, September 1 at Kenyon College in Gambier, OH.
2026 OAC Men’s Soccer Coaches Poll
- Ohio Northern | 59 points (5 first place votes)
- Otterbein | 56 points (3 first place votes)
- Mount Union | 55 points (1 first place vote)
- Wilmington | 41 points
- Capital | 35 points
- Baldwin Wallace | 29 points
- Marietta | 24 points
- Heidelberg | 13 points
- Muskingum | 12 points