University of Connecticut Athletics
UConn No. 24 in United Soccer Coaches Preseason Poll, Kyle Durham Named to MAC Hermann Watch List
8/15/2026 3:53:00 PM | Men's Soccer
STORRS, Conn. – The UConn men's soccer team will begin the 2026 season ranked No. 24 in the United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division I Men's Preseason Poll. In addition, redshirt-junior goalkeeper Kyle Durham (Brookyln, N.Y.) has been named to the 2026 MAC Hermann Trophy Goalkeepers to Watch List.
UConn opens the 2026 season against the Syracuse Orange at Morrone Stadium on Thursday, August 20. Head coach Chris Gbandi will not be on the touchline for the season opener, as he serves the remainder of his NCAA mandated suspension from last season's Sweet 16 game at Maryland.
The Huskies, who finished last season ranked No. 24 in the final United Soccer Coaches Poll, earned the program's first at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament since 2018 as the No. 13 overall seed in the tournament. UConn advanced to the round of 16 for the first time since 2013 after knocking off Cornell in the second round in the tournament, 3-1 at Morrone Stadium. The victory marked the program's first NCAA Tournament win since 2018, and its first under fifth year head coach Chris Gbandi.
This season, UConn will face seven teams that reached the NCAA Tournament in 2025, Syracuse, Western Michigan, Siena, Byrant, and conference foes, Georgetown, Seton Hall, and St. John's.
Durham was one of just eight goalkeepers in the country to be named to the MAC Hermann Trophy Goalkeepers to Watch List. The New York native had a breakout campaign in 2025, finishing as the nation's leader in saves with 98 in his first season as the full-time starter. Durham earned Second Team All-BIG EAST and Third Team All-Region honors a season ago.
The lists are compiled and released by the Division I All-America Committees to promote college soccer leading up to the official start date for the regular season later this month. The lists include United Soccer Coaches All-Americans and All-Region players from 2025 who are scheduled to return for the 2026 season.
The MAC Hermann Trophy is presented annually to the Division I National Players of the Year as voted by Division I College Coaches at the end of the regular season. The 2026 recipients will be announced on January 8, 2027, in St. Louis, Mo.
