CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – Wartburg College has been voted the preseason favorite to win the 2025 American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) men’s soccer title, as voted by the league’s head coaches. The Knights received 61 points and five first-place votes to edge out Luther College (59 points, four first-place votes) atop the poll.
 
The 2025 season officially kicks off on Friday, August 29 when eight of the nine A-R-C teams will take the pitch. The conference season begins on Saturday, September 27, and will run through Tuesday, October 28. The A-R-C Men’s Soccer Tournament will begin with first round action on Saturday, November 1, followed by the semifinal round on Wednesday, November 5. The tournament championship match will be on Saturday, November 8, and the champion will receive the league’s automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament. New this year, after the first round of the conference tournament, the bracket will be reseeded so the lowest remaining seed will advance to face the top seed and the highest remaining seed will face the second seed.
 

2025 American Rivers Conference Men’s Soccer Preseason Coaches’ Poll
Place	Team (First-place votes)	Points
1.	Wartburg (5)	61
2.	Luther (4)	59
3.	Loras	48
4.	Nebraska Wesleyan	46
5.	Simpson	31
T-6.	Central	28
T-6.	Univ. of Dubuque	28
8.	Coe	14
9.	Buena Vista	9

 
Wartburg College enters the 2025 season as the preseason favorite, earning 61 points and five first-place votes. The Knights are coming off an 11-5-4 campaign that included a second-place finish in the conference during the regular season and an NCAA Tournament appearance after earning the league’s tournament championship. Under ninth-year head coach Mike Madigan, Wartburg returns an experienced and talented roster that features seven All-Conference honorees, including Flori Gembo, Lwings Kabula, Carson Kay, Sam McDevitt, Aidan Mott, Henry Eckert, and Alima Mmunga. With depth and leadership across all positions, the Knights are poised to compete at both the conference and national levels. 

“With a talented group of returning and new players, we’re excited to keep making progress within the nationally competitive American Rivers,” said Madigan.

Luther College was narrowly picked second in the poll with 59 points and four first-place votes. The Norse are coming off a first-place finish in the 2024 regular season and have appeared in 11 NCAA Tournaments and are led by veteran head coach Chris Garcia-Prats, who enters his 18th season. Luther returns All-Conference midfielder Nels Mortenson and a strong defensive core, despite the graduation of several starters. The Norse will look to maintain their place at the top of the standings in what is expected to be another tight title race. 

“We are excited about the upcoming 2025 season and our standards and expectations for our players in our program remain high,” wrote Garcia-Prats. “The conference grows in competitiveness each year and I think we will see lots of twists and turns throughout this season!!"

Loras College was selected third in the poll with 48 points. The Duhawks finished third in the conference a year ago at 5-1-2 in A-R-C play and return a veteran core that includes three All-Conference performers—Cole Bridson, Dani Galiana Torres, and Townes Robertson. Head coach Sam Koenig, entering his third season, has built a strong foundation and will look to guide the team back to NCAA contention, where the program has made 15 previous appearances. 

“We return a great core group of players and look forward to adding newcomers into the mix as we take on the 2025 season,” Koenig said. “As always – looking forward to building a family that will last a lifetime.”  

Nebraska Wesleyan University checked in at fourth with 46 points. The Prairie Wolves are coming off an 11-win season and bring back Owen Glogowski and Morgan Armagost as returning all-conference honorees, along with several other key starters across the field. Head coach Brandon Bonilla enters his eighth season at the helm with a team that continues to gain momentum and experience in one of Division III’s most competitive leagues. 

“Excited for another year in the A-R-C,” Bonilla said.

Simpson College was picked fifth with 31 points after a strong 2024 season in which the Storm finished 4-3-1 in league play and fifth overall. Head coach Rick Isaacson returns for his 15th season and brings back seven starters, including senior All-Conference midfielder/forward Mitchell Dickson. With a junior-heavy lineup, Simpson looks to remain a consistent presence in the A-R-C postseason picture. 

"Should be another highly competitive season in the A-R-C,” said Isaacson. “Our coaching staff is optimistic that we'll be back in the mix this fall. We look forward to tackling what will surely be a challenging league slate."

Central College tied for sixth in the poll with 28 points. The Dutch posted an 8-9-2 record last season and return seven starters under long-time head coach Garry Laidlaw, who enters his 28th season with the program. The Dutch continue to build on a steady upward trend. 

“We want to continue the trajectory we feel we've been on over the last few years,” said Laidlaw. We expect the league will be determined by fine margins once again.”

Also tied for sixth with 28 points is the University of Dubuque, which returns several core players from a team that finished 2-5-1 in league play a year ago. Under second-year head coach Andrew Mathys, the Spartans will rely on a senior-led defense with center backs Jose Serra and Lukas Sandanger anchoring the back line. The Spartans will also return Elia Desario, Eddie Papis, Albin Lauridsen, Sam Matthews, and Mario Meier to the starting lineup. With returning experience and more familiarity in the system, UD looks to leap forward in 2025. 

“We are excited for a great year in the extremely competitive American Rivers Conference,” said Mathys.

Coe College was picked eighth with 14 points and begins the season under the direction of Kyle Bakas. The Kohawks are aiming to build on their 2024 campaign, in which they earned two conference wins. Senior Ian Kearney returns to lead a group filled with veteran presence and a promising incoming class. 

"We are really looking forward to getting this season underway,” added Bakas. “We have added a strong class to a team that has a lot of solid leaders in it, and expect to be competitive in every game this season. Most excited to see how our new turf plays!"

Buena Vista University rounds out the poll in ninth place with nine points. The Beavers return nine starters and are led by third-year head coach Kelsey Resnick. All-Conference forward Kendall Bickford highlights a senior-laden roster that also includes key returners at every position. 

“We look forward to testing ourselves against another tough conference schedule,” said Resnick.