The Occidental men’s soccer team was voted No. 1 in the SCIAC Preseason Poll. The 2025 SCIAC regular season and tournament champions, who exited in the first round of the NCAA tournament, got six first-place votes in the poll, the most of any team. In the first two games of the 2026 season, the team has started 1-1.
Head coach Rod Lafaurie said he is satisfied with the team’s preseason ranking.
“I would feel more pressure if we were the ninth-ranked team coming into the preseason poll,” Lafaurie said. “It’s actually a compliment, and quite the opposite of what pressure is. It’s hard when nobody expects anything of you [and] that’s a heck of a lot worse place to be.”
Midfielder Ethan Carr (senior) said the team consistently works hard, regardless of their ranking.
“You wake up every day in ninth place in the SCIAC; you have to earn the right to call yourself first place by the end of the day,” Carr said. “The only way to do that is making sure every training session is better than all other SCIAC teams, and every game you play [is up] to that standard as well.”
Forward Yordan Marinov (junior) said every game is a challenge with the No. 1 preseason vote.
“In reality, [being No. 1] doesn’t mean anything because whenever you play an opponent, they’re going 100 percent,” Marinov said. “[Other teams] have something to prove when trying to beat a No. 1 team, which means every game is difficult.”
Carr said Lafaurie has provided some useful tools for the team so they can continue to reach their goals.
“[Our goals are to] win the SCIAC regular season, the SCIAC tournament and then the national championship,” Carr said. “Our head coach Rod [has] talked about the Muhammad Ali effect. If you have a crazy dream, say it out loud and then you can either not meet expectations or fight for it and do it. If we say [our] three goals […] then we have a better chance of getting there.”
The men’s soccer team has a 34-man roster, their largest since the 2021 season. With growing numbers, midfielder Elijah Edelman (senior) said an important goal is to keep competing as more than just a soccer team.
“We have 11 first years and one transfer, and it’s really awesome to build relationships with the new guys and try to integrate the team so we’re one group of 34 guys, like 34 brothers,” Edelman said.
Carr said having a 34-man roster is helping players improve every day.
“We could have two teams within our team that could compete for a SCIAC,” Carr said. “If we’re that good against each other in training, then when we go into real games it’s easy for us because it’s not the same level of competition.”
In the Occidental men’s soccer home opener Sept. 1, they shut out Azusa Pacific 2-0. Their second game against Gordon College Sept. 6 ended 0-1 and brought men’s soccer their first loss.
Lafaurie said the team is looking to grow in other aspects of their game as the season continues.
“We based all of our championships and all of our teams on defense,” Lafaurie said. “We lacked attacking clarity, but that’s where we are in the preseason […] Unfortunately, it came to a game where we happened not to score, but we’re not fully cooked.”
Carr said this early-season obstacle is a learning experience the team has faced before.
“Every year I’ve been at Oxy, we’ve lost an early game in the preseason,” Carr said. “It humbles you and shows that you’re not invincible in college soccer.”
Defender Cooper Gersch (senior) said the team is focusing on the present.
“We’re taking this day by day, we’re focusing on this practice, then tomorrow’s practice and then the next game, rather than trying to worry about the entire season as a whole,” Gersch said. “We want to define our season as we go on.”
The men’s soccer team traveled to Ohio this weekend to finish out the preseason against No. 21 Denison University Sep. 11 and Kenyon College Sep. 13. The team dropped their match against Denison 1-2, but beat Kenyon 2-0.
Before leaving for their Ohio tournament, Marinov said despite early season challenges, the team will continue to progress.
“Our first game of the season was a win on a red card, and the second game of the season was pouring rain early in the [morning],” Marinov said. “We’re ready for Ohio, and whether it be two wins, two losses, or a win and tie, it’ll only provide growth since they’re very good opponents.”
Lafaurie said if the team continues to play their best, they will be unstoppable.
“I want to see them doing the things that we’re supposed to do,” Lafaurie said. “There’s no team in the country that we won’t beat. We just have to do it consistently.”
Contact Liz Hermosillo at ehermosillo@oxy.edu
