EDISON, NJ (Aug. 6, 2025) – Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) defending Women’s Soccer champions, Fairfield University, has been picked as the favorites to win back-to-back titles according to the 2025 MAAC Women’s Soccer Preseason Coaches’ Poll, as voted on by the league’s 13 head coaches. Additionally, the Stags standout forward, Maddy Theriault, was unanimously named 2025 Preseason Player of the Year.
Fairfield tallied 166 points with 11 first-place nods in the preseason poll, earning the top spot in the poll for the first time since 2013. The Stags enter 2025 as the defending champions, after knocking off two-time defending champs, Quinnipiac University, in the 2024 MAAC title match. For Fairfield, it was the program’s MAAC-leading eighth championship title among current league members – the Stags first championship since 2008 – and the victory avenged the team’s second place finish to Quinnipiac the previous season. The Stags only surrendered one goal over three postseason contests in 2024, outscoring their opposition 6-1, en route to the championship trophy. During the 2024 regular season, Fairfield posted a league-best 10-1-1 (31 points) MAAC record, clinching its ninth regular season title for the program and finished the 2024 campaign with an overall mark of 18-3-1, which included a perfect 13-0 home record.
2024 championship runner-up, Quinnipiac, finished second in the poll, earning 158 points and the remaining two first place votes. Siena University was picked third, garnering 133 points, followed by Canisius University in fourth place, claiming 129 points, and Sacred Heart University in fifth place with 105 points to round out the league’s top five.
For the third consecutive year, Fairfield’s Theriault, was named MAAC Preseason Player of the Year and she was the lone unanimous selection to the Preseason All-MAAC Team for the second straight season. The rising senior forward was the unanimous recipient of the 2024 MAAC Golden Boot award and was named 2024 MAAC Championship Most Valuable Player, in addition to earning her third straight selection to the All-MAAC First Team, NEWISA All-New England First Team, ECAC Second Team, All-Region Second Team, and being named as Fairfield University Women’s Athlete of the Year. Theriault led the MAAC and finished in the top 25 nationally with 13 goals and 32 points. Her 13 goals were tied for the fourth-most in program history and her 32 points was the most by a Stag in 15 years. Theriault was also the league leader in game winning goals (7), goals per game (.59), points per game (1.45), shots per game (4.23), and shots on goal per game (1.95). Her seven game-winning tallies were the third-most in the NCAA, while her shots and shots on goal marks ranked in the nation’s top 25.
The full Preseason Coaches’ Poll and remainder of the Preseason All-MAAC Team can be found below.
| 2025 MAAC Women’s Soccer Preseason Coaches’ Poll |
| 1 |
Fairfield |
166 (11) |
| 2 |
Quinnipiac |
158 (2) |
| 3 |
Siena |
133 |
| 4 |
Canisius |
129 |
| 5 |
Sacred Heart |
105 |
| 6 |
Manhattan |
91 |
| 7 |
Merrimack |
84 |
| 8 |
Iona |
82 |
| 9 |
Rider |
72 |
| 10 |
Marist |
59 |
| 11 |
Niagara |
48 |
| 12 |
Mount St. Mary’s |
31 |
| 13 |
Saint Peter’s |
25 |
| Preseason Player of the Year |
| Maddy Theriault* – Fairfield |
| Preseason All-MAAC Team |
| Player |
Position |
Year |
Institution |
| Maddy Theriault* |
Forward |
Sr. |
Fairfield |
| Ashlyn Walsh |
Forward |
So. |
Fairfield |
| Megan Stowell |
Forward |
Jr. |
Siena |
| Lizzy Harkness |
Midfield |
Sr. |
Canisius |
| Sam Kersey |
Midfield |
Sr. |
Fairfield |
| Abby Daly |
Midfield |
Jr. |
Siena |
| Catherine Rogers |
Midfield |
So. |
Siena |
| Meg Carragher |
Defense |
Sr. |
Fairfield |
| Madison Alves |
Defense |
Sr. |
Quinnipiac |
| Kam Vanderbosch |
Defense |
Sr. |
Siena |
| Kayla Kalbaugh |
Goalkeeper |
So. |
Iona |
| Molly Brunk |
Goalkeeper |
Jr. |
Manhattan |
| Cate Burns |
Goalkeeper |
So. |
Siena |
Denotes unanimous selection*
The 2025 MAAC Women’s Soccer Championship is a six-team, single-elimination championship taking place November 2-9, 2025. Each match during the championship will be hosted by the higher seed and all rounds of the championship will reseed. The first round will take place on Sunday, November 2, followed by the semifinals on Thursday, November 6, and concluding with the championship final on Sunday, November 9. For all information regarding the 2025 MAAC Women’s Soccer Championship, please visit
maacsports.com/wsoc.
About the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference:
With 13 institutions strongly bound by the sound principles of quality and integrity in academics and excellence in athletics, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) is in its 45th year of competition during the 2025-26 academic year. Current conference members include: Canisius University, Fairfield University, Iona University, Manhattan University, Marist University, Merrimack College, Mount St. Mary’s University, Niagara University, Quinnipiac University, Rider University, Sacred Heart University, Saint Peter’s University, and Siena University.
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