Aug. 20, 2026 – North Central College women's soccer was picked as the favorite for the 2026 season in the annual College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin Preseason Coaches Poll. It marks the fifth consecutive season the Cardinals have landed the top spot in the poll.
 
Head coach Andrew Gamarra and his team accrued all eight possible first-place votes and 64 points to top the poll. CCIW Tournament runner-up North Park University picked up one first-place vote and 53 points to land the No. 2 spot. Carthage College claimed 45 points for third while Elmhurst University and Wheaton College tied for fourth with 40 points. Illinois Wesleyan University sits sixth with 37 points, Carroll University was seventh (19 points), Millikin University was eighth (18), and Augustana College rounded out the poll (8).
 
North Central earns the distinction after a standout 2025 season in which the Cardinals swept the CCIW Regular Season and Tournament Championship titles. The Red & White cruised through the CCIW slate with a perfect 8-0 record while compiling a 16-6-0 showing for the year. The program notched two 4-0 shutouts in the conference tournament to advance to NCAA postseason play for the third straight season. The Cardinals picked up their first NCAA Tournament win in program history in a 3-1 First Round contest against Loras College.
 
The Cardinals return five of their seven All-CCIW honorees from a season ago, including CCIW Offensive Student-Athlete of the Year and Third Team All-American Jordan Lange and CCIW Goalkeeper of the Year Lily Mattison. Lange returns as North Central's top goal scorer, having notched 14 last season while also contributing nine assists. She was named one of 16 "Players to Watch" in Division III by the D3Playbook earlier this week.

Mattison looks to make another strong impact in goal after allowing just three goals in 10 games against CCIW competition. Additional All-CCIW returners for the Cardinals are first team selection Kara Waishwell and second team honorees Madison DeVriendt and Gabriella Mattio.
 
North Central opens the 2026 campaign with five straight home contests, beginning Tuesday, Sept. 1, against Illinois Institute of Technology, which received votes in the national preseason coaches' poll. The Cardinals will then take on #16 Carleton College on Sept. 5 and #17 Calvin University on Sept. 8.