EDISON, NJ (August 6, 2026) – Fairfield University has been selected as the favorite in the 2026 Metro Women’s Soccer Preseason Coaches’ Poll, as voted on by the conference’s 13 head coaches. Sacred Heart University’s Shea Kelleher, a key member of the 2025 Women’s Soccer Championship team, has been named the 2026 Metro Women’s Soccer Preseason Player of the Year.
The Stags received 164 points and nine first-place votes in the preseason poll to earn the top spot for the second consecutive year. Fairfield has appeared in 13 Metro Women's Soccer Championships and captured eight conference titles, ranking second all-time behind former conference member Loyola University. Fairfield most recently claimed the conference championship in 2024, defeating two-time defending champion Quinnipiac in the title match. During the 2025 regular season, the Stags posted a perfect 10-0-2 conference record and finished 15-2-2 overall, earning the No. 1 seed in the 2025 Metro Women's Soccer Championship.
Defending champion Sacred Heart was selected to finish second with 153 points and three first-place votes. During the 2025 Metro Women's Soccer Championship, the No. 4-seeded Pioneers upset No. 1 Fairfield in the semifinals before defeating No. 3 Canisius, 4-3, in a penalty kick shootout to capture their first conference championship in the program's first-ever championship appearance.
Quinnipiac University was selected to finish third with 146 points and one first-place vote. Canisius University and Siena University tied for fourth with 118 points each, rounding out the top five.
Sacred Heart's Shea Kelleher was named the 2026 Metro Women's Soccer Preseason Player of the Year. The senior from Kingston, MA, earned All-Championship Team and All-Conference Second Team honors following the 2025 season. Kelleher finished fifth in the conference with six assists and ranked fourth with 22 points. During the 2024 season, she led the Pioneers with five goals and 46 shots.
The complete 2026 Metro Women's Soccer Preseason Coaches' Poll and Preseason All-Metro Team are listed below.
2026 Women's Soccer Preseason Coaches' Poll
| 1 |
Fairfield |
164 (9) |
| 2 |
Sacred Heart |
151 (3) |
| 3 |
Quinnipiac |
146 (1) |
| T4 |
Canisius |
118 |
| T4 |
Siena |
118 |
| T6 |
Marist |
86 |
| T6 |
Manhattan |
86 |
| 8 |
Iona |
80 |
| 9 |
Merrimack |
72 |
| 10 |
Niagara |
63 |
| 11 |
Rider |
40 |
| 12 |
Mount St. Mary's |
39 |
| 13 |
Saint Peter's |
20 |
| Preseason Player of the Year |
| Shea Kelleher (Sacred Heart) |
Preseason All-Metro Team
| Player |
Position |
Year |
Institution |
| Morgan Cupo |
Forward |
Gr. |
Quinnipiac |
| Shea Kelleher |
Forward |
Jr. |
Sacred Heart |
| Ashley McMahon |
Forward |
Jr. |
Fairfield |
| Catherine Rogers |
Midfield |
Jr. |
Siena |
| Payton Zaun |
Midfield |
So. |
Fairfield |
| Jessica Whitaker |
Midfield |
Sr. |
Canisius |
| Corey Anderson |
Midfield |
So. |
Quinnipiac |
| Lindsay McShea |
Defense |
Jr. |
Sacred Heart |
| Brooke Walonis |
Defense |
Sr. |
Fairfield |
| Lindsey Harrington |
Defense |
Sr. |
Siena |
| Cassidy Clinton |
Defense |
Sr. |
Fairfield |
| Kyran Thievon |
Goalkeeper |
Jr. |
Sacred Heart |
The 2026 Metro Women's Soccer Championship is a six-team, single-elimination tournament scheduled for November 8–15. Each match will be hosted by the higher seed, with teams reseeded following each round of the championship. The tournament begins with the First Round on Sunday, November 8, followed by the semifinals on Thursday, November 12. The championship concludes with the title match on Sunday, November 15. For more information regarding the 2026 Metro Women’s Soccer Championship, please visit
here.