Greenville, S.C. – Furman was picked to repeat as Southern Conference men's soccer champions and six Paladins earned a spot on the Preseason All-SoCon Team, it was announced on Monday afternoon by the league office.
 
The Paladins, who swept the SoCon regular season and tournament titles a year ago before advancing to the NCAA College Cup, received four of a possible six first-place votes to take the top spot in the preseason poll with UNCG, Liberty, Mercer, Wofford, ETSU, and VMI rounding out the predicted order of finish, according to the league's head coaches. Forward Wilfer Bustamante, midfiedlers Diego Hernandez and Luke Hutzell, defenders Braden Dunham and Ryan Wagner, and goalkeeper Ivan Horvat garnered preseason All-SoCon accolades.
 
Bustamante, a Greenville native and product of J.L. Mann High School, scored eight goals and tied for the team lead with nine assists in 2025. He earned first team All-SoCon honors while netting three-match-winning goals.
 
Hernandez captured first team United Soccer Coaches All-America honors and was a finalist for Top Drawer Soccer National Player of the Year and semifinalist for the MAC Hermann Trophy in 2025 after pacing the Paladins with 10 goals and nine assists. The Mesquite, Texas, native earned first team All-SoCon honors and SoCon Player of the Year laurels while guiding Furman to a 16-2-5 overall record and 4-0-1 SoCon mark.
 
Hutzell, a native of Dacula, Ga., totaled five goals and five assists in 22 matches last season en route to earning All-SoCon honors. One of the anchors in Furman's midfield, he scored a goal and contributed an assist versus Hofstra in NCAA Tournament play before scoring in a 3-1 semifinal loss to eventual national champion Washington.
 
Dunham and Wagner led a Furman defense that surrendered just 22 goals in 23 matches and posted 10 shutouts. A native of Peachtree City, Ga., Dunham scored seven goals and added three assists from his centerback spot, including a strike from nearly 40 yards out to propel Furman past Portland, 1-0, in the NCAA quarterfinals. He earned SoCon Freshman of the Year honors and Top Drawer Freshman Best XI First Team honors. Wagner, who hails from Leawood, Kan., captured second team All-SoCon honors and All-SoCon Tournament accolades while playing 20 matches as a sophomore.
 
Horvat, originally from Bratislava, Slovakia, earned Top Drawer Soccer Freshman Best XI Second Team honors, was named first team All-SoCon, and earned SoCon Goalkeeper of the Year after historic redshirt-freshman season. He fashioned a 0.87 goals against average and eight shutouts, including blanking Portland in the NCAA quarterfinals by stopping seven shots.
 
The Paladins, ranked No. 3 in the United Soccer Coaches Preseason Top 25, open the 2026 regular season on Thursday night at Clemson. Kickoff at Historic Riggs Field is set for 8 p.m. and the match will be televised live on the ACC Network.
 
2026 SoCon Preseason Men's Soccer Poll
First place votes in parentheses
1. Furman, 34 (4)
2. UNC Greensboro, 31 (2)
3. Liberty, 24 (1)
4. Mercer, 23
5. Wofford, 15
6. ETSU, 13
7. VMI, 7
 
2026 SoCon Preseason Men's Soccer All-Conference Team
F – Wilfer Bustamante, Jr., Furman
F – Steven Hernandez, R-Sr., UNC Greensboro
F – Declan Mettee, Sr., Wofford
M – Diego Hernandez, Sr., Furman
M – Luke Hutzell, Jr., Furman
M – Max Talley, Sr., Wofford
D – Braden Dunham, So., Furman
D – Eli Bannister, So., Mercer
D – Mohammed Sumaila, Jr., UNC Greensboro
D – Ryan Wagner, Jr., Furman
G – Seth Wilson, R-Sr., UNC Greensboro
G – Ivan Horvat, R-So., Furman
 
 
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