West Babylon, N.Y. – Mercy begins the season as an overwhelming favorite to claim an East Coast Conference men's soccer championship, as the Mavericks received nine of 10 first place votes to top the league's preseason coaches poll. The ECC also announced Roberts Wesleyan senior forward, Dylan Ruiz (Mexico City, Mexico), and Mercy junior back/midfielder, Matthias Kuhn (Viernheim, Germany), have been selected as the ECC Preseason Offensive and Defensive Player of the Year, respectively.
After no conference season was held a year ago due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Mercy enters the season as the defending ECC Champions after claiming their first conference title in 15 years in 2019. The Mavericks, who also begin the year receiving votes in the United Soccer Coaches Division II Top 25 poll, have just eight players and four starters back from their 2019 squad but replenished the roster with nine transfers that have previous experience at the Division II level.
One of the returning starters for the Mavericks is Kuhn, who earns the ECC Preseason Defensive Player of the Year honor. As a freshman, Kuhn appeared in 20 games and helped Mercy allow just 17 goals for an ECC-best 0.78 goals-against average. Kuhn also helped the Mavericks shut out 10 opponents on the season. In addition, he contributed one goal and one assist for three points.
Molloy was the poll's runner-up with 77 points. The Lions ended a two-season drought with an appearance in the ECC Championship during the 2019 season. Bridgeport followed closely behind at No. 3 with 74 points. The Purple Knights, who lost in penalty kicks to Mercy in the final of the 2019 ECC Championship, received the poll's final first place vote, as well
The conference's coaches expect the same playoff field with Roberts Wesleyan coming in at No. 4 in the poll with 65 points. The Redhawks made their first-ever appearance in the conference tournament in 2019.
One of the big reasons for the Redhawks' success was Ruiz, who has been selected as the ECC Preseason Offensive Player of the Year. Ruiz led the ECC with 18 goals, 39 points, and seven game-winning goals. His goal, game-winning goal, and goals per game (1.00) totals all ranked in the top-three in all of Division II. For his outstanding play, Ruiz was named the ECC Offensive Player of the Year, was a consensus All-Region First Team selection, and earned a spot on the Division II Conference Commissioner's Association (D2CCA) All-America Third Team.
District of Columbia is the first team on the outside of the playoff picture in the No. 5 spot. St. Thomas Aquinas, Queens, Staten Island, Daemen, and D'Youville follow to round out the poll. ECC newcomers, Staten Island and D'Youville, will both be competing in the ECC and at the Division II level for the first time this season.
2021 ECC Men's Soccer Preseason Poll
| School | Pts. | 2019 Record |
| 1. Mercy (9) | 99 | 14-4-3 (6-2-0 ECC) |
| 2. Molloy | 77 | 12-6-1 (5-3-0 ECC) |
| 3. Bridgeport (1) | 74 | 11-5-2 (5-2-1 ECC) |
| 4. Roberts Wesleyan | 65 | 11-9-1 (5-3-0 ECC) |
| 5. Dist. Columbia | 60 | 7-11-0 (4-4-0 ECC) |
| 6. St. Thomas Aquinas | 51 | 4-11-1 (3-5-0 ECC) |
| 7. Queens | 50 | 6-7-3 (3-4-1 ECC) |
| 8. Staten Island | 38 | 10-5-1 (n/a) |
| 9. Daemen | 24 | 0-17-0 (0-8-0 ECC) |
| 10. D'Youville | 12 | 8-10-0 (n/a) |
( ) – first place votes
ECC Preseason Offensive Player of the Year: Dylan Ruiz, Sr., F., Roberts Wesleyan
ECC Preseason Defensive Player of the Year: Matthias Kuhn, Jr., B/M, Mercy
