The NEC Announced its 2025-26 Preseason Poll Wednesday. The Purple Eagles were picked third receiving one first place vote. First place was a two-way tie between Duquesne and FDU where they each received three first place votes.
Rounding out the rest of the Preseason Poll was Mercyhurst, Monmouth, Wagner followed by LIU.
At the helm of the program is Jeff Walsh who is entering his third season for the Purple and White. Walsh joined Niagara from Medaille University as he led, at Medaille he led his team to earning the AMCC’s first ever automatic bid to the NCAA Championships and becoming just the third Division III program to ever accomplish such a feat.
In Walsh’s time at Niagara the program has been nationally ranked in seven different NTCA polls. To start the 2025-26 campaign the Purple Eagles are ranked 25th in the NTCA Preseason and after an impressive start to the season at the Mercyhurst Invite Niagara went 10-0 in the invite bringing home the title while Emily Brock and Kate Ackerman earned All-Tournament honors.
The Purple Eagles are returning seven players back from the 2024-25 roster that include Sydney Skimmer, Jocelyn Smith, Brynn Grant, Kate Ackerman, Rainah Roos, Emily Brock and Abbie Derby. In the 2024-25 campaign Smith was awarded NEC Rookie of the Year.
The Purple and White are back in action October 16 at Youngstown State to partake in the Penguin Classic.
