For Immediate Release:
21 August 2026
WINTROP, Mass. – The Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) has announced that the Dean College men's soccer team has been selected to finish eighth in this year's preseason poll, as voted by the conference's head coaches.
The Bulldogs took home 85 total votes, landing them within the conference's top eight that are eligible for postseason play.
After an impressive 2025 campaign, men's soccer will look to make the postseason for the second straight season and their third in the last four years. Last season, the team finished with an 8-9-2 overall record, with a 7-5 record in-conference.
Dean will be led into 2026 by new Head Coach Joe Dincecco, who comes over after leading the bench at Anna Maria College. Dincecco also has Division I coaching experience at the University of New Hampshire and University of South Florida.
Leading the returners is senior Ciarán Phibbs (Yonkers, N.Y.). The defenseman started in eighteen matches last season, playing a career-high 1,430 minutes. Phibbs also tallied his third career goal and second career assist.
Midfielder
Austin Clark (Rio Rancho, N.M.) also returns after an impressive freshman campaign. Clark appeared in eight matches and made five total starts while collecting over 400 minutes of action. Clark also recorded his first collegiate point on October 7
th versus Elms College. For his efforts in 2025, Clark was awarded the team's Most Improved award.
Sophomore
Noah Amaral (Westport, Mass.) will lead a poised group of goalkeepers this season. Amaral splashed on the scene last year, making 25 saves while producing a .714 save percentage. The Westport, Massachusetts native most notably made 11 saves in a must-win match versus GNAC opponent Rivier University on September 20
th.
The Bulldogs open their 2026 season at home on September 1
st against Framingham State University. Dean's first four matches are non-conference, including notable opponents Suffolk University and UMass Dartmouth.
Dean's first GNAC matchup is slated for Saturday, September 12
th, against Colby-Sawyer College. They will play a total of 12 in-conference games, highlighted by their senior day festivities on October 23
rd versus New England College.
Should Dean make the postseason, the GNAC quarterfinal round is currently scheduled for Saturday, October 31
st, with a time and location to be determined.
FULL GNAC RELEASE
For more information regarding the Dean College men's soccer program, please visit any of the respective links above.
For Media Inquiries:
Brett Chaves
Sports Information Director, Dean College Athletics
(508) 541-1826
BChaves@dean.edu
