Meet 5 central Maine boys soccer teams to watch in 2026

1. Hall-Dale: The top three on this list are no-brainers, none more so than the Bulldogs. Hall-Dale has won back-to-back Class C state championships and returns every single starter from a team that went 15-1-2 and beat Washington Academy to claim the Gold Ball last season. Leading the way up front is Karter Eldridge, who scored the winning goal in both the 2024 and 2025 state title games. He is joined by fellow senior Collin McArthur, giving Hall-Dale two Mountain Valley Conference first-team forwards. The Bulldogs have two more first-team all-MVC players in junior Greyson Cary, a midfielder, and senior Reid Parlin, a back. Hall-Dale is favored to three-peat in Class C. 2. Monmouth Academy: After Monmouth boys teams won basketball and baseball state titles earlier this calendar year, can soccer complete the trifecta? The Mustangs have a great shot. Class D South champions a year ago, they brings back seven starters from a team that went 15-2-1. That includes first-team MVC selections Bryce Fletcher and Zane Foyt, who both eclipsed 20 goals last season. Junior goalkeeper Gavin Parsons and senior Jake Harmon, an elite center back, will make scoring difficult against the Mustangs, while seniors Devon Sangermano and Noah Schultz and sophomore Tyler Day lead the midfield. Monmouth is a good bet to win some hardware. Mt. Abram's Landen Marble heads the ball by Monmouth's Zane Foyt during a 2025 game in Monmouth. The Roadrunners and Mustangs are both set for strong seasons in 2026. (Anna Chadwick/Staff Photographer) Purchase this image 3. Mt. Abram: Darren Allen is back in Salem Township after two years away, and the longtime Mt. Abram coach has inherited a very strong team. The Roadrunners return seven starters from a squad that went 11-3-3 with a C South runner-up finish a year ago, including MVC first-team selection Landen Marble (defense) and second-teamer Chase Ross (midfield). Ross is joined in the midfield by Cayden Bate, Josh Finne and Will Swain, while Cole Bailey and Bryce Cote team up with Marble in back. Those players are all seniors, as are striker Brennan Mitchell and keeper Ben Beaulier. If anyone can dethrone Hall-Dale in C South, it's probably the Roadrunners. 4. Gardiner: The Tigers lost some key players from 2025, but multiple coaches in the area say they expect Gardiner to be a threat again. Gardiner coach B.J. Parkin believes junior P.J. Gove, who made 114 saves last season, is one of the best goalkeepers in the state. Gove will be aided on defense by Oliver Murphy, a senior right back, and Connor Simpson, a junior left back. Grayson Greenleaf, another junior, is one of the area's premier midfielders, and senior Remington Lamoreau starts on the left wing. Sophomores Teddy Black, Parker Fairservice, Carter Malloy, Grant Parkin and Bryson Simpson are new additions to the starting lineup. 5. Mt. Blue: The Cougars posted their first winning season in seven years last fall, and with a senior class that's impressed coach Zac Conlogue, similar success could follow in 2026. Finn Morton (six goals, five assists last year) returns up front for the Cougars and will be a major source of goals. Mt. Blue also returns one of the top defenders in the Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference, senior Luc Walker, an all-conference selection last year. Stevie Davis, another senior, will start off as a central midfielder but will move to the wing later in the season as other players recover from injuries. The Cougars' preseason included a 4-2 win over Gardiner. Also keep an eye on: Cony, Erskine Academy, Messalonskee