Bronx, N.Y. — The Lehman College women's soccer team is projected to finish fourth in the conference after the CUNY Athletic Conference (CUNYAC) released its 2026 preseason coaches' poll this week.

The Lightning secured 13 total points in the voting, placing them firmly in the top four of the league standings. Ready to shake up the conference hierarchy, Lehman enters the fall campaign highly motivated to outperform expectations and climb the rankings under the direction of their new head coach Reindorf Kyei.

Two-time defending champion John Jay College was selected as the preseason favorite to repeat, locking down five first-place votes and 25 points. CCNY grabbed the remaining first-place vote to slot into second place with 20 points, while Brooklyn College landed just ahead of Lehman in third with 18 points.

Lehman finishes ahead of York College (9 points) and Medgar Evers (5 points). The middle-of-the-pack projection positions the Lightning as a dangerous postseason threat capable of executing a turnaround under their fresh leadership.