Woodstock Academy (Conn.), the two-time reigning national champion, opens the 2025 high school soccer season as the No. 1 prep school team in the country.

Teams from all four divisions of the New England Preparatory School Athletic Council (NEPSAC), the Prep Premier League (PPL), the Mid-Atlantic Prep League (MAPL), and other independent and/or residential schools are considered for the Prep School rankings. These programs offer the highest level of school-based soccer for high school–aged players in the U.S. While most cannot compete against local public schools due to state association rules, they often feature unique advantages, such as post-graduate players, international recruits, residential campuses, and year-round training.

Collectively, the 15 teams on this preseason list will send more than 100 seniors to play college soccer next year, with commitments already to national powers Marshall, Pittsburgh, Indiana, NC State, Virginia, and Maryland. Fourteen of the Top 15 teams will be participants in the NXT LVL Soccer Showcase in Albany, N.Y., between Sept. 19-21.

League: Prep Premier League.

Notes: The two-time defending Prep Premier League and Prep Top 10 national champion will be aiming for a three-peat in 2025. This year’s roster features senior returners David Cho, Daion Swan DeSilva, Oscar Pearman, Nicolae Velacico, Yeochan Yang, and junior Richard Sarpong. Cho, an all-league center mid in 2024, has committed to NCAA power Marshall, while senior Nico Ochoa Espejo is headed to Sacred Heart.

Under head coach Owen Finberg, Woodstock has consistently produced six or more NCAA Division I signees each year. Along with the talented returners, the Centaurs add two high-impact internationals: goalkeeper Theo Guillaume, a top French academy prospect, and center back Alexavier Gooden, who recently played in the Jamaican Premier League. Woodstock’s early schedule is loaded, featuring No. 2 Berkshire School on Sept. 7, No. 8 Pennington School on Sept. 14, and No. 4 Loomis Chaffee on Sept. 21 before league play begins.

League: NEPSAC-A.

Notes: Berkshire looked primed for a NEPSAC A title run in 2024 but fell in the quarterfinals. This year’s squad is built to make amends, led by a senior-heavy core. Winger Prince Abanfo (Virginia commit), forward Danel Esprit (Penn State), and center back Darryl Hage (Dartmouth) headline the group. Junior Maddox Zaidan-Jones, a center attacking mid and Turks and Caicos Islands national team call-up, is generating major interest.

Newcomer Rory Riddell, a winger/CAM who can score with either foot, bolsters the attack. In goal, senior Emmanuel Marmolejo, ranked among Canada’s top youth prospects, is a two-time Berkshire Soccer MVP and three-time Forge FC developmental contract signee. Berkshire’s schedule includes NEPSAC A contenders No. 6 Milton Academy, No. 4 Loomis Chaffee, and No. 3 Taft School, plus a showdown with independent power No. 9 Northwood School.

League: NEPSAC-A.

Notes: After years of promise, Taft finally claimed its first NEPSAC A title last fall, finishing 17-3-1. All-NEPSAC center back Marcos Santana returns alongside honorable mention defenders Vincent Levasseur and Mathis Ellisaint. Offensively, senior James Cooper (8 goals in 2024) and junior Alex Calabro (5 goals, 12 assists) will lead the way. Santana, Levasseur, and Calabro are all drawing Division I interest. Newcomers Will Murray (Holy Cross commit) and physical, goal-scoring midfielder Tye Haley join the mix. Key dates include No. 11 Suffield Academy (Oct. 4), No. 2 Berkshire School (Oct. 8), No. 6 Choate Rosemary Hall (Oct. 29), and No. 4 Loomis Chaffee (Nov. 1).

League: NEPSAC-A.

Notes: Loomis Chaffee reached the NEPSAC A semifinals last season before falling in penalty kicks to Milton Academy. This year’s 14-2-1 squad might be even better. Senior midfielder Trevor Steele (Notre Dame commit) leads a deep group that includes senior goalkeeper Anthony Marziliano, senior defender Holden Langlois, senior midfielders Boston Childers and Nate Gritzmacher, junior midfielder Jaden Behm, and senior forwards Josiah Blake and Makai Badeau.

Junior forward James Drago (13 goals in 2024) returns along with Behm (12 goals), Badeau (8), and Blake (5). New arrivals include post-grad defender Marco Bannon from Avon Old Farms and junior standout Luca Gallo. Loomis faces one of the toughest prep schedules, with regular-season meetings against No. 1 Woodstock Academy, No. 2 Berkshire, No. 3 Taft, No. 12 Worcester Academy, No. 7 Northfield Mount Hermon, No. 11 Suffield Academy, Avon Old Farms, and No. 6 Choate Rosemary Hall.

League: NEPSAC-A.

Notes: The three-time reigning ISL champs return with another loaded roster following an 18-2-2 season that ended as NEPSAC A runner-up. NEPSAC Junior All-Stars Alessandro Cavallini-Hsu (midfield) and Danny Stanger (center back) anchor the lineup, joined by returning scorers Charlie Pons (7 goals), Nicholas Pittarelli, Emmanuel Cheyo (5 goals, 3 assists), and Jacob Matalon.

A strong underclass features juniors Ty Villella (defender) and Finn Hughes (goalkeeper), and sophomores Dino Gavetti (midfielder), Duad Major (forward, 7 goals in 2024), and Sam Li (Hong Kong Youth National Team defender). Milton opens with No. 7 Northfield Mount Hermon on Sept. 15 and faces No. 2 Berkshire School a week later at the NXT LVL Showcase.

League: NEPSAC-A.

Notes: Coming off a NEPSAC A semifinal run, Choate looks strong again in 2025. Senior defender David Villavicencio (Furman commit) and senior midfielder Andrew Fazzone-Chettiar (Haverford commit) lead a group that includes honorable mention all-league returners Juliano Masella (defender) and Juan Delgado (midfielder). Midfielder Jason Price is also drawing Division I interest.

Choate’s partnership with Nottingham Forest brings two players from the English academy this fall. Watch for forward Wisdom Humalie from Ghana, a proven finisher who missed most of last season with an injury. Choate’s schedule features an early test against No. 12 Worcester Academy, plus meetings with No. 3 Taft, Williston Northampton, and Avon Old Farms.

League: NEPSAC-A.

Notes: With nearly its entire starting lineup back, NMH enters 2025 as a serious title contender. Senior forward Jeremie Mbuyi Kasongo from Canada is the team’s top prospect, joined by Luca Bilotto and versatile Lincoln Coleman, both on Division I radars. The lone post-grad is goalkeeper Liam Hand, who will compete with returner Sebastian Wraga for the starting role. NMH is a senior-heavy squad but lost talented 2027 prospect Jonny Thomas to a pro opportunity. Expect NMH to be in the mix with the NEPSAC’s elite, facing No. 5 Milton Academy, No. 12 Worcester Academy, Avon Old Farms, and No. 6 Choate during the season.

League: Mid-Atlantic Prep League.

Notes: The reigning MAPL and NJISAA Prep A champion will need to replace a strong senior class, but has junior midfielder Matthew Addai (12 goals, 8 assists in 2024) to build around. Pennington graduated 15 players from last year’s 16-1 squad. Senior defender Kyle Harvey (4 goals) is another key returnee. Sophomore newcomer Kelvin Kwarteng is a dynamic playmaker who could be pivotal in 2025. Pennington faces No. 1 Woodstock Academy on Sept. 14, and will take on No. 13 Hoosac School and No. 9 Northwood at the NXT LVL Showcase.

League: Independent.

Notes: Northwood transitions from the Prep Premier League to an independent schedule that may feature more club and international matches. For now, they remain in the rankings, though that could change based on the number of prep opponents. Senior forward Said El Eyssami (Maryland commit) leads a veteran roster including seniors Thiago Cesar, Carter Jackson, Ashton Khory, Edourd Laberge, Noah Moodey, Tziyon Morris, and Hamish Riddell — all college-level prospects. Cesar and Khory control the midfield, with Riddell on the wing. Laberge starts in goal, with Jackson, Morris, and Moodey anchoring the defense. Key matchups include No. 10 Kiski School, Combine Academy, No. 8 Pennington School, and No. 2 Berkshire School.

League: Prep Premier League. Notes: Five-time defending PAISAA champion Kiski boasts one of the top scorers in the nation in striker Mamadou Tall (Pitt commit), who netted 16 goals in 11 matches last season. Right back Seojoon Kim anchors the defense. Junior Jasper Hutchinson, a wing/mid and Barbados youth national team member, highlights the newcomers. Ricardo Morales takes over as head coach this season. Kiski’s national standing will hinge on its PPL results, as it does not face NEPSAC or MAPL opponents in 2025.

League: Prep Premier League.

Notes: The defending NEPSAC B champions could easily crash the Top 10. Senior Michael Adu-Gyamfi, last year’s NEPSAC B Player of the Year and an Indiana commit, headlines a talented roster. Nicholas Warren, currently with CT United in MLS Next Pro, returns as one of the region’s top prospects. Nile Bean, Ayden St. Martin, and Daniel Martin are also attracting early interest. Coach Ricky Warren expects to go 18–19 deep with 16 returners from last season’s squad. Despite being a Class B school, Suffield Academy has a schedule full of Class A powers: No. 3 Taft (Oct. 4), No. 2 Berkshire (Oct. 11), No. 4 Loomis (Oct. 18), No. 7 Northfield Mount Hermon (Oct. 29), and No. 12 Worcester Academy (Nov. 5). In addition, Suffield will clash with No. 13 Hoosac School at the NXT LVL Showcase on Sept. 21.

League: NEPSAC-A.

Notes: Senior midfielder Jack Houghton, a returning captain, leads this perennial contender. Junior midfielder Nathan Marchand is another top prospect. Newcomers William Baltas and David Rubin are expected to make immediate impacts. Worcester faces a grueling schedule that includes No. 3 Taft, Avon Old Farms, No. 4 Loomis Chaffee, No. 6 Choate Rosemary Hall, and No. 7 Northfield Mount Hermon.

League: Prep Premier League.

Notes: Hoosac finished as PPL runner-up last season and returns defensive stalwarts Lynghton Romage and David Germain, along with attacking mid Jacob Gill. Newcomers include center back Roshane Wint, defensive mid Marcio Chaves, left wing Kwasi Watts, forward Lazar Vucicevic, and goalkeeper Vicente Silva. The roster is largely international, and Jader Moreira takes over as head coach under Director of Soccer Paulo Franco. Hoosac meets top-ranked Woodstock, No. 10 Kiski School, and No. 14 Western Reserve Academy during league play. In addition, Hoosac will face No. 8 Pennington School and No. 11 Suffield Academy during the NXT LVL Showcase.

League: Prep Premier League.

Notes: With two Division I-bound forwards, WRA could be among the PPL’s most dangerous attacking teams. Max Born (20 goals, 15 assists in 2024) and Tomas Estevez (12 goals, 6 assists) lead the charge. Junior midfielders Gizmo Sutiklangwiharn (8 goals) and Ian Price (3 goals, 4 assists) return as well. Sophomore Sebastian Rivera, a Puerto Rico U16 national team member, headlines a talented underclass. Veteran coach Herb Haller earned his 300th win last season. WRA faces No. 8 Pennington School (Sept. 13), competes in the NXT LVL Showcase (Sept. 20–21), and meets high school power St. Ignatius on Oct. 15.

League: NEPSAC-A.

Notes: Bridgton turns over almost its entire roster annually as a post-grad program but consistently reloads with talent. Last year’s team produced eight NCAA Division II commits, six NCAA Division III commits, one NAIA commit, and one pro trialist in Italy. Four players return, including defenders Aidan Board and Nathan Hikspoors. New arrivals include versatile attacker Zeus Rankin, a Japanese-born U.S. citizen and Division I prospect, and Baptista Muanda, a multilingual Angolan center mid/forward with Ivy League interest. Matthew Honekamp is another top addition. Bridgton will scrimmage NCAA Division II Southern New Hampshire University and face No. 7 Northfield Mount Hermon and No. 12 Worcester Academy during the regular season.

Avon Old Farms [Connecticut]

Buckingham Browne & Nichols [Massachusetts]

Combine Academy [North Carolina]

Darlington Academy [Georgia]

Deerfield Academy [Massachusetts]

Hill School [Pennsylvania]

Hyde School [Maine]

Mount St. Charles Academy [Rhode Island]

Noble and Greenough [Massachusetts]

Rivers School [Massachusetts]

St. George’s School [Rhode Island]

Vermont Academy [Vermont]

Williston Northampton [Massachusetts]