Virginia’s record-setting season headlined a strong year for the East Coast. The Cavaliers established themselves as a contender, while James Madison once again proved capable of competing with anyone in the country despite a roster in transition. Maryland’s final record may not reflect it, but the Terrapins showed significant growth late in the season. The region enters 2027 with as much momentum as it has had in years, with the gap between the East Coast’s top and bottom teams continuing to shrink.
Virginia
Final Rank: #6
Record: 13-4 (5-1 East Coast)
Virginia should be incredibly proud of their 2026 campaign. Back in September, the Hoos were reeling after a 5-1 defeat to rivals JMU looked to be a harbinger of another disappointing finish in the middle of the east coast pack. Nevertheless, the Cavaliers bounced back, going undefeated in regional play the rest of the year and finishing #6 in the open standings. Their highest finish ever also included taking home their first regional cup ever with a dominant performance in February. Heading into Nationals, there were real concerns about the Hoos’ ability to continue their success against out-of-region competition, but a 3-0 performance on Day 1 — including handing undefeated Nebraska their first loss in dominant fashion and avenging a 2025 overtime defeat to Cleveland State — set them up for a first-round tournament victory over #11 Akron. UVA also had three All-Americans this season: #14 Landon Jones, #20 Grady Holmes, and #33 Ben Wu, giving them their most in program history. Jones and Holmes won’t return for Virginia next season, but this year’s performance solidified the Hoos as solid threats to the rest of the NCDA.
James Madison
Final Rank: #10
Record: 11-8 (4-2)
James Madison suffered a loss in the opening round of the tournament to familiar foes Ohio. Though that finish won’t hold up to the previous standard of final four appearances, the Dukes will have plenty of positives to take away from 2026. JMU entered Nationals as the #10 overall seed, but an early overtime loss to Cleveland State threw their tournament draw into potential jeopardy. In true JMU fashion, they bounced back incredibly well to that loss with emphatic victories over both Central Michigan and Grand Valley State. That second victory vaulted them into the #8 spot heading into bracket play, but they unfortunately could not convert the opportunity. Captains Ryan Pendleton (#29), Preston Anderson (#31) and Jaxson Hannie (#34) earned third-team All-American honors, finishing at #10 overall and an 11-8 overall record. Just like last season, there will be a lot of year-to-year turnover for the Dukes, but younger players like JW Harrington, Zach Fazebaker, and Connor Smith have all the tools to bring them back to the top of the East Coast.
Maryland
Final Rank: #18
Record: 2-13 (0-6)
The Terrapins entered Nationals winless, needing to secure important results to ensure their spot in the bracket on Day 2. To make matters worse, they were without Adam Butz in the spring semester, their hardest thrower and right corner anchor for multiple years. Maryland still pulled out great wins on Day 1: a 5-1 win over Northern Kentucky and an 8-3 victory over Western Michigan proved that despite being at the bottom of the pecking order on the East Coast, Maryland was much better than their record implied. The Terps also managed to take a point off of the eventual national champions, showing great promise for future editions of the squad as well. Though they didn’t manage to earn any All-American nods, this team is on the younger side and definitely has the potential to steal games from teams across the league next season. Seth Calhoon, Julian Kim, and Daniel Ribiero are good enough to catch anyone (Kim’s highlight tape alone this season is a sight to behold), and Maryland could be a real threat to hoist the East Coast Cup next year.