SPARTANBURG, S.C. – For the first time since 2016, UNCG is the preseason favorite to win the Southern Conference men’s soccer title in voting of the league’s seven head coaches. The Spartans edged out Furman by just four points and 2017 tournament champion Mercer by 11.
The coaches also selected a preseason all-conference team which featured 13 student-athletes due to ties in the voting selection. Furman picked up a league-best five selections with UNCG picking up four selections, ETSU earning two and Mercer and Wofford each picking up one selection.
Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own teams or players in the balloting.
UNCG, which claimed five first-place votes, finished with 35 points to top the poll. Furman claimed a close second-place finish with the remaining two first-place votes and 31 points. 2017 tournament champion Mercer and ETSU tied for third with 24 points apiece. Wofford and new associate member Belmont claimed fourth and fifth with 15 and 10 points, respectively, and VMI rounded out the poll with six points.
The Spartans went 10-7-3 overall last season and 6-3-1 in conference play, coming in second during the regular season and finishing runner-up in the conference tournament to Mercer. They are represented on the preseason all-conference team by 2017 Freshman of the Year forward Nelson Oceano, 2017 all-conference second-team forward Matt Mattis, 2017 all-conference first-team midfielder Leeroy Maguroushe and 2017 two-time player of the week goalkeeper Jon Milligan.
Furman led the pack with five players on this year’s preseason all-conference team, including forward Cole McLagan, 2017 SoCon Player of the Year Laurence Wyke, midfielder Josiah Baker, 2017 second-team all-conference midfielder Danny Kierath and defender Dalton Souder. The Paladins went 12-5-3 overall and 5-2-3 in conference play last season.
2017 regular-season conference champion ETSU is represented by midfielder Cameron Woodfin and defender Joe Pickering. The Bucs went 9-2-7 overall and a 6-0-4 in the conference last year.
Wofford forward Lucas Altman (2017 first-team all-conference selection) and Mercer defender Jake Mezei round out this year’s preseason 13.
The 2018 regular season begins on Friday, Aug. 24, with all seven schools in action. VMI and Wofford will open up their seasons at home while the other remaining five schools open on the road.
With the addition of Belmont as an associate member to the league this season, the tournament format has changed to include a first-round game, which will take place on Wednesday, Oct. 31, at the No. 6 seed. The quarterfinals will take place Nov. 3-4 at campus sites, followed by the semifinals and finals taking place at ETSU’s Summers-Taylor Stadium in Johnson City, Tennessee, on Nov. 9 and 11, respectively.
2018 Men’s Soccer Preseason Coaches’ Poll
1. UNCG (5) 35
2. Furman (2) 31
T3. ETSU 24
T3. Mercer 24
5. Wofford 15
6. Belmont 10
7. VMI 6
() denotes first-place votes
2018 Men’s Soccer Preseason All-Conference Team
F Cole McLagan, Furman
F Matt Mattis, UNCG
F Nelson Oceano, UNCG
F Lucas Altman, Wofford
MF Cameron Woodfin, ETSU
MF Josiah Baker, Furman
MF Danny Kierath, Furman
MF Laurence Wyke, Furman
MF Leeroy Maguroushe, UNCG
D Joe Pickering, ETSU
D Dalton Souder, Furman
D Jake Mezei, Mercer
GK Jon Milligan, UNCG
-www.SoConSports.com-