United Soccer Coaches Preseason Top 25
INDIANAPOLIS – NCAA Championship qualifiers Ohio Valley and Davis & Elkins are among the nation’s best as the United Soccer Coaches ranked both Great Midwest Athletic programs in its annual national preseason poll this week.
This is the first time the Great Midwest has had two institutions in the preseason national rankings in men’s soccer.
In order, the United Soccer Coaches viewed the top five as defending national champion Charleston, Lynn, Rockhurst, Cal Poly Pomona and Midwestern State.
Ohio Valley enters the fall ranked seventh and Davis & Elkins starts the new year tied for 25th with UIndy and East Stroudsburg. OVU ended 2017 ranked eighth after advancing to the Midwest Region final and D&E concluded last season in the receiving votes category.
The Fighting Scots had a season to remember after going 17-2-4 with a clean sweep of Great Midwest regular season and conference tournament titles. Graduated NCAA All-American goalkeeper Carlos Rubio earned Great Midwest Defensive Player of the Year accolades and was the CoSIDA Academic All-America of the Year in the sport of men’s soccer.
Rubio led the entire country in total shutouts and the Fighting Scots placed eight standouts on the 22 member all-conference team. Luis Rincon secured Great Midwest Coach of the Year and now senior forward Celso Riveros was tabbed the Great Midwest Offensive Player of the Year.
Davis & Elkins advanced to the second round of the Midwest Regional as an at-large selection, taking down Saginaw Valley State in the quarterfinals before running into familiar foe OVU in the semis.
The Senators finished 2017 with a 14-3-4 overall record as D&E led all teams with four players on first team all-conference list.
D&E went through an offseason coaching change as Matt Elliinger officially leads the program going into his first year on the sidelines.
The Great Midwest Men’s Soccer Preseason Coaches Poll presented by Under Armour is scheduled to be announced next week on Thursday, Aug. 16.