Wright State Tabbed Favorite for 2019 #HLMSOC Season
INDIANAPOLIS – Wright State has been named the favorite to capture the League title as the 2019 Horizon League Men’s Soccer preseason poll was revealed on Tuesday. The poll was voted on by the League’s nine head coaches.
The Raiders are the defending regular season champions and topped the ranking with 74 points including four first-place votes. WSU returns last year’s Goalkeeper of the Year, Joel Sundell, along with All-Horizon League first team honorees Jackson Dietrich and Alec Philippe from a 2018 squad that spent much of the season ranked inside the top-25 nationally.
Three-time defending tournament champions UIC came in second in the preseason poll with 69 points, including a League-best five first-place votes. The Flames will have the 2018 Horizon League Player of the Year, Jesus Perez, on the pitch again this season to lead a UIC side that has made three-straight NCAA Tournament appearances.
Green Bay was ranked third with 52 points, followed closely by Oakland with 51 points and Milwaukee totaling 49 points. The Phoenix will have All-Horizon League first team selection Andre Baires and All-Freshman team honoree Joey Bourgeois returning for the 2019 campaign. Oakland welcomes back a pair of All-Freshman team selections in Luke Morrell and Napoleon Outlaw III, while MKE will return an All-Horizon League second team honoree in Evan Conway.
Northern Kentucky came in sixth place with 46 points and returns Freshman of the Year Alex Willis who finished last season ranked fourth in the NCAA with 16 goals. Rounding out the poll were IUPUI with 26 points, Cleveland State totaling 25 points and Detroit Mercy with 13 points.
The regular season begins on Friday, August 30 and the 2019 Horizon League Championship will start on Nov. 11 with quarterfinal action and continues Nov. 14 and 16 with the semifinals and championship game at the home field of the highest seed that meets facility requirements.
2019 Horizon League Men’s Soccer Preseason Poll
Pl. Team – Pts. (First-place votes)
1. Wright State – 74 (4)
2. UIC – 69 (5)
3. Green Bay – 52
4. Oakland – 51
5. Milwaukee – 49
6. Northern Kentucky – 46
7. IUPUI – 26
8. Cleveland State – 25
9. Detroit Mercy – 13