NKU Selected as Preseason Favorite in GLVC Men's Soccer Poll
INDIANAPOLIS – Northern Kentucky University, the defending Great Lakes Valley Conference regular season champion, has been chosen as the favorite to claim the 2008 Great Lakes Valley Conference Men’s Soccer Championship. The Norse collected 132 total points in the 2008 GLVC Preseason Coaches’ Poll to edge out defending champion Lewis University in the voting.
Northern Kentucky garnered four first-place votes in a poll of the league’s 13 head coaches. The Norse, who have advanced to the NCAA quarterfinals in each of the past two seasons, are coming off a 22-2 overall record in 2007. Northern Kentucky ran the course of the conference season with a record-breaking 13-0 mark before falling in the GLVC Tournament final to Lewis, 1-0.
Lewis collected the most first-place votes in the annual poll with six, but finished second in the voting with 130 total points. The Flyers have won eight league titles, including their second in the past five years last season. Lewis finished 2007 with a 17-5 overall record and 9-4 mark in league play.
Rockhurst finished third in the voting with 123 total points. The Hawks, who finished 11-6-3 last season, collected two first-place votes. They were followed in the poll by UIndy which claimed 98 total points in the poll and UW-Parkside which notched the final first-place vote and recorded 92 total points.
Quincy followed closely behind in sixth place with 91 total points. Drury (87 total points) finished seventh in the voting and was followed by Bellarmine (85), Missouri S&T (53), Missouri-St. Louis (50), Southern Indiana (34), Saint Joseph’s (26) and Kentucky Wesleyan (13).
Northern Kentucky will be searching for its first GLVC title since 1995. The Norse, which advanced to the NCAA quarterfinals in 2007 after claiming its second consecutive NCAA Great Lakes Regional crown, will add seven newcomers to a talented returning squad. Northern Kentucky has claimed four men’s soccer league titles since joining the GLVC in 1985.
The 2008 season begins on Aug. 28 with non-conference competition. The first GLVC match-up will be on Sept. 1 between Southern Indiana and Kentucky Wesleyan and the majority of league matches are slated to begin on Sept. 12.
The top eight teams in the league standings will advance to the 2008 GLVC Tournament which is scheduled to begin on Nov. 2. The highest remaining seed following the quarterfinal round will host the GLVC semifinals and final on Nov. 7 and 9, respectively.
The complete 2008 GLVC Men’s Soccer Coaches’ Preseason Poll follows:
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Team (First-place votes)
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Total Points
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1.
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Northern Kentucky (4)
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132
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2.
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Lewis (6)
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130
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3.
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Rockhurst (2)
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123
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4.
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Indianapolis
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98
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5.
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UW-Parkside (1)
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92
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6.
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Quincy
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91
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7.
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Drury
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87
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8.
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Bellarmine
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85
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9.
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Missouri S&T
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53
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10.
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Missouri-St. Louis
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50
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11.
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Southern Indiana
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34
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12.
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Saint Joseph’s
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26
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13.
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Kentucky Wesleyan
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13
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