INDIANAPOLIS – The University of Indianapolis men’s soccer team has been voted by the league coaches to win the 2014 Great Lakes Valley Conference Championship, it was announced by the conference office Wednesday. The Greyhounds, who finished the 2013 campaign with a 15-3-3 record, earned eight of the 16 first-place votes and 213 total points in the GLVC Men’s Soccer Preseason Poll.
Quincy University (204 points), Rockhurst University (198), Lewis University (189), and Drury University (170) rounded out the top five positions. While UIndy was the clear favorite in terms of first-place votes, three other conference teams earned at least one vote from the conference coaches. Quincy garnered four first-place votes, while Rockhurst tallied three and Lewis earned one.
UIndy lost to Lewis in its first-ever NCAA Midwest Regional appearance last year after falling just shy of the GLVC Championship Tournament title, which was just the second trip the Greyhounds had made to the conference finals. The 2013 campaign saw UIndy (12-1-2 GLVC record) share the GLVC regular-season title with Quincy, post its most-ever wins (15), highest ranking (8th), and match win streak (11). The Greyhounds will be led this season by reigning GLVC Offensive Player of the Year and senior forward Ngwese Ebangwese, along with third-team All-GLVC returning seniors Andrew Verhonik in goal and defender Max Rohda. Head coach John Higgins was recognized by his peers as GLVC Coach of the Year last season.
Quincy was just nine points shy of the top spot in the preseason poll and return eight starters in 2014, including five players who were honored regionally last year. The Hawks netted a 13-2 conference record to share the regular-season title with the Greyhounds based on winning percentage, and just missed out on their third NCAA Tournament appearance in four years, finishing 15-5 overall. Quincy led the conference in scoring with 50 total goals, led by junior Jordan Roberts, who totaled 14 goals. Other returnees include first-team All-GLVC honorees and seniors Ethan Venvertloh and Chris Garavaglia at forward and back, respectively, as well as sophomore midfielder Xhovani Dokaj – the 2013 GLVC Freshman of the Year.
Perhaps a sign of parity in the league this year, the conference coaches ranked Rockhurst to finish third in the league, although the Hawks were recently ranked No. 4 nationally by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America in the NSCAA/Continental Tire NCAA Division II Preseason Top 25 Poll. That was the same position in which Rockhurst finished the 2013 season following a 17-4-3 (11-2-2 GLVC) record, a GLVC Championship, and a trip to the NCAA national semifinal round. The Hawks will be without the services of graduated forward Mark Magee, who was a three-time All-American, as well as first-team All-GLVC honoree Paolo Scoppola at midfield and All-American goalkeeper Ryan Bass, who have also graduated.
Lewis has been picked to finish fourth in the GLVC, but is ranked 15th overall which is also the final position the Flyers earned last year after a 13-3-5 mark, including an 11-1-3 record in conference play. Gone are the services of graduated goalkeeper and 2013 GLVC Defensive Player of the Year Alec Pickett, who helped lead the Flyers to their first NCAA Round of 16 appearance since 2009. Lewis returns eight of 11 starters, including their entire back line of defenders and their second-leading goal scorer in senior George Thomson – a second-team All-Conference selection a year ago.
Following Drury in fifth place is Bellarmine University (154) in sixth, University of Missouri-St. Louis (132) in seventh, Missouri S&T (115) in eighth, University of Southern Indiana (111) in ninth, and Truman State University (105) in 10th. Rounding out the field is the University of Wisconsin-Parkside (75), McKendree University (74), University of Illinois Springfield (67), William Jewell College (62), Maryville University (26) and Saint Joseph’s College (25).
The 16 GLVC men’s soccer teams will compete in a 15-game round-robin schedule during the regular season with the top eight teams earning a berth to the GLVC Championship Tournament. The top four seeds will host quarterfinal matches on campus on Nov. 2 with the four remaining teams heading to the site of the top remaining seed for the semifinals and final on Nov. 7 and 9.
The 2014 season officially gets underway on Thursday, Sept. 4, with seven schools in action, including Bellarmine, Lewis, Maryville, McKendree, Saint Joseph's, Southern Indiana, and UW-Parkside.
The complete 2014 GLVC Men’s Soccer Preseason Poll follows:
2014 GLVC Men’s Soccer Preseason Poll
|
RANK |
SCHOOL (1ST) |
POINTS |
|
1. |
Indianapolis (8) |
213 |
|
2. |
Quincy (4) |
204 |
|
3. |
Rockhurst (3) |
198 |
|
4. |
Lewis (1) |
189 |
|
5. |
Drury |
170 |
|
6. |
Bellarmine |
154 |
|
7. |
Missouri-St. Louis |
132 |
|
8. |
Missouri S&T |
115 |
|
9. |
Southern Indiana |
111 |
|
10. |
Truman State |
105 |
|
11. |
UW-Parkside |
75 |
|
12. |
McKendree |
74 |
|
13. |
Illinois Springfield |
67 |
|
14. |
William Jewell |
62 |
|
15. |
Maryville |
26 |
|
16. |
Saint Joseph’s |
25 |