INDIANAPOLIS – The Rockhurst University men's soccer team has been voted by the league coaches to win the 2016 Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) Championship, it was announced by the Conference office Wednesday.
The Hawks, who finished the 2015 campaign with an 18-2-3 record, earned 13 of the 16 first-place votes for 222 total points and the top spot in the GLVC Men's Soccer Preseason Poll. In addition to the No. 1 ranking in the GLVC Preseason Poll, Rockhurst was picked third in the National Soccer Coaches Association (NSCAA) NCAA Division II Preseason Rankings. The team returns to the pitch under the direction of long-time mentor and reigning GLVC Coach of the Year Tony Tocco, who led his squad to a GLVC Championship and NCAA Midwest Regional crown last season, going 13-1-1 in league play. GLVC Defensive Player of the Year Paul Dean comes back to the Hawks’ lineup along with multiple other 2015 All-GLVC performers.
University of Indianapolis will be back in 2016 led by John Higgins, entering his seventh season at the helm after garnering 209 points and two first-place votes for second in the GLVC Preseason Poll. The Greyhounds return five All-GLVC selections from a year ago and look to gain similar success to its 2014 season when they won their first ever GLVC Championship.
Quincy University, under the guidance of fifth-year head coach Mike Carpenter, enters 2016 as the league’s third pick after tallying 199 total points. Senior midfielder Taylor Reis, the 2015 GLVC Offensive Player of the Year, is on the Hawks' roster again this season and will lead the group with redshirt-junior forward Artan Emini, who was also an All-GLVC First Team selection.
Drury University (169) and Missouri S&T (166) rounded out the top-five positions as S&T earned the other first-place vote. Bellarmine University took the sixth spot with 159 points; University of Missouri-St. Louis earned 124 points and seventh place; while University of Southern Indiana (104), Lewis University (94) and Saint Joseph’s College (83) respectively rounded out the top 10 in eighth, ninth and 10th. Places 11 and 12 respectively went to Maryville University (79) and University of Illinois Springfield (77), while McKendree University, Truman State University and University of Wisconsin-Parkside all tied for 13th with 71 points followed by William Jewell College (22) in the 16th spot.
Be sure to follow @GLVCsports on Twitter and Instagram – hashtag #GLVCmsoc – and stay tuned for select coverage throughout the season on the GLVC Sports Network.
| 2016 GLVC Men's Soccer Preseason Poll |
| 1. Rockhurst |
222 (13) |
| 2. Indianapolis |
209 (2) |
| 3. Quincy |
199 |
| 4. Drury |
169 |
| 5. Missouri S&T |
166 (1) |
| 6. Bellarmine |
159 |
| 7. Missouri-St. Louis |
124 |
| 8. Southern Indiana |
104 |
| 9. Lewis |
94 |
| 10. Saint Joseph's |
83 |
| 11. Maryville |
79 |
| 12. Illinois Springfield |
77 |
| 13. McKendree |
71 |
| 13. Truman State |
71 |
| 13. UW-Parkside |
71 |
| 16. William Jewell |
22 |