INDIANAPOLIS – The University of Indianapolis was selected as the 2021 preseason Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) men’s soccer favorite, the league office announced on Tuesday.
The preseason poll is selected by the league’s 15 head coaches, who are not permitted to vote for their own team.
UIndy received nine of the possible 14 first-place votes for a total of 191 points, while Maryville University collected 183 points and the remaining five first-place votes to finish second. Tied for third is Lewis University and Quincy University with 152 points apiece, as McKendree University rounded out the top five with 130 points. University of Southern Indiana (120 points), University of Missouri-St. Louis (119), and Drury University (115) finished tight in their respective positions at Nos. 6-8, with No. 9 University of Illinois Springfield (99) and No. 10 Rockhurst University (84) just inside the top 10. The remaining programs finished 11th through 15th as follows: Lindenwood University (70), Missouri S&T (70), William Jewell College (33), Truman State University (31), and Southwest Baptist University (26).
The Greyhounds finished the 2020-21 spring-shortened campaign undefeated, capping its season with a 13-0-4 record and appearance in the GLVC Championship match as the No. 1 seed. UIndy returns key contributors this fall, including GLVC Offensive Player of the Year Alejandro Steinwascher and GLVC Defensive Player of the Year Makel Rasheed, as well as All-GLVC First Team selections Dimitrious Karousos and Cole Rainwater. Steinwascher tallied 20 points with nine goals and two assists across 16 matches, while Rainwater finished with 16 points on seven scores and two helpers. In net, Karousos surrendered just six goals, posting a DII-best nine shutouts and gathering an .857 save percentage. In total, the Greyhound defense finished with 11 shutouts and did not allow more than one goal in a single contest. The Greyhounds open the season ranked No. 4 in the United Soccer Coaches national poll.
Defending GLVC champion Maryville claimed its second league crown in three seasons this past spring, defeating UIndy in penalty kicks, 5-3. Entering the fall ranked No. 9 in the national coaches’ poll, the Saints return three all-league players from last season. Mirza Hasecic, who led the GLVC in points (27) and goals (12) during the 2020-21 campaign is back, while fellow All-GLVC First Team player Dom Riggio and All-GLVC second-teamer Ben Brodie also return for their senior seasons. Head coach David Korn enters his seventh season at Maryville and has led the Saints to three straight NCAA tournament berths.
Lewis has two All-GLVC First Team picks in Jimmy Mwanga and Domenic Baumann returning this fall, while Quincy’s Cole Hayes and Alsadiq Hasan come off All-GLVC Third Team selections for their senior and junior campaigns, respectively.
The 2021 GLVC men’s soccer season kicks off Sunday, September 12.
The complete voting results can be found below.
2021 GLVC MEN’S SOCCER PRESEASON POLL
| Place |
School (1st-place votes) |
Points |
| 1 |
Indianapolis (9) |
191 |
| 2 |
Maryville (5) |
183 |
| t-3 |
Lewis |
152 |
| t-3 |
Quincy |
152 |
| 5 |
McKendree |
130 |
| 6 |
Southern Indiana |
120 |
| 7 |
Missouri-St. Louis |
119 |
| 8 |
Drury |
115 |
| 9 |
Illinois Springfield |
99 |
| 10 |
Rockhurst |
84 |
| t-11 |
Lindenwood |
70 |
| t-11 |
Missouri S&T |
70 |
| 13 |
William Jewell |
33 |
| 14 |
Truman |
31 |
| 15 |
Southwest Baptist |
26 |