Blues Tabbed As Conference Favorite in Men's Soccer Preseason Coaches Poll
|
Team
|
Pts.
|
'18 NWC finish
|
|
Whitman (4)
|
46
|
T-1st
|
|
Pacific Lutheran (3)
|
45
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T-1st (AQ)
|
|
Puget Sound (1)
|
32
|
4th
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|
Willamette
|
31
|
3rd
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Whitworth
|
30
|
6th
|
|
George Fox
|
18
|
8th
|
|
Linfield
|
15
|
5th
|
|
Pacific (Ore.)
|
7
|
7th
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(Points awarded on a 7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis. Coaches could not vote for their own teams; numbers in parentheses indicate first place votes)
HILLSBORO, Ore. – The reigning Northwest Conference co-champions sit just one point apart in the NWC Men’s Soccer Preseason Coaches Poll, with the Blues of Whitman selected as the first-place team, as voted on by conference coaches. The Blues received 46 points and four first-place votes.
Whitman earned the co-champion title alongside the Pacific Lutheran Lutes after both teams concluded the 2018 season with a 9-3-2 conference record. The Blues finished 10-6-2 overall. Due to Northwest Conference tiebreaker protocol, the automatic qualifier into the NCAA tournament was awarded to Pacific Lutheran, and the Blues’ 2018 campaign concluded after the regular season.
The Blues named three to the All-NWC first team, two of which will return for the 2019 season. Jadon Bachtold (D) and Peter Stephens (F), in addition to Owen Davis-Bower (GK), who led the conference in save percentage (.850), goals against (3), and goals against average (0.49) will lead the Blues as they seek sole possession of the NWC title and their first automatic qualifier into the NCAA tournament in program history.
Pacific Lutheran sits just one point behind the Blues with 45, receiving three first-place votes. After earning the NWC co-champion title and automatic qualifier, the Lutes traveled to St. Paul, Minn. where they were paired with St. Thomas (Minn.) in the NCAA first round. The Tommies topped the Lutes, 0-1, to end their postseason run. Under the leadership of 2018 Coach of the Year John Yorke in his 18thseason, the Lutes will return NWC Freshman of the Year Ryan Griffith (D) and All-NWC second team selection Emmanual Saah (M) as the Lutes seek to reclaim sole possession of the conference title in 2019.
Puget Sound received 32 points and one first-place vote to rank third in the poll. The Loggers finished the 2018 season 7-3-4 in conference play (9-5-4 overall) to place fourth. Luke Murdock (F) garnered NWC Offensive Player of the Year honors while teammate Cale Spence received All-NWC second team recognition. Spence and Murdock, who led the NWC last season in goals (11) and points (25), will return to the 2019 Loggers roster in Head Coach Reece Olney’s 26thyear at the helm of the program as they chase the NWC title.
Willamette sits one point behind the Loggers with 31 to place fourth. Conference frontrunners for a large portion of the 2018 regular season, the Bearcats finished with an 8-3-3 conference record (11-4-4 overall), good for third place in final standings. Max Berner-Hays (D) garnered NWC Defensive Player of the Year honors and will return alongside teammate and All-NWC first team honoree Nicholas Ballenger (F) to lead the Bearcats in the 2019 season.
Whitworth earns fifth place in the poll with 30 points. The Pirates tied for fifth with Linfield in the previous season after finishing 4-7-3 in conference play (5-11-4 overall). The Pirates will return All-NWC honorable mention choices Jesus Nunez (GK) and Ethan Kem (M) as Head Coach Morgan Cathey seeks to climb in NWC standings in his eighth season.
George Fox earns 18 points to place sixth in the poll. The Bruins move up two spots after finishing the 2018 season in eighth, recording a 1-9-4 conference record (2-12-4 overall). Offensive leader Isaiah Carillo (M) returns to the Bruins roster after recording two goals and six points last season – the second highest on the team.
Linfield places seventh in the poll with 15 points. The Wildcats move down two spots after tying for fifth with Whitworth in 2018 NWC final standings. All-NWC first team selection Isaias Flores (M) and honorable mention choice Connor Heintz (F) return to the Wildcat roster, joined by 12 first-year student-athletes.
Pacific (Ore.) rounds out the poll in eighth place with seven points. The Boxers finished the 2018 season in seventh with a 2-9-3 NWC record (11-3-4 overall), with offensive leader Robert Nurmi (F) receiving All-NWC second team honors after recording seven goals and 15 points on the season. Nurmi returns to lead the Boxers in their efforts in the upcoming season.
With preseason scrimmages still underway, the regular season will begin on Friday, August 30thwith seven NWC teams competing. Conference play will kick off on Saturday, September 21st with all eight NWC teams competing.
To view the complete NWC men’s soccer schedule, click here.