LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. - Trinity has been selected as the preseason favorite based on balloting from league head coaches heading into the 2018 SCAC men's soccer season.
The TU Tigers, who posted a 21-2-0 record and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the 16th-straight season in 2017, earned all nine first-place votes cast by league coaches to finish atop the poll with 81 total points. Colorado College, coming off its seventh-straight season with 10 or more wins finished second in the poll with 69 points, while Dallas finished third in the poll with 68 total points following its first-ever appearance in the SCAC Tournament Championship in 2017. After appearing in the SCAC Tournament semifinals for the second-consecutive season, Austin College checked in at fourth with 47 points and Southwestern rounded out the top-five in fifth with 46 points. Texas Lutheran earned the sixth position with 41 points and Johnson and Wales which will debut as a member of the SCAC in 2018 received 23 points and finished seventh. Schreiner (20) and Centenary (15) rounded out the nine-team field.
Trinity enters the 2018 season under the direction of head coach Paul McGinlay for the 28th consecutive season. In 27 seasons at the helm, McGinlay has compiled a record of 480-76-26 (.845), 10 National Quarterfinal appearances and the 2003 National Championship. The TU Tigers, who are coming off their sixth-straight SCAC Title and their 21st overall, return five of their top six goal scorers from the 2017 squad, including 47 of the team's 66 total goals that led the league a year ago. Leading the charge for Trinity this fall is All-American performer, senior Austin Michaelis, who accounted for 15 goals, five assists and 35 total points last season. Sophomores Jacob Hallenberger and Quentin Van Der Lee join Michaelis on the offensive unit as the duo combined for 15 goals, nine assists and 39 points in 2017. Defensively, junior Blake Lieberman returns in net to anchor a defense that posted a league-leading 12 shutouts and limited opponents to 0.73 goals per game in 2017.
The 2018 SCAC men's soccer season begins on August 31st, with several teams competing in early season tournaments, while the first conference matches of the season are scheduled for Friday, September 7th. The 2018 SCAC Men's Soccer Tournament will be held in November on the campus of Southwestern University as quarterfinal matches will be contested on Friday the 2nd, the semifinal matches on Saturday the 3rd and the championship match being played Sunday the 4th.
2018 SCAC Men's Soccer Preseason Coaches' Poll
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| 1. | Trinity University (9) | 81 |
| 2. | Colorado College | 69 |
| 3. | University of Dallas | 63 |
| 4. | Austin College | 47 |
| 5. | Southwestern University | 46 |
| 6. | Texas Lutheran University | 41 |
| 7. | Johnson & Wales University (Denver) | 23 |
| 8. | Schreiner University | 20 |
| 9. | Centenary College | 15 |
