Cleveland State Voted Preseason Favorite in Men's Soccer Coaches Poll

INDIANAPOLIS -- The Cleveland State men’s soccer team, the defending Horizon League tournament champions, were voted the preseason favorites for the 2013 season in voting of the League’s head coaches.

Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own squad.

Detroit, Milwaukee, Oakland, UIC and Wright State all joined the Vikings in receiving first-place votes, but CSU with three first-place votes was the only school to appear at the top of more than one coaches’ poll.

Cleveland State, which finished second in the regular season standings last season before winning the tournament championship to advance to the NCAA Tournament, returns two First-Team All-League performers last season in seniors Aslinn Rodas and Admir Suljevic. Also back for the Vikings is Second-Team selection Zach Ellis-Hayden and All-Newcomer team honorees Danilo Radjen and Alfonso Sandoval.

Milwaukee and Oakland both received 34 points in the poll to finish in a tie for second. The Panthers return nine starters and 14 letterwinners overall, including all four players who earned postseason League accolades last season. Junior Laurie Bell, who led the team 21 points last season and was a First-Team All-League selection, returns to pace the offensive attack, while Second-Team All-League selections senior James Ashcroft and sophomore Declan Rodriguez are back to lead the defense.

Oakland, which won the Summit League regular season title with a 5-1-1 League mark last year, will look to make its mark in the Horizon League this season. The Golden Grizzlies return three players who earned First-Team status last season the Summit League in Miche’Le Lipari, Scott Messer, and John Timm. Timm was the Summit League Defensive Player of the Year. Also back for Oakland are Second-Team selections Lucas Diener and Joey Tinnion.

Detroit and UIC were next in the poll in a tie for fourth after both teams finished with 30 points in the poll. The Titans were the regular season champions last season with a 6-1-0 record, but UDM was upset in the semifinals of the tournament. The Titans return eight starters from last year’s squad, including senior Adam Bedell, who was the League’s Player of the Year and Offensive Player of the Year last season.

The Flames return 13 letterwinners from last season’s team that finished third in the regular season. Highlighting the returnees is First-Team All-Horizon League selection Jesus Torres and Second-Team All-League honorees Thomas Villamil and Josh Beard.

Wright State finished sixth in the poll with 25 points, narrowly edging out Valparaiso which had 23 tallies. The Raiders return the Newcomer of the Year in sophomore Brett Elder. Elder was the only freshman on the HL’s First-Team last season. Also back for the Raiders is Second-Team All-Horizon League selection Derek Zuniga.

Green Bay rounded out the poll in eighth place.

The men’s soccer regular season begins on Friday, Aug. 30. The Horizon League Tournament will feature the top six teams in the League beginning on Tuesday, Nov. 12 at campus sites and continuing at the venue of the No. 1 seed Nov. 15-17.