WINTHROP, Mass. – Johnson & Wales University garnered five first-place votes and 93 points to take the top spot in the 2014 Great Northeast Athletic Conference Men's Soccer Preseason Coaches' Poll, it was announced by the GNAC office Monday morning.
The Wildcats, who went 14-2-6 overall and 5-1-3 in conference play last fall, bested 2013 GNAC regular-season champion Lasell College on penalty kicks in last year's GNAC Championship game before falling to Brandeis in the NCAA Tournament.
Johnson & Wales returns its top three offensive weapons from a year ago in seniors Kyle Metz and O'Kyle Corridon and sophomore Xavier Carty, as the trio combined for 20 goals and 23 assists last season.
Norwich University (12-5-4, 5-1-3 GNAC) finished second in the poll, as voted upon by the league's head coaches, with 89 points and three first-place votes, while Lasell (17-4-2, 7-1-1 GNAC) placed third with 77 points and one first-place tally.
Saint Joseph's College of Maine (10-8-1, 6-3-0 GNAC) finished fourth in the voting with 61 points, followed by Albertus Magnus College (6-10-2, 2-5-2 GNAC) in the fifth position with 58 points and Mount Ida College (8-8-3, 5-2-2 GNAC) in the sixth spot with 52 points.
Rounding out the preseason poll was Emmanuel College (9-12, 5-4 GNAC) with 45 points, Suffolk University (4-13, 2-7 GNAC) with 38 points, Rivier University (4-12-1, 2-6-1 GNAC) with 24 points and Anna Maria College (3-11-1, 0-9-0 GNAC) with 13 points.
Founded in 1995, the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) is an NCAA Division III association made up of 12 member institutions and over 3,000 student-athletes across the New England region. Each year, the GNAC sponsors and administers 17 championships, while balancing academic integrity, athletic opportunities and community involvement.
2014 GNAC Men's Soccer Preseason Coaches' Poll
| 1. Johnson & Wales (5) - 93 |
| 2. Norwich (3) - 89 |
| 3. Lasell (1) - 77 |
| 4. Saint Joseph's - 61 |
| 5. Albertus Magnus - 58 |
| 6. Mount Ida - 52 |
| 7. Emmanuel - 45 |
| 8. Suffolk (1) - 38 |
| 9. Rivier - 24 |
| 10. Anna Maria - 13 |
( ) - indicates number of first-place votes
COURTESY OF GNAC SPORTS INFORMATION OFFICE
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Saint Joseph's College is Maine's only Catholic liberal arts college, providing a supportive, personalized and career-focused education for more than 100 years. From its 430-acre campus on the shores of Sebago Lake, the College offers more than 40 undergraduate programs to a population of approximately 1,000 students. Saint Joseph's College Online provides certificates, undergraduate and advanced degrees for working adults through an online learning program. For more, visit www.sjcme.edu.
