CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The High Point University men’s soccer team was picked to finish second in the 2012 Big South Conference preseason poll, the league announced on Monday. HPU received 99 points overall to finish behind Coastal Carolina.
Coastal Carolina collected all 11 first-place votes and 121 points. The Chanticleers were the 2011 Big South Regular-Season Champions and earned an at-large selection to the NCAA Men’s Soccer Championship. Finishing just behind High Point in third was Campbell with 94 points, followed by Liberty at No. 4 with 88 points. Gardner-Webb landed at No. 5 with 70 points and in at No. 6 was Radford with 68 points. Winthrop garnered 50 points to finish at in the seventh slot and Big South newcomer Longwood found itself at No. 8 with 48 points. UNC Asheville’s 39 points was good for No. 9 and Presbyterian College finished 10th in the voting with 25 points. VMI rounded out the list with 24 points.
The Panthers return eight starters from a 2011 team which finished with a 9-9-3 record. HPU went 4-0-1 in its final five games to finish with at least nine wins for the fourth consecutive season. Among the returners in 2012 are All-Big South honorees Shawn Sloan, Fejiro Okiomah and Adam Sewell.
High Point will host an exhibition game against Appalachian State on Aug. 18 at 7 p.m., before opening the season at Elon on Aug. 25 at 8 p.m.
2012 Big South Preseason Attacking Player of the Year
Ashton Bennett, Coastal Carolina
2012 Big South Preseason Defensive Player of the Year
Kjartan Sigurdsson, Coastal Carolina
2012 Big South Preseason Poll
Team (First Place Votes) Points Coastal Carolina (11) 121 High Point 99 Campbell 94 Liberty 88 Gardner-Webb 70 Radford 68 Winthrop 50 Longwood 48 UNC Asheville 39 Presbyterian College 25 VMI 24