CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The High Point University men’s soccer team was picked to finish third in the 2013 Big South Conference Preseason Poll, the conference announced on Monday. The Panthers received 87 points to finish behind Coastal Carolina and Campbell.
Coastal Carolina, coming off a berth to the NCAA Men’s College Cup Sweet 16, collected eight first-place votes and 116 points from the panel. An At-Large selection, the Chanticleers downed Elon in the opening round of the 2012 NCAA Championship and knocked off Wake Forest to advance to the Sweet 16. Coastal Carolina went unscathed in League play during the 2012 season as it posted a 10-0-0 record.
Campbell placed second in the voting with two first-place votes and 104 points overall. Radford finished just behind High Point in fourth with 86 total points. Winthrop placed fifth with one top vote and 85 points. Coming in sixth was Liberty with 73 points and seventh was Gardner-Webb with 50 points. Longwood came in at the No. 8 slot with 42 points, ahead of Presbyterian College with 34 points. UNC Asheville’s 30 points was good for 10th and VMI rounded out the voting with 19 points.
High Point went 12-5-3 in 2012 including an 8-0-2 record at Vert Stadium. The Panthers were undefeated through the first 11 games of the season, opening with a 10-0-1 record and earning their first-ever NSCAA national ranking. Kody Palmer was named the Big South Freshman of the Year and five Panther players earned All-Big South honors.
The Panthers return five starters from last season’s squad. Palmer returns in goal along with sophomores Austin Yearwood and Erien Campbell on defense. Senior Adam Sewell returns for HPU in the midfield while 2012 leading scorer and first-team All-Conference honoree Mamadee Nyepon returns up top.
High Point officially kicks off the 2013 season this weekend at the VCU Rams Classic in Richmond, Va. The Panthers will play Old Dominion on Friday, Aug. 30, at 4:30 p.m., and then face UAB on Sunday, Sept. 1, at 4:30 p.m.
2013 Big South Preseason Attacking Player of the Year
Pedro Ribeiro, Coastal Carolina
2013 Big South Preseason Defensive Player of the Year
Uchenna Uzo, Coastal Carolina
2013 Big South Preseason Poll
Team (First Place Votes) Points Coastal Carolina (8) 116 Campbell (3) 104 High Point 87 Radford 86 Winthrop (1) 85 Liberty 73 Gardner-Webb 50 Longwood 42 Presbyterian College 34 UNC Asheville 30 VMI 19