(FAYETTEVILLE, N.C.) – Greensboro College, under the direction of Head Coach John Trice, in his fourth year, was picked in the preseason coaches’ poll to capture the USA South Athletic Conference men’s soccer title in 2014. Last fall, The Pride captured the USA South Tournament crown for the first time since 2007. Greensboro received five of 11 first place votes and 93 total points. Head coaches do not vote for their own teams in the balloting.
The 2014 season marks the first in the USA South for William Peace University as the Pacers will field a men’s team for the first time in the program’s history.
Last year’s USA South Regular Season champions, Methodist University, finished second in the balloting with 91 points and four first place votes. Maryville College followed in third place with 81 points and one first place vote, while Covenant College grabbed 79 points and the final remaining first place vote to finish fourth. Rounding out the top-half of the poll with 59 and 56 points, respectively, was N.C. Wesleyan College and Averett University.
The men’s soccer regular season gets underway on Friday, August 29 as Averett, Covenant and Huntingdon are in action.
The USA South Tournament will once again head to Martinsville, Virginia as the Southern Virginia Recreation Facilities Authority will host the 2014 Men’s and Women’s Soccer semifinals and finals. The contests will be held at the Smith River Sports Complex onNovember 7 and 8. The first round games of the tournaments will continue to be held on the campuses of the higher seeded team and will take place on Saturday, November 1. The top-eight seeded teams after the conclusion of regular season competition will advance to the tournament.
2014 USA South Men’s Soccer Coaches Preseason Poll
Rank Institution (1st Place Votes) Pts. 1. Greensboro (5) 93 2. Methodist (4) 91 3. Maryville (1) 81 4. Covenant (1) 79 5. N.C. Wesleyan 59 6. Averett 56 7. Ferrum 47 8. Piedmont 39 9. Huntingdon 27 10. LaGrange 23 11. William Peace 10