CCU

Coastal Men's Soccer Picked 2nd in Coaches Preseason Poll

Chanticleers will open the 2011 regular season on Saturday (Aug. 27), vs Charlotte

       

Midfielder Luis Faz

Midfielder Luis Faz

Aug. 22, 2011

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - The Coastal Carolina men's soccer team, which is the defending Big South Tournament Champion, has been picked to finish second this season in a poll of the league's coaches, the conference announced today.

The Chanticleers finished second in the 2010 regular season with a 12-8-1 overall record and 5-2-1 mark in league play. Coastal defeated defending regular-season champion and 2011 preseason favorite High Point in last year's Big South Championship (3-1), propelling the Chants to their eighth NCAA Tournament berth.

Coastal Carolina returns its top two leading scorers in Pedro Ribeiro (six goals with one assist) and Luis Faz (three goals and six assists), as well as Justin Portillo (two goals and six assists) and keeper Scott Angevine.

For the second-straight year, High Point has been chosen first in the Big South Conference's annual preseason poll. In addition, the coaches voted Panther forward Karo Okiomah the League's Preseason Attacking Player of the Year and HPU goalkeeper Michael Chesler the Preseason Defensive Player of the Year.

High Point received eight first-place votes and 97 out of a possible 100 points in the voting to finish ahead of Coastal Carolina, which totaled one top vote and 89 points from the panel. Liberty came in at the No. 3 position with 70 points, followed by Winthrop, who picked up 68 points. Radford closed out the top five with one first-place bid and 63 points. Big South newcomer Campbell found itself at the No. 6 position with 51 points and Gardner-Webb came in at No. 7 with 44 points. In eighth was UNC Asheville with 32 points and at No. 9 was Presbyterian College with 21 points. VMI rounded out the list with 19 points.

Coastal Carolina will open its 2011 regular season on Saturday (Aug. 27), hosting Charlotte. Kickoff is set for 7:30 pm. 


2011 Big South Conference Preseason Men's Soccer Poll


Rk   Team (first-place votes)    1    2    3    4     5    6     7     8     9    10  Points
1.   High Point (8)             80    9    8   --    --   --    --    --    --    --    97
2.   Coastal Carolina (1)       10   63   16   --    --   --    --    --    --    --    89
3.   Liberty                    --    9   32    7    18   --     4    --    --    --    70
4.   Winthrop                   --   --   24   28     6   10    --    --    --    --    68
5.   Radford (1)                10    9   --   21    12   10    --    --    --     1    63
6.   Campbell                   --   --    8   --    12   20     8     3    --    --    51
7.   Gardner-Webb               --   --   --    7    12    5    16     3    --     1    44
8.   UNC Asheville              --   --   --   --     6   --     4    18     4    --    32
9.   Presbyterian College       --   --   --   --     6   --    --     3     8      4   21
10.  VMI                        --   --   --   --    --   --     4     3     8      4   19