LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. – In a vote by the league's head coaches, Trinity University was unanimously selected as the preseason favorite to win the 2016 Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) men's soccer championship.
Trinity picked up all eight first-place votes to total 64 points in the preseason polling. Last season, the Texas Tigers finished 22-3 (12-2 in the SCAC) as the program earned its fourth-straight conference tournament crown with a 1-0 victory over Colorado College in the 2015 SCAC championship final.
With its 14th consecutive NCAA tournament appearance secured, second-ranked Trinity advanced to the national quarterfinals for the third straight year before being edged 1-0 in double-overtime by the host and fourth-ranked Amherst College.
Led by 26th-year head coach Paul McGinlay, the Tigers return 10 starters from the 2015 campaign and enter this season preseason ranked No. 5 by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA).
Colorado College was a near unanimous selection at second place, receiving seven of eight runner-up votes for 55 points. The Tigers, who also received votes in the NSCAA preseason rankings, finished the 2015 campaign with an overall mark of 14-3-3 (11-1-2 in the SCAC). After a second-place regular season finish, Colorado College advanced to the SCAC tournament final for the second consecutive year before falling to Trinity on their home field.
Eight of the 11 starters from the SCAC title game return for head coach Scott Palguta, who is now in his second year as the Tigers' head man following two years as assistant under legendary head coach Horst Richardson.
Despite a fifth-place regular season finish in 2015, the coaches are predicting a bounce-back year for Southwestern as the Pirates came in as the third choice in the preseason rankings. Despite posting its worst overall record (6-14) since the 1995 season, Southwestern still managed a 6-8 conference mark and a berth into the SCAC post-season tournament. Once there, however, Southwestern was bounced in the first round for the first time since the tournament was reinstated in 2011. Head coach Don Gregory is in his 19th season leading the Pirates.
Texas Lutheran was the coaches' fourth choice, coming in with 39 total points in the preseason balloting. Led by 11th-year head coach Eddie Salazar, the Bulldogs have made three consecutive trips to the SCAC tournament semiifinals - losing to the eventual champion in each of those contests. TLU finished fourth during the SCAC regular season a year ago with a conference mark of 6-7-1 (10-8-1 overall).
The University of Dallas was just behind TLU in the preseason coaches' rankings with 38 points. With a 2015 conference mark of 7-4-2 (8-8-2 overall), the Crusaders enjoyed their best regular season finish (third) since joining the SCAC prior to the 2011 season. Among the highlights of the 2015 campaign, Dallas topped then No. 1 Trinity in a 1-0 decision at Crusaders Field on Sept. 18 for the first win over the Tigers in program history. Head coach David Hoffmann is in his 14th season with the Crusaders.
Schreiner University (8-11-1 overall; 5-8-1 SCAC) was selected to finish sixth in the preseason rankings. Since joining the conference prior to the 2013 season, the Mountaineers picked up their first-ever SCAC tournament win a year ago - a 1-0 double overtime upset of third-seeded Dallas in the 2015 quarterfinals. Head coach Paul Hayes is in his 14th season at the helm of the Schreiner program.
Austin College is the coaches' seventh pick after coming off a 2015 campaign that saw the 'Roos finish with an overall record of 5-13-1 (3-10 in the SCAC). Head coach Mark Hudson, in his 10th season leading the 'Roo program, will be looking to guide Austin College to its first SCAC post-season tournament appearance since the 2013 season. Austin College serves as host of the 2016 SCAC Men's Soccer tournament.
Centenary College rounds out the coaches' preseason rankings. The Gents, who finished the 2015 season with an overall mark of 4-15 (2-12 SCAC), will be led by interim head coach Kyle Symczak who takes over for Emmett Rutkowski who resigned to accept a position at Mercer University.
2016 SCAC Predicted Order of Finish
1. Trinity University - 64 points (8)
2. Colorado College - 55 points
3. Southwestern University - 43 points
4. Texas Lutheran University - 39 points
5. University of Dallas - 38 points
6. Schreiner University - 20 points
7. Austin College - 19 points
8. Centenary College - 10 points
(Eight points were awarded for a first-place vote, seven points for a second-place, down to one point for an eighth-place vote. First-place votes in parenthesis.)
