ELMHURST, Ill. - The
Western Illinois men's soccer team was tabbed as the favorite to win the Summit
League in the 2012 preseason coaches' poll, the conference announced on Friday.
The Leathernecks received five of eight first-place votes
and received 46 points total, seven more than Kansas City, who finished second
in the voting with 39 points and one first-place vote.
Oakland rounded out the top three with 38 points and two
first-place votes.
Western Illinois finished the 2011 season with a 13-7-1
record and a league-best 4-2 record in conference action en route to its fifth
Summit League title in the past eight years under head coach Dr. Eric Johnson.
Johnson is the Summit League's all-time winningest coach with
129 career wins, and also leads the conference with 48 victories in the Summit
League.
Finishing fourth through eighth place in the poll were Oral
Roberts (28 points), IUPUI (23), Fort Wayne (20), Eastern Illinois (18) and
Omaha (8).
The Leathernecks will round out exhibition play with a home
contest against Quincy on Saturday at 5 p.m. before opening regular season
action with a 5 p.m. game against Graceland at John MacKenzie Alumni Field on
Aug. 24 at 5 p.m.
#WIUAthletics
|
Place
|
School
|
2011 Record
|
Points
(1st-Place Votes)
|
|
1.
|
Western Illinois
|
13-7-1 // 4-2-0, 1st
|
46 (5)
|
|
2.
|
Kansas City
|
5-9-3 // 2-2-2, 5th
|
39 (1)
|
|
3.
|
Oakland
|
6-11-1 // 3-3-0, 4th
|
38 (2)
|
|
4.
|
Oral Roberts
|
7-11-1 // 3-2-1, t-2nd
|
28
|
|
5.
|
IUPUI
|
6-10-2 // 2-3-1, 6th
|
23
|
|
6.
|
Fort Wayne
|
8-10-2 // 3-2-1, t-2nd
|
20
|
|
7.
|
Eastern Illinois
|
7-9-1 // 1-4-1, 7th
|
18
|
|
8.
|
Omaha
|
1-11-1
|
8
|
