University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
Men's Soccer Selected Seventh in Big South Preseason Poll
08.09.2016 | Men's Soccer
Charlotte, N.C. - The UNC Asheville men's soccer was voted seventh in the Big South preseason coaches' poll, the conference announced this afternoon. Radford University was picked at the top of the league with seven first place votes and 72 total points.
The Highlanders swept the Preseason Awards with sophomore forward Sivert Daehlie (Holter, Norway) earning Preseason Attacking Player of the Year honors while teammate defender Jo Vetle Rimstad (Harestua, Norway) was voted the Preseason Defensive Player of the Year.
Asheville received 34 total points, just ahead of the Runnin' Bulldogs of Gardner-Webb (eighth, 28 points) and Presbyterian College (ninth,11 points).
The Bulldogs finished the 2015 season with an overall record of 6-11-1, and a Big South record of 3-6-0, including a (3-2) win over a nationally ranked (No.4) Coastal Carolina team. The Bulldogs closed the season with 0-3 loss to the Big South Champion, Winthrop University.
They return to the field in 2016 with 18 letterwinners and 9 freshmen. The Bulldogs are led by senior forward, Zach Joens who led Asheville in multiple statistical categories including: goals (9), points (19), total shots (36) and shots on goal (23). Joens was also selected as a member of the 2015 Big South All-Conference Team.
2016 Big South Conference Preseason Men's Soccer Poll
Rk Team (first-place votes) Points
1. Radford (7) 72
2. High Point 64
3. Winthrop (1) 56
4. Campbell 55
5. Liberty 43
6. Longwood (1) 42
7. UNC Asheville 34
8. Gardner-Webb 28
9. Presbyterian College 11
