CALVIN KNIGHT SPORTS REPORT FOR AUGUST 18, 2011
Calvin Men's Soccer Team Pegged For Second Place in First-Ever Pre-Season MIAA Poll
MEN'S SOCCER
The first-ever MIAA pre-season men's soccer (coaches) poll has been tabulated and Calvin has been picked to finish second. Calvin received three of a possible eight first place votes while Hope received the remaining five first place votes. Coaches were allowed to vote for their own team in the poll.
A year ago, Calvin and Hope shared the MIAA regular season title with Calvin finishing with a 9-2-3 (30 points) conference record while Hope finished 10-4-0 (30 points) in league play. Hope handed Calvin both of its regular season defeats and earned the MIAA's automatic bid to the NCAA III Tournament. Calvin also received an at-large bid to the NCAA III Tournament and continued on to reach the NCAA III Quarterfinals.
Olivet was picked to finish third in this year's MIAA poll while Adrian was picked to finish fourth. A year ago, four teams (Calvin, Hope, Adrian and Olivet) were still in position to claim the MIAA title heading into the final week of the league season.
This year the MIAA men's soccer campaign will include a four-team league league tournament for the first time. The top four teams in the final MIAA regular season standings will advanced to the MIAA Tournament with the tournament champion receiving the league's automatic bid to the NCAA III Tournament.
Calvin has won at least a share of the last four MIAA (regular season) titles and has captured a league-leading 21 conference titles since the MIAA instituted men's soccer as a varsity sport in 1970.
Led by 10th-year head coach Chris Hughes, Calvin heads into the 2011 season ranked seventh nationally by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America. The Knights open their season on September 1 at Rochester University of New York at 7 p.m.
The 2011 Calvin men's soccer outlook can be found online at: http://www.calvin.edu/sports/news/comments/2011-calvin-mens-soccer-preview/
MIAA Men's Soccer Coaches Poll Results (first-place votes in parenthesis): 1. Hope (5) 10. 2. Calvin (3) 11. 3. Olivet 21. 4. Adrian 28. 5. Kalamazoo 32. 6. Trine 37. 7. Alma 39. 8. Albion 46.
Received on Thu Aug 18 17:54:20 2011
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