LMU Men's Soccer Picked Third In Preseason Poll, Places Two On All-SAC Teams

August 18, 2011

ROCK HILL, SC -- The Lincoln Memorial University men's soccer team was picked third in the preseason coaches' poll that was released on Thursday.

Senior LMU goalkeeper Michael Watkins was also named to the preseason all-conference first team while midfielder Chris Nash was named to the second team.

Defending South Atlantic Conference regular season co-champion Wingate is the favorite to win the league’s men’s soccer title again in 2011. Wingate, which earned an at-large bid to the 2010 NCAA Tournament, finished ahead of No. 2 Anderson by a single point in the poll, but edged the Trojans 6-2 in first-place votes.

Anderson will open the season ranked 17th in the NSCAA national poll – the only SAC school to appear in the preseason top 25.  The Trojans won the Food Lion SAC Tournament last season and advanced to the NCAA Championship Southeast Regional Final. 

Lincoln Memorial is third in the poll – including one first-place vote, followed by Carson-Newman and Mars Hill.  The Lions also received a first-place vote in the poll.

Rounding out the poll is Lenoir-Rhyne at No. 6, then Tusculum, Catawba, Newberry and Brevard.

Also announced on Thursday was the men’s soccer preseason All-Conference team. 

Anderson leads the way with a league-high four student-athletes on the first team, including reigning SAC Player of the Year and Daktronics All-American Lasse Sohrweide.  The Trojans also placed one player on the second team.

Mars Hill has three players on the first team and two on the second team, while Carson-Newman and Wingate each have four preseason all-conference selections.

Catawba, Lincoln Memorial and Lenoir-Rhyne each have two All-SAC selections.

2011 SAC men’s soccer action gets underway on Sept. 1.   

Preseason All-SAC Team

First Team
F – Lasse Sohrweide, Anderson
F – Clement Samson, Anderson
F – Robbie Hill, Carson-Newman
F – Gui Lima, Wingate
MF – Ben Jones, Anderson
MF – Shadi Harb, Mars Hill
MF – Isiah Shafer, Mars Hill
MF – Carson Smith, Catawba
D – James Moseley, Anderson
D – Troy Chavez, Mars Hill
D – Gui Andrade, Wingate
D – Chris Wilson, Lenoir-Rhyne
GK – Michael Watkins, Lincoln Memorial

Second Team
F – Stephen Bivens, Mars Hill
F – Emmanuel Aboagye, Carson-Newman
F – Fabricio Barancoski, Wingate
F – Chibuzo Nwosu, Lenoir-Rhyne
MF – Ryan Messick, Anderson
MF – Matt Craine, Carson-Newman
MF – Corey Faughnan, Catawba
MF – Chris Nash, Lincoln Memorial
D – Anthony Chiappetta, Carson-Newman
D – Corey McCollom
D – Domhnall Minogu, Catawba
D – Sean Rogers, Lenoir-Rhyne
GK – Zac Scott, Mars Hill

Michael Watkins

Chris Nash