Coastal Carolina picked to repeat as Sun Belt men’s soccer champions
NEW ORLEANS – The Coastal Carolina Chanticleers are the favorites to repeat as Sun Belt Conference men’s soccer champions in the 2017 season, a year after winning their first tournament title in their first season in the league.
The Chanticleers earned four of the possible six first-place votes in a poll of the six head coaches. Coastal Carolina is ranked No. 19 in the United Soccer Coaches (formerly NSCAA) Preseason Top 25 and returns eight starters from last year’s team, including Frantzdy Pierrot, a reigning first team All-Sun Belt honoree and a member of the 2017 Men’s MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List honoring the national player of the year.
Georgia Southern (27 points) was second in the poll and earned one first-place vote, as did Georgia State which was third with 25 points.
Hartwick (19 points), Appalachian State (18) and Howard (6) rounded out the poll.
The men’s soccer season begins this Friday, Aug. 25. The 2017 Sun Belt Men’s Soccer Championship will be hosted by Coastal Carolina from Thursday, Nov. 9 to Sunday, Nov. 12. All matches of the tournament will be televised on ESPN3 and available on the WatchESPN app.
2017 Men’s Soccer Preseason Poll (First-Place Votes in Parentheses)
- Coastal Carolina – 33 points (4)
- Georgia Southern – 27 points (1)
- Georgia State – 25 points (1)
- Hartwick – 19 points
- Appalachian State – 16 points
- Howard – 6 points