Complete Release in PDF Format | 2016 WAC Men's Soccer Record Book
SEATTLE U PICKED TO WIN 2016 TITLE
Seattle U is the preseason favorite to win the 2016 Western Athletic Conference men's soccer title in a vote of the league's 11 head coaches, who could not vote for their own team or players.
The Redhawks collected nine first place votes and 99 total points to take the top spot. Utah Valley earned the remaining two first place votes to take second with 87 points while 2014 champion UNLC was picked third with 79 points. CSU Bakersfield was selected fourth and San José State edged out Grand Canyon for the fifth spot with the Lopes predicted to finish sixth. Houston Baptist was picked seventh, followed by Air Force, UIW, UMKC and UT Rio Grande Valley.
BJORNETHUN, OLSEN HIGHLIGHT PRESEASON ALL-WAC SQUAD
Seattle U defender Kyle Bjornethun and forward David Olsen were selected as WAC Preseason Defensive and Offensive Player of the Year respectively in a vote of the league's 11 head coaches, who could not vote for their own team or players. Redhawks midfielder Sergio Rivas joining his teammates on team. Utah Valley had three players as Skyler Milne, Paul Hoffmeister and Alex Neff all picked up preseason honors. UNLV and San José State each had two players with the Rebels represented by Danny Musovski and Richard Garness and the Spartans represented by Rory Knibbs and Jonathan Colunga. Grand Canyon's Amer Sasivarevic represented the Lopes to round out the 11-player squad.
NATIONALLY RANKED
Both Seattle U and Utah Valley will open the season with a target on their back as they head into 2016 ranked among the national polls. The Redhawks find themselves ranked 14th in the NSCAA Coaches Poll, ninth in the Top Drawer Soccer Top 25 and 12th in the CollegeSoccerNews.com Top 30. Utah Valley is 24th in the Top Drawer Soccer Top 25, 28th in the CSN Top 30 and among those receiving votes in the NSCAA poll.
THREE NAMED TO MAC HERMANN WATCH LIST
Seattle U's Kyle Bjornethun and David Olsen and UNLV's Danny Musovski are among those on the watch list for the 2016 Missouri Athletic Club's (MAC) Hermann Trophy. Olsen was a semifinalist for the 2015 WAC Hermann Trophy, Bjornthun was the 2015 WAC Defensive Player of the Year and Musovski earned 2015 WAC Offensive Player of the Year honors. All three were also named NSCAA All-Americans last season with Olsen earning First Team honors and Bjornethun and Musovski each picking up Second Team honors.
PRESEASON ALL-AMERICANS
After helping the Redhawks bust onto the national scene last season, Seattle U forward David Olsen and defender Kyle Bjornethun were named First Team Preseason All-Americans by CollegeSoccerNews.com. UNLV forward Danny Musovski was also recognized, earning second team honors.
Bjornethun also earned First Team honors from Top Drawer Soccer. Olsen was a Second Team selection in the TDS Preseason Best XI while Musovski and Utah Valley's Alex Neff earned third team honors. Grand Canyon defender Hector Montalvo rounded out the WAC players honored, being named to the Freshman First Team.
PLAYING THE BEST
The WAC has eight non-conference games against participants from the 2015 NCAA Men's Soccer Tournament. Seattle U is playing two postseason participants, traveling to both Akron and Dartmouth. San José State is also taking on two postseason schools on the road, traveling to defending champion Stanford and Santa Clara. UIW will tak on SMU, Air Force meets Cal Poly, UT Rio Grande Valley plays Cal State Fullerton and UMKC heads to Creighton.
COMING TO YOU LIVE
The WAC Digital Network will broadcast 28 regular season games and all five games of the 2016 WAC Men's Soccer Tournament in Orem, Utah.