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Bowling Green State University Athletics
Falcons Picked to Finish Fifth in MAC
August 25, 2014 | Men's Soccer
Conference office releases preseason coaches poll
by hosting IUPUI Friday night (Aug. 29) at Cochrane Field
"I think this is a fair ranking by the coaches around the conference," said BGSU coach Eric Nichols. "The MAC is tough from top to bottom, and we lost a lot of pieces from last year. We are excited about what this group can do, but it has to be proven on the field."
Akron, the defending regular-season and tournament champion, was picked to capture the 2014 MAC regular-season title. Point totals were not released, but the Zips received four of the six first-place votes, and also garnered three of the six votes to win the MAC Tournament.
MAC men's soccer affiliate West Virginia was picked to finish second in the regular-season standings. The Mountaineers received one vote to win the regular-season crown and two votes to capture the tourney title.
Western Michigan was picked to place third, receiving one vote to win both the regular-season and tourney hardware. Northern Illinois was tabbed for fourth, followed by BGSU and Buffalo.
Nichols and his staff return eight letterwinners, including four starters, from a year ago. The 2013 team finished with an overall record of 6-7-6, and BGSU tied for fourth in the MAC regular-season standings with a 2-2-2 league ledger. The MAC had seven men's soccer-playing institutions last fall, but Hartwick is no longer a conference affiliate, giving the league its six current members.
The 2014 Falcons open the regular season with a pair of home matches around the Labor Day weekend. BGSU hosts IUPUI Friday night (Aug. 29), and the Brown and Orange will face the University of Findlay on Tuesday evening, Sept. 2. The IUPUI contest begins at 6:00 p.m., while the contest vs. UF is set for a 7:00 p.m. start at Cochrane Field. Admission to all Falcon home soccer matches is free.
2014 MAC Men's Soccer Preseason Coaches' Poll
(First-place votes in parentheses)
1. Akron (4)
2. West Virginia (1)
3. Western Michigan (1)
4. Northern Illinois
5. Bowling Green
6. Buffalo
Votes to win 2014 MAC Tournament
Akron 3; West Virginia 2; Western Michigan 1
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