INDIANAPOLIS- By picking up 127 points in a ballot by league coaches, the University of Indianapolis men's soccer team ranked fifth in the Great Lakes Valley Conference Preseason Coaches Poll, released today. Northern Kentucky took the top spot for the second straight year, finishing with 190 points.
NKU (16-3-4, 9-1-1 GLVC), who advanced to the NCAA D-II national semifinals last season, collected 10 of a maximum 14 first-place votes. The Norse edged Lewis in the annual publication, as the Flyers (14-1-4, 9-1-1 GLVC) garnered 180 points, including a pair of first-place nods.
Defending GLVC champion Rockhurst (16-1-4, 10-0-2 GLVC) also amassed a pair of first-place votes, placing third with 174 points. Drury (13-5-3, 7-4-1 GLVC) picked up the final first-place vote on the way to 153 points, placing immediately ahead of the Hounds.
Rounding out the poll was sixth-place UW-Parkside (125 total points), Bellarmine (124), Missouri S&T (110), Quincy (101), Missouri-St. Louis (66), Southern Indiana (66), Saint Joseph's (58), Illinois-Springfield (56), Kentucky Wesleyan (27) and Maryville (21).
Illinois-Springfield and Maryville will be competing in the GLVC for the first time in 2009. The two new members bring the league's membership to 15 for the 2009-10 academic year. The institutions will be immediately eligible to compete for the GLVC Championship in 2009, however, UIS will not be eligible to compete in the NCAA Tournament until 2010 and Maryville earns the right in 2011.
The 15 member institutions will compete in a 14-match round robin conference schedule and the top eight teams in the league standings will advance to the 2009 GLVC Tournament which is scheduled to begin on Nov. 1. The highest remaining seed following the quarterfinal round will host the GLVC semifinals and final on Nov. 6 and 8, respectively.
UIndy Head Coach John Griffin – who is 49-32-14 (.589) in five seasons at UIndy – returns seven starters from last year's squad. The Greyhounds finished 5-4-3 in league play last season, good for fifth place, before falling to Drury 2-1 in the opening round of the GLVC Tournament.
2009 GLVC Preseason Coaches Poll
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1.
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No. Kentucky (10)
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190
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2.
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Lewis (2)
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180
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3.
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Rockhurst (2)
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174
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4.
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Drury (1)
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153
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5.
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Indianapolis
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127
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6.
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UW-Parkside
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125
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7.
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Bellarmine
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124
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8.
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Missouri S&T
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110
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9.
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Quincy
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101
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10.
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Missouri-St. Louis
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66
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Southern Indiana
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66
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12.
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Saint Joseph's
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58
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13.
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Illinois-Springfield
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56
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14.
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Kentucky Wesleyan
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27
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15.
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Maryville
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21
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