NEW HAVEN, Conn. - - Wilmington University was tabbed first in the 2022 Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) Men's Soccer Preseason Coaches Poll, which was announced on Monday by Commissioner Dan Mara. The Wildcats, who advanced to the NCAA Tournament last season, earned 148 points in the voting and seven first-place votes. The voting for the poll was conducted by the league's 13 head coaches in the sport.
The Wildcats went 16-4-1 overall last year and tied atop the CACC Standings with Post University in 2021, making it three straight seasons the Wildcats have won at least a share of the CACC Regular Season. The Wildcats fell in the CACC Tournament Semifinal round, but still earned the right to host an NCAA Super Region 1 Second Round home game for the first time in program history.
Post University, the reigning CACC Champion, was second in the preseason rankings with 147 points and four first-place nods. Both WilmU and Post tied for first place in the CACC standings following the regular season during the 2021 campaign.
Dominican University rounded out the top three in the preseason poll, as the Chargers earned 134 points and one first-place tally. Dominican advanced to the CACC Championship Final last season. Georgian Court University (4th, 115 pts) was the other school to earn a first-place vote in the rankings, as the Lions received one nod for the top spot.
The 2022 season gets underway next Thursday, Aug. 25, as the Wildcats travel to Adelphi to compete against the Panthers and American International in Garden City, New York, during the opening weekend.
The regular season will be a buildup to the 2022 CACC Championship, which will begin on Tuesday, Nov. 1 with the quarterfinals, followed by the semifinals and championship final on Nov. 4 and 6, at Holy Family University in Philadelphia. The quarterfinals will be held at the sites of the highest seeds. The winner of the CACC Championship will earn the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Super Region 1 Tournament in late November at a site to be determined.
Sport sponsorship within the conference will rise from 12 schools to 13 for the 2022 campaign, as University of the Bridgeport enters the CACC as a new member beginning in the 2022-23 academic year.
2022 CACC MEN'S SOCCER PRESEASON COACHES POLL
1. Wilmington University 148 (7)
2. Post University 147 (4)
3. Dominican College 134 (1)
4. Georgian Court University 115 (1)
5. Holy Family University 100
6. Thomas Jefferson University 95
7. Nyack College 86
8. University of Bridgeport 79
9. Goldey-Beacom College 69
10. Felician University 67
11. Chestnut Hill College 50
12. Bloomfield College 41
13. Caldwell University 39
() - First-Place Votes