ROYAL OAK, Mich. - The Trine University football squad was picked to finish second in the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) this season in the preseason poll that was released today. The Thunder received 15 points, including one first place vote, as it tied with both Hope College and Albion College. Defending conference champion Adrian College was chosen as the favorite to repeat with nine points and four first-place votes.
Head coach Matt Land enters his eighth season after coming off back-to-back 7-3 seasons, and Trine finished second in the MIAA in 2012. The Thunder will need to replace several key starters from a season ago, including MIAA Offensive MVP in wide receiver JaVontae Hence. Trine also lost two-year starting quarterback Ryan Hargraves and All-MIAA First Team defensive back Myron Puryear to graduation.
The 2013 squad will features four players who were named to preseason All-American lists, led by senior guard Andrew Webster and senior kicker Tyler Keck. Webster was named to three different preseason All-American teams, including being selected as a first team honoree by D3football.com. Keck was one of just two MIAA players to be named to the Beyond Sports Network (BSN) second team. Joining Keck and Webster on the USA College Football, Inc., 25th annual list were senior tackle Taylor Sprague and senior outside linebacker Caleb Nitz; they each garnered First Team All-MIAA honors in 2012.
Trine's season will get underway on Sept. 5 when the team heads to Manchester (IN) for the opener at 7:30 p.m. The Thunder then plays its home-opener against Elmhurst (IL) at 1 p.m. Sept. 14. Other non-conference games for the Thunder include a home game Sept. 21 against Concordia (WI) for the MIAA/NACC Challenge series before traveling to Division II St. Joseph's (IN). Trine's conference season begins at home when it hosts Kalamazoo during homecoming weekend at 1 p.m. Oct. 5.
Poll Results (first-place votes in parenthesis): 1. Adrian (4) 9 pts. 2. Hope (2) 15 pts. 2. Trine (1) 15 pts. 2. Albion 15. 5. Olivet 29. 6. Kalamazoo 31. 7. Alma 33.