FREELAND, Mich.-- The Trine men's soccer team was picked to finish eighth in the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association by the league's coaches in the conference preseason poll, released Monday.
The Thunder received votes totaling 46 points in the poll to place them four points behind seventh-place Adrian. Last season, Trine placed eighth in the MIAA with a 2-12 mark in conference action. The Thunder finished with an overall record of 5-14-1. The team projects to return 80 percent of its scoring output from a year ago and will look to an incoming group of freshman to supplement its returning core of players.
Trine returns its top four scorers from last season, including leading-scorer Dalton Mullennix (Fruitport, Mich./Fruitport). Mullennix scored a team-high four goals in his freshman campaign. Kenny Rappuhn (Goodrich, Mich./Goodrich) and Nick Lang (Indianapolis, Ind./Cathedral) each return after contributing seven-point campaigns last year.
Jacob Nantz (Galesburg, Mich./Galesburg-Augusta), Chris Short (McCordsville, Ind./Pendleton Heights) and JT McLain (Highland, Ill./Highland) bring experience to the Thunder defensive corps. Nantz has a been a three-year starter at defender.
The battle for the starting goalkeeping position will be among the position battles to be decided during fall camp after the graduation of four-year starter Chris Stewart.
The Thunder open the season Sept. 1 at Defiance. The conference season opens at Calvin Sept. 16, with the home-opener following Sept. 19 against Adrian. The complete schedule can be viewed HERE.
Calvin, the winner of the last eight MIAA titles, was picked as the league's preseason favorite. The complete results of the poll are listed below.
MIAA Men's Soccer Preseason Poll (first-place votes in parenthesis):
1. Calvin – 7 points (7)
2. Kalamazoo – 15 points
3. Hope – 21 points (1)
4. Alma – 28 points
5. Olivet – 30 points
6. Albion – 35 points
7. Adrian – 42 points
8. Trine - 46 points