The Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference released its preseason men’s and women’s soccer rankings and 2016 Preseason All-RMAC Teams on Tuesday, and both Fort Lewis College teams are predicted to finish in the top half of the standings.
Sophomore defender Sean Cleary and senior midfielder Tamino Kroeger were selected to the men’s Preseason All-RMAC Team, and the Skyhawks are expected to finish fifth. Cleary was also named the Preseason Defender of the Year last week. Defending regular season and RMAC Tournament champions, Colorado School of Mines, was picked by the league’s coaches to take the men’s title once again. Colorado Mesa is predicted to finish second, with Metro State and UC-Colorado Springs ahead of Fort Lewis.
The Skyhawks finished fifth in the RMAC last season with a 12-6-2 record. They’ll be led by new head coach David Oberholtzer, who replaced former FLC head coach and new Stanford University assistant coach Oige Kennedy.
The Orediggers are also at the top of the women’s poll.
The Skyhawks women finished second last season to a Colorado Mines team that is favored to win the conference once again. Though the FLC women’s players were snubbed from the Preseason All-RMAC Team individually, the Skyhawks have eight returning starters and the reigning RMAC Coach of the Year Jimmy Hall.
Fort Lewis received zero first-place votes in the coaches poll, but the squad’s 128 points put FLC behind the Orediggers’ 142 points and ahead of third-place Regis’ 116.
The preseason polls were voted on by the RMAC head coaches in which 10 points were given for a first-place vote, nine for second place, eight for third, and so on.
UC-Colorado Springs junior Michaela Mansfield was named the Preseason Player of the year after leading the RMAC with nine goals and 21 points last season. Colorado Mines defender Emily Garnier was named the Preseason Defender of the Year, and Colorado Mesa sophomore Janelle Richmond-Buccola is the Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year.
The Fort Lewis women’s alumni game is scheduled for 1 p.m. Aug. 27., with the men’s game to follow. The Skyhawks women officially open their season with a 2 p.m. Sept. 3 matchup at Lubbock Christian. The FLC men open the season at 3 p.m. Sept. 2 hosting No. 7 Midwestern State.
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