CLEVELAND, Ohio – According to a poll of Horizon League head coaches, the Cleveland State University men's soccer team has been selected to finish fifth in the League in 2017.
CSU returns 14 letterwinners from last year's squad while welcoming 10 newcomers to the mix under first-year head coach Kirk Harwat.
Oakland was barely tabbed as the League favorite, edging out UIC for the top spot by a single point. The Flames led the League with six first-place tallies and were slightly ahead of Wright State, who was slotted third and grabbed two first-place nods. Milwaukee was fourth in the poll, CSU was fifth and Detroit Mercy came in sixth with the final first-place vote. Green Bay, Northern Kentucky, Belmont and newcomer IUPUI rounded out the final four spots.
Senior captains Alec Nagucki and Hesham Hammouda headline the Vikings returnees. Nagucki earned All-League First Team honors last season and primarily plays a holding midfield role in front of the back line. Hammouda notched three goals and an assist last season as an attacking midfielder but has showed versatility by playing an outside back role in the early going in 2017.
Sophomore Sebastian Kalk, who led the League and ranked fifth in Division I in save percentage in 2016 (.848), is the likely starter in net to begin the campaign for Cleveland State. Sophomore Lawrence Karpeh, who claimed All-Freshmen Team honors from the League with four goals last year, and classmate Gabriel Pewu are likely to see significant time as forwards. Pewu has scored twice in the preseason for CSU.
Cleveland State has posted one of the top four winning percentages in Horizon League play in four of the past five seasons.
Cleveland State is unbeaten in the two exhibition matches it has played this far, settling for a 1-1 tie with Duquesne before topping Saint Francis (Pa.), 1-0. The Vikings close their preseason slate Monday night by hosting Ohio Wesleyan at 6:00 p.m.
2017 Horizon League Men's Soccer Preseason Poll
School (First-Place Votes) – Points
1. Oakland (1) – 86
2. UIC (6) – 85
3. Wright State (2) – 81
4. Milwaukee – 68
5. Cleveland State – 54
6. Detroit Mercy (1) – 51
7. Green Bay – 45
8. Northern Kentucky – 38
9. Belmont – 27
10. IUPUI – 15
