Newport News, Va. – With the regular season starting this weekend, the Atlantic 10 Conference announced its men's soccer preseason poll and All-Conference team on Thursday.
Fordham, which won the Atlantic 10 Championship in 2014 and 2016, was picked to finish first, just ahead of Saint Louis and VCU. The Rams received eight first place votes and 162 points, followed by the Billikens with 153 points and two first place votes, and VCU with three first place votes and 147 points.
Dayton was picked fourth (122), followed by Rhode Island (5
th – 105), George Washington (6
th – 94), Duquesne (7
th – 90), Massachusetts (8
th – 72), La Salle (9
th – 70), Davidson (10
th – 57), George Mason (11
th – 43), Saint Joseph's (12
th – 35), and St. Bonaventure (13
th – 33).
The Atlantic 10 Championship will be held from November 5
th through 12
th, as it will be split between campus sites for the quarterfinal match-ups, followed by the semifinals and final at Baujan Field in Dayton, Ohio.
Rashid Nuhu
In addition to being picked first, the Rams also had a conference-best five players named to the preseason All-Conference Team. Seniors
Jannik Loebe (Kierpse, Germany) and
Matthew Lewis (Kansas City, Mo.), along with juniors
Janos Loebe (Kierspe, Germany) and
Rashid Nuhu (Accra, Ghana) and sophomore
Joergen Oland (Drammen, Norway).
All five players earned Atlantic 10 honors a year ago, helping Fordham to the Atlantic 10 Championship. The Loebe brothers were both First Team All-Atlantic 10 selections in 2016 with Janos receiving the Conference's Offensive Player of the Year Award. He tied for the team lead in goals (7), assists (6), and points (20) with his brother, Jannik. Both were selected to the Atlantic 10 All-Championship Team, as well as to the NSCAA All-Midwest Region Team with Janos earning Second Team honors and Jannik getting Third Team accolades.
Lewis and Nuhu were both Second Team All-Atlantic 10 selections a year ago. For Lewis, it was the second consecutive year that he was a Second Team selection after starting all 21 games on the Rams' backline. He helped Fordham record a 0.85 team goals against average, while on the offensive end he had a career-high three goals. Nuhu, an NSCAA Second Team All-Midwest Region pick, set career-best marks in 2016 in goals against average (0.75), save percentage (.819), shutouts (7), and minutes played (1805). In the Atlantic 10 Championship, Nuhu was named the Most Outstanding Player of the championship, posting three shutouts and recorded three saves in the penalty kick shootout of the title match.
Oland was a member of the Atlantic 10 All-Rookie Team last season, after a superb inaugural campaign on the Rams' backline. He started all 21 games as a freshman, and led the Rams in minutes played with 1,954. He also posted a goal and two assists on the offensive end.
The Fordham men's soccer team is slated to open their 2017 campaign on Friday, August 25
th at the John Rennie Nike Invitational in Durham, N.C. The Rams will face Elon in their opening match, starting at 5:00 PM.
2017 Atlantic 10 Preseason Coaches' Poll
| Rank |
Team |
Points (1st Place Votes) |
| 1. |
Fordham |
162 (8) |
| 2. |
Saint Louis |
153 (2) |
| 3. |
VCU |
147 (3) |
| 4. |
Dayton |
122 |
| 5. |
Rhode Island |
105 |
| 6. |
George Washington |
94 |
| 7. |
Duquesne |
90 |
| 8. |
Massachusetts |
72 |
| 9. |
La Salle |
70 |
| 10. |
Davidson |
57 |
| 11. |
George Mason |
43 |
| 12. |
Saint Joseph's |
35 |
| 13. |
St. Bonaventure |
33 |
2017 Atlantic 10 Men's Soccer Preseason Team
Forwards
Janos Loebe, Fordham
Luc Fatton, VCU
Stavros Zarokstas, Rhode Island
Midfielders
Jannik Loebe, Fordham
Dominik Richter, Rhode Island
Rafael Andrade Santos, VCU
Defenders
Matthew Lewis, Fordham
Joergen Oland, Fordham
Konrad Gorich, Massachusetts
Peder Kristiansen, Rhode Island
Goalkeeper
Rashid Nuhu, Fordham
