BRONX, N.Y. – On the eve of its 2024 season debut, the Fordham men's soccer team has been predicted to finish fifth in the Atlantic 10 by a poll of the league's coaches.

The A-10's coaches predicted that VCU will repeat as regular season champion followed by Saint Louis in second and defending tournament champion Dayton in third.  Loyola Chicago placed one spot ahead of Fordham in fourth while Massachusetts was picked to finish sixth in its final Atlantic 10 season standings.  Davidson, Duquesne, Rhode Island and George Mason, respectively, rounded out the poll's top 10 followed by Saint Joseph's, George Washington, La Salle and St. Bonaventure.

The preseason poll marks the eighth time in the last nine years that Fordham has been picked to finish fifth or better in the league standings.  The Rams are coming off a 2023 campaign that saw the team rise as high as no. 10 in the RPI and crack the United Soccer Coaches Top 25 following a 6-1-3 start that included a road draw against Georgetown, the eventual no. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament.  The Rams went 5-0-3 at home on the campaign, a mark that included a 1-1 draw with then-No. 18 Hofstra.  Fordham earned a berth to the Atlantic 10 Tournament, falling to regular season champion VCU, 1-0, in Richmond.  All four of Fordham's losses in 2023 were by one goal.

The Rams will open their 2024 campaign, their sixth under the direction of Head Coach Carlo Acquista, on Thursday night with a trip to No. 17 Hofstra.  Kick-off from Hempstead is set for 7 p.m. on FloFC.

Men's Soccer Preseason All-Conference Team
 
Forward
Alec Hughes, Massachusetts
Maxi Hopfer, Duquesne
Denis Krioutchenkov, Davidson
 
Midfield
Miles Bonham, Dayton
Joseph Melto Quiah, Dayton
Andrey Salmeron, VCU
 
Defender
Gerardo Castillo, VCU
Luis Maestre, George Mason
Joey Maher, Saint Louis
Moussa Ndiaye, VCU
  
Goalkeeper
Aidan Crawford, Loyola Chicago
 
Preseason Poll

1. VCU (5)
2. Saint Louis (4)
3. Dayton (3)
4. Loyola Chicago (2)
5. Fordham
6. Massachusetts
7. Davidson
8. Duquesne
9. Rhode Island
10. George Mason
11. Saint Joseph's
12. George Washington
13. La Salle
14. St. Bonaventure