IRVINE, Calif. (Aug. 19, 2022) -- UC Santa Barbara and UC Irvine are tied for first in a preseason poll of The Big West’s 10 men’s soccer head coaches.
 
The Gauchos (12-5-4, 6-1-2 BW) and Anteaters (8-8-4, 6-1-2 BW) each finished with 71 total points in the poll. UCSB earned six first-place votes, while UCI received three. Last year, the two teams drew to a 1-1 double overtime stalemate and shared the title with identical conference records of 6-1-2 in the regular season. In the title match of The Big West Championship, the Gauchos defeated the Anteaters 4-0 to earn the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
 
The coaches also voted on an 11-person Preseason All-Big West squad. UCSB had three representatives in senior midfielder Thaabit Baartman, junior forward Finn Ballard McBride and senior defender Henry Davies. Last season, Baartman compiled seven goals and five assists for 19 points, while Ballard McBride tallied nine goals and seven assists for 25 points. Davies, the lone defender on the preseason team, anchors the back line and was the Big West Defensive Player of the Year, bouying the Gauchos to a 0.95 goals-against average in 2021. All three were All-Big West First Team honorees last season.
 
The Anteaters had three selections as well in senior midfielders Ashish Chattha and Robert Mejia, and sophomore midfielder Francesco Montanile. Chattha was an All-Big West First Team selection last season after recording four goals and two assists for 10 points. Montanile had two goals and two assists to collect Freshman of the Year and Second Team honors in 2021. Mejia transfers to UC Irvine from UC Davis for his final season of eligibility. As an Aggie last season, Mejia was named the Midfielder of the Year, recording five goals and six assists for 16 points.
 
UC Davis was picked to finish third with 49 points and senior midfielder Andy Velasquez earned a spot on the preseason team. Velasquez was an All-Big West Honorable Mention selection and compiled five goals and two assists for 12 points in 2021. UC Riverside was fourth in the poll with 47 points and senior midfielder Leopoldo Hernandez receiving a place on the preseason squad. Last season, Hernandez started every game and put away four goals and two assist en route to an All-Big West Second Team selection. Sacramento State came in fifth with 46 points, one point shy of the Highlanders.

Cal Poly received the lone first-place vote outside of the Gauchos and Anteaters for 44 points and sophomore forward Drew Patterson earned preseason team honors. Patterson tallied two goals and two assists in 2021.
 
CSUN (41), Cal State Fullerton (35), CSU Bakersfield (28) and UC San Diego (18) finish the rest of the poll. Cal State Fullerton junior midfielder Sebastian Cruz and CSU Bakersfield senior midfielder Carlos Armendariz round out the preseason team. Cruz was the leading goal scorer for the Titans last season with seven goals, including three game-winners, to go along with three assists for an All-Big West Honorable Mention distinction. Armendariz scored four times and a member of the All-Big West Second Team in 2021.

Play across The Big West kicks off Thursday, Aug. 25 with all 10 teams taking to the pitch. After a month of non-conference action, conference play is set to commence Sept. 28.