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2024 Preseason Coaches' Poll & Team |
2024 Schedule
UC Irvine is favored to win The Big West according to the 2024 Big West Men’s Soccer Coaches’ Preseason Poll.
The Anteaters (9-7-4, 5-3-1 BW) earned four first-place votes for a total of 75 points. The coaches also voted on an 11-person Preseason All-Big West squad. Three Anteaters were featured on the team in senior midfielder
Francesco Montanile, senior goalkeeper
Luke Pruter and senior defender
Mathias Winum. Last season, Montanile tallied one goal and four assists for UCI. Pruter was selected with the last pick in the 2023 MLS Draft but decided to forgo the opportunity and return for the Anteaters. The goalie sported a 1.04 goals-against average and was part of eight shutouts en route to an All-Big West Second-Team selection in 2023. Winum was part of the Anteater back line that had a 1.05 goals-against average and placed on the all-conference first-team list.
Defending regular season champion Cal State Fullerton (12-5-3, 6-2-1 BW) was picked to finish second, earning three first-place votes for 66 points. The Titans earned three spots on the preseason team in senior forward
Sulaiman Bah, senior forward
Roberto Ordonez and senior midfielder
Erick Serrano. All three were members of the 2023 All-Big West First Team. Last year, Bah compiled eight goals and two assists, Ordonez was the Offensive Player of the Year scoring nine goals and dishing out 10 assists, and Serrano was the Midfielder of the Year with four goals and eight assists.
UC Santa Barbara (10-8-2, 4-3-2 BW) earned the remaining three first-place votes for 65 points to come in third in the poll. The Gauchos took three slots on the preseason team in senior midfielder
Mikkel Goeling, senior forward
Alexis Ledoux and senior midfielder
Nemo Philipp. Last year, Goeling produced four goals and three assists to earn a spot on the All-Big West First Team. Ledoux was also a first-team performer in 2023 with four goals and two assists. Phillip was an Honorable Mention selection with five goals and four assists last season.
UC Davis (56), Cal Poly (51), CSUN (41), UC Riverside (31), UC San Diego (29), Cal State Bakersfield (18) and Sacramento State (18) round out the rest of the poll. UC Davis junior forward
Cason Goodman and CSUN senior
Marley Edwards take the final two spots on the preseason team. Last season, Goodman recorded seven goals and three assists to earn All-Big West Second-Team distinction. Edwards appeared in 18 games and made 12 starts for the Matadors in 2023.
Regular season play across The Big West kicks off Thursday, Aug. 22. After a month of non-conference action, Big West schedule is set to commence Wednesday, Oct. 2.
Select regular-season contests are slated for telecast on the ESPN family of networks.
Please check ESPN listings for upcoming game schedules and additional information.
| 2024 Big West Men's Soccer Preseason Coaches' Poll |
|
| Rank |
Institution |
Points |
| 1. |
UC Irvine |
75 (4) |
| 2. |
Cal State Fullerton |
65 (3) |
| 3. |
UC Santa Barbara |
66 (3) |
| 4. |
UC Davis |
56 |
| 5. |
Cal Poly |
51 |
| 6. |
CSUN |
41 |
| 7. |
UC Riverside |
31 |
| 8. |
UC San Diego |
29 |
| T-9. |
Cal State Bakersfield |
18 |
| T-9. |
Sacramento State |
18 |
- First-place votes in parentheses
| 2024 Big West Men's Soccer Preseason Coaches' Team |
 |
| Student-Athlete |
Year |
Position |
Institution |
Hometown |
| Sulaiman Bah |
Senior |
Forward |
Cal State Fullerton |
Bo Town, Sierra Leone |
| Marley Edwards |
Senior |
Forward |
CSUN |
Chilliwack, Canada |
| Mikkel Goeling |
Senior |
Midfielder |
UC Santa Barbara |
Copenhagen, Denmark |
| Cason Goodman |
Junior |
Forward |
UC Davis |
Santa Barbara, Calif. |
| Alexis Ledoux |
Senior |
Forward |
UC Santa Barbara |
La Talaudiere, France |
| Francesco Montanile |
Senior |
Forward |
UC Irvine |
Phoenix, Ariz. |
| Roberto Ordonez |
Senior |
Forward |
Cal State Fullerton |
McAllen, Tex. |
| Nemo Philipp |
Senior |
Midfielder |
UC Santa Barbara |
Hamburg, Germany |
| Luke Pruter |
Senior |
Goalkeeper |
UC Irvine |
Redondo Beach, Calif. |
| Erick Serrano |
Senior |
Midfielder |
Cal State Fullerton |
Mecca, Calif. |
| Mathias Winum |
Senior |
Defender |
UC Irvine |
Trondheim, Norway |