LOCK HAVEN, Pa. – The Bloomsburg, Gannon and Mercyhurst men’s soccer teams were all selected as preseason favorites in the 2023 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Men’s Soccer Preseason Polls, as voted on by the league’s coaches.
 
East
 
The Bloomsburg University Huskies, reigning PSAC East champions, were voted No. 1 in the 2023 PSAC East Division Men’s Soccer Preseason Poll and tallied four first-place votes. The team accumulated a record of 15-5-1 (9-3-1 PSAC) under 2023 PSAC Eastern Division Coach of the Year Mark Bassett and returns five All-PSAC players from a year ago. Midfielder Shay Gillen (All-PSAC First Team) is back, along with four Second Team selections: defenders Kody Besser, Stephen Hollis, and Patrick Walsh in addition to forward Sammy Ames, who led the Huskies in goals with seven. Collectively, the team scored 44 goals (the most in the East) and conceded 24, the fifth-lowest total in the conference.
 
Close behind in the No. 2 spot is West Chester, which earned three first-place votes and finished 2022 with a 10-5-3 record (7-3-2 PSAC.) Fifteen different players scored at least one goal for the Golden Rams in 2022, with returning defender Andrew Markopoulos (an All-PSAC First Team selection) leading the team with six goals. The other First Team returner is goalkeeper Daniel Good, whose 74 saves were fourth-best in the PSAC. Other returning talent include All-PSAC Second Team forward Frankie Taylor (four goals, two assists) and midfielder Jason Goldfeder (one goal, four assists.)
 
Millersville, the No. 3 team in the East, compiled a 10-3-5 record (6-2-4 PSAC) in 2022 and is anchored by Eastern Division Athlete of the Year Aaron Maynard. The Marauders surrendered only 15 goals last season, the lowest mark in the East and second-lowest in the conference, and also return All-PSAC players Bob Hennessey (a First Team midfielder) and Mike Kreider (a Second Team defender. Millersville missed out on the 2022 PSAC Tournament by a single point behind West Chester and the No. 4 team in the poll, East Stroudsburg.
 
The Warriors feature the Eastern Division Freshman of the Year Pieter Neerhof in defense, as well as All-PSAC Second Team selections Nathan Bradway in midfield as well as forward Colby Raymond. The Warriors gutted out critical conference wins in 2022, compiling a 7-3-2 PSAC record.
 
Lock Haven, Shippensburg, and Shepherd complete the remainder of the 2023 East poll.
 
West
 
Two teams from Erie, Pa. tied for the No. 1 spot in the PSAC West Preseason poll—Mercyhurst and Gannon.
 
Mercyhurst rampaged through the 2022 season, compiling a 20-1-1 record (including an unbeaten 10-0 in conference play) to win the 2022 PSAC West title and PSAC Tournament championship. The Lakers’ 74 goals were the most in the conference, 12 more than Gannon’s 62 goals, and the Lakers’ stalwart defense conceded only six goals all season, also the best mark in the PSAC. The team will look different in 2023, though, with the departures of Western Division Defensive Athlete of the Year Ryan Gomes in goal, Sean Kerrigan (who scored 20 goals), and West Coach of the Year Ryan Osborne. Austin Solomon takes over the program and does return quite a bit of talent, including a trio of midfielders—West Athlete of the Year Dylan Sumner (nine goals, 15 assists in 2022), All-PSAC First Team selection Julius Becker, and All-PSAC Second Team honoree Lockie Fay.
 
Gannon University (13-5-2 overall, 6-2-2 PSAC) will have to replace the offensive output of the departing Sergio Del Castillo, who scored 23 goals in 2022, but return five other All-PSAC selections, including four on the first team: defenders Bautista Corti and Pau Ferrer (who was also honored with PSAC Western Division Freshman of the Year) and midfielders Herman Aanberg and Sverre Orten. Defender Toby Gower (All-PSAC Second Team) also returns to stabilize the backline. Gannon’s 154 corner kicks earned and 395 shots led the PSAC, and its 1.85 margin of victory was second only to Mercyhurst.
 
Seton Hill was named the No. 3 team in the West’s Preseason Poll after equaling Gannon’s 6-2-2 conference record in 2022 to finish third in the PSAC West. Rising senior Fletcher Amos scored 12 goals to lead the Griffins, but 14 other Seton Hill players scored at least one goal. No. 4 team Slippery Rock also had a prolific goal scorer in Arturo Pla Hernandis (an All-PSAC Second Team selection), who found the back of the net eight times in 2022. Rock defender Shaun Spencer also returns, who chipped in with four goals and one assist.

California and Pitt-Johnstown round out the rest of the 2023 West poll.
 
The 2023 PSAC men’s soccer season kicks off in full on Thursday, August 31.
 
2023 PSAC Men’s Soccer Preseason Polls (# of first place votes)
 
East Division
 
1. Bloomsburg (4)
2. West Chester (3)
3. Millersville
4. East Stroudsburg
5. Lock Haven
6. Shippensburg
7. Shepherd
 
West Division
 
T-1. Mercyhurst (3)
T-1. Gannon (3)
3. Seton Hill
4. Slippery Rock
5. California
6. Pitt-Johnstown