Aug. 14, 2012

2012 WCC Preseason All-Conference Video | 2012 Schedule | Buy Tickets | LMU on Facebook | LMU on Twitter

LOS ANGELES - Just under two weeks from their first official game of the 2012 season, the LMU men's soccer team has been selected to finish fourth among the seven West Coast Conference members, as voted on by the league's seven head coaches and announced Tuesday.

The Lions were one of three teams to earn a first-place vote, receiving one, and 20 total points. San Diego led the poll with four first-place votes and 34 points, followed by Santa Clara in second with two first-place votes and 29 points, and Portland in third with 26 points.

Saint Mary's and San Francisco tied for fifth with 16 points while Gonzaga rounded out the voting in seventh place with seven points.

The 11-member Preseason All-WCC Team was also released Tuesday, though no member of the young Lion squad was named to the team.

LMU went 7-12-1 overall and 5-6-1 in WCC play in 2011, good for a fifth-place finish in a highly contested race for the league title, which eventually went to Saint Mary's. The Lions lost nine starters from last year's squad, primarily to graduation, and will look to a fresh crop of faces this fall.

Leading the returning core are sophomores John McFarlin and Dylan Seedman who were both named to the 2011 WCC All-Freshman team. McFarlin also earned honorable mention All-WCC honors after scoring one goal and adding three assists in conference play.

The Lions non-conference schedule gets underway on Sunday, Aug. 26 when they begin a season-opening, six-game homestand against No. 11 UC Santa Barbara. Kick off at Sullivan Field is scheduled for 3 p.m.

2012 WEST COAST CONFERENCE PRESEASON POLL
Team (First Place Votes), Points
1. San Diego (4), 34
2. Santa Clara (2), 29
3. Portland, 26
4. LMU (1), 20
T5. Saint Mary's, 16
T5. San Francisco, 16
7. Gonzaga, 7

2012 PRESEASON ALL-WEST COAST CONFERENCE TEAM
Miguel Aguilar, San Francisco, So., F
Jose Cabeza, Saint Mary's, Sr., M
Dan Delgado, San Diego, Sr., M
Steven Evans, Portland, Jr., M
Elijah Galbraith-Knapp, San Diego, Jr., D
Erik Hurtado, Santa Clara, Sr., F
James Matern, Gonzaga, R-Jr., M
Trevor Newquist, Saint Mary's, Sr., D
Clark Phillips, Gonzaga, So., F
Brendan Roslund, San Francisco, Sr., GK
Patrick Wallen, San Diego, Sr., F

-GO LIONS-