Men's Soccer Checks In At Number Four In 2016 ECC Preseason Coaches' Poll
New Head Coach Peter Doneit And Squad Will Open The Season in Six Days At Home Versus Nyack
Central Islip, N.Y. - The soccer coaches of the East Coast Conference have predicted that LIU Post will win their second straight ECC Men's Soccer Championship in 2016. Senior forward Kyle Poetzsch (Hicksville, N.Y.) of Molloy and junior back David Arvidsson (Gothenburg, Sweden) of LIU Post have earned the ECC Preseason Offensive and Defensive Player of the Year awards, respectively.
LIU Post is coming off a season in which they won their third ECC title in four years and also won a second straight NCAA East Region Championship. With eight players who started at least 11 games last season returning, the Pioneers received nine of 10 first place votes to top the poll with 99 points. They also begin the 2016 campaign ranked at No. 9 in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Preseason Top 25 poll.
NYIT comes in at No. 2 in the poll with 86points. The Bears advanced to the final of the ECC Championship for the fourth time in the past five seasons in 2015. After earning the lone first place vote that did not go to LIU Post, Molloy rounds out the top three with 69 points.
Poetzsch earns the Preseason Offensive Player of the Year award after an outstanding first season in a Molloy uniform. He tallied 13 goals and three assists to finish with 29 points. His goal total tied for the conference lead and his point total ranked third in the ECC. He also led the loop with five game winning goals on the year. His scoring prowess led to being named to the All-Conference First Team and earned him a spot on the Division II Conference Commissioners Association (DIICCA) All-Region First Team, as well.
Arvidsson earns the coaches' pick to win the Defensive Player of the Year honor. In 2015, Arvidsson earned his second All-Conference selection in as many years by helping to anchor a back line that allowed only 24 goals in 21 games. In addition, his stellar play led to a spot on the NSCAA All-East Region First Team and NSCAA All-America Third Team.
2016 ECC Men's Soccer Preseason Poll
| School | Pts. | 2015 Record |
| 1. LIU Post (9) | 99 | 15-3-3 (9-1-0 ECC) |
| 2. NYIT | 86 | 12-6-1 (7-3-0 ECC) |
| 3. Molloy (1) | 69 | 10-6-0 (5-5-0 ECC) |
| 4. Bridgeport | 65 | 10-7-0 (6-4-0 ECC) |
| 5. Queens | 55 | 7-10-0 (7-3-0 ECC) |
| 6. Roberts Wesleyan | 52 | 10-7-2 (5-4-1 ECC) |
| 7. Mercy | 43 | 6-9-1 (4-5-1 ECC) |
| 8. District of Columbia | 40 | 5-11-1 (3-7-0 ECC) |
| 9. St. Thomas Aquinas | 31 | 5-11-1 (2-7-1 ECC) |
| 10. Daemen | 10 | 2-13-1 (0-9-1 ECC) |
( ) - first place votes