Bulldogs draw fifth spot in 2016 NEC Coaches Poll

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Bryant University men's soccer team has been predicted to finish fifth in the Northeast Conference Coaches Poll for the 2016 year, the league officially announced on Tuesday.

The Bulldogs are joined by Robert Morris for the fifth spot after a season in which they suffered seven one-goal defeats, five draws and eight games that ended in overtime or double overtime.

Bryant will look to turn around some of its misfortune from 2015 and rely upon the return of four of its top seven point getters. Junior forward Thomas Binder (Vienna, Austria) finished second on the team with nine points on three goals and three assists, including two game-winning scores. Seniors Matt Guerriero (Pickering, Ont.) and Jake Lamar (New Haven, Conn.) were two of six Bulldogs to start each match they appeared in and they tallied six and four points, respectively. Out of the offensive midfield, senior Curtis Orth (Ancaster, Ont.) appeared in 12 games with eight starts and he tallied three points.

Along with Lamar, junior John Conry (Bolton, Mass.) and sophomore Charlie Booth (Concord, Mass.) started all 16 games at defense in 2015 and they will once again anchor the backline to aid junior keeper Nick Stewart (South Windsor, Conn.), who takes over in goal following the graduation of Chris Knaub ('16).

Much like the women's preseason poll, there were not many surprises at the top, as defending champ LIU Brooklyn are the favorites to repeat in 2016, taking home six first place votes. After reaching the NEC title game in three of the last four seasons, Saint Francis U has been picked to finish second and received two of the eight first place votes. St. Francis Brooklyn, the conference champs in 2013 and 2014 has been chosen third, with Central Connecticut being picked fourth.

Following the Bulldogs and Colonials, Fairleigh Dickinson was given the seventh spot and Sacred Heart takes the eighth spot. 

The Bulldogs begin the 2016 campaign at home against the University of New Hampshire on Friday, August 26 at 3:00 p.m.