PROVIDENCE, R.I. – UCF was unanimously selected as the favorite to claim the conference title on Wednesday, as the American Athletic Conference announced the 2019 Men’s Soccer Preseason Poll and All-Conference teams. The Knights received all seven possible first-place votes from the league’s head coaches and top the poll for the second-consecutive season.
The Knights additionally earned two preseason individual honors, as senior Cal Jennings was named the unanimous Preseason Offensive Player of the Year and junior Yannik Oettl was tabbed Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year. UConn junior Robin Lapert was selected as the Preseason Defensive Player of the Year.
SMU, the conference’s defending champion, placed second in the rankings with 42 points and the final first-place vote. UConn earned the third spot, collecting 36 points, and USF rounded out the top half of the poll with 32 points. Temple (24 points), Memphis (18), Tulsa (16) and Cincinnati (8) completed the rankings.
UCF begins the 2019 season ranked No. 15 in the United Soccer Coaches Preseason Poll after earning The American’s regular season crown in 2018. The Knights advanced to the NCAA Championship with an at-large bid after falling to SMU in penalty kicks in the conference championship game.
Jennings returns to UCF for his senior season after earning American Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year and First Team All-America honors in 2018. With 20 goals and 45 points, he finished the season ranked second nationally in both categories. Those marks additionally set single-season league records. Earlier this month, Jennings was named to the MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List after finishing as a finalist in 2018.
Lapert earned Second Team All-Conference accolades in 2018 and was one of just three Huskies to start all 20 games. He will lead the UConn backs this season with the departure of 2018 Defensive Player of the Year Jacob Hauser-Ramsey, and looks to bolster a squad that permitted just seven goals in conference play last season.
Oettl, the conference’s 2018 Goalkeeper of the Year and First Team All-Region selection, played every minute in net for UCF in 2018. He compiled a 13-3-3 record with a 0.97 goals against average, .778 save percentage and four shutouts. In conference contests, Oettl and UCF permitted just six goals with three shutouts.
The 2019 men’s soccer season beings on Thursday, August 29, when Temple hosts Rutgers and USF travels to No. 1 Maryland. In the first five days of competition, American teams will play a total of eight games against top 25 teams or teams receiving votes in the United Soccer Coaches preseason poll.
The 2019 American Athletic Conference Men’s Soccer Championship is slated for November 9, 13 and 16 at the higher seeds and top overall seed.
2019 American Athletic Conference
Men’s Soccer Preseason Poll
| Team |
First Place Votes |
Points |
| 1. UCF |
7 |
49 |
| 2. SMU |
1 |
42 |
| 3. UConn |
|
36 |
| 4. USF |
|
31 |
| 5. Temple |
|
24 |
| 6. Memphis |
|
18 |
| 7. Tulsa |
|
16 |
| 8. Cincinnati |
|
8 |
Preseason Offensive Player of the Year
Cal Jennings, Sr., F, UCF*
Preseason Defensive Player of the Year
Robin Lapert, Jr., D, UConn
Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year
Yannik Oettl, Jr., UCF
Preseason All-Conference Team
Cal Jennings, Sr., F, UCF*
Yannik Oettl, Jr., GK, UCF
Louis Perez, Jr., M, UCF*
Yoni Sorokin, Jr., M, UCF*
Dayonn Harris, R-Sr., F, UConn
Robin Lapert, Jr., D, UConn*
Felix Metzler, So., M, UConn*
Ben Roberts, Sr., D, Memphis*
Adrian Billhardt, Jr., F, USF
Avionne Flanagan, Jr., D, USF
Talen Maples, Jr., D, SMU
Lukas Fernandes, Sr., F, Temple*
Chase Bromstedt, Jr., M, Tulsa*
*denotes unanimous selection