ROCK HILL, S.C. --- The Tusculum College men's soccer team has been picked to finish sixth in the 2013 South Atlantic Conference preseason coaches' poll, which was released Tuesday morning.
The Pioneers finished tied for seventh in the league last season with a 3-4-2 record and had a 7-8-3 overall mark for head coach Allen Vital, who is beginning his third year at his alma mater.
Earning spots on the SAC preseason All-Conference second team were junior midfielder Roberto Pimentel along with junior defender Matias Rubio. The team was selected by the league's 12 sports information directors.
Pimentel, from Campinas, Brazil, was a second-team preseason All-Conference pick last season and went on to share the team lead with four goals. He appeared in all 18 matches and was third on the team with nine points and 25 shots, including game-winning goals in wins over Shorter and Newberry and the tying goal in an eventual win against Milligan. Pimentel has seven goals and four assists for 18 points in 36 career matches with the Pioneers.
Rubio, from Bradenton, Florida, was a preseason first-team All-SAC selection last year. He was limited to 14 matches and 12 starts due to injury, but played the complete game 10 times in his 12 starts and helped the Pioneers record five shutouts as a team. He also scored a goal in an early-season victory over Lees-McRae. Rubio, a first-team All-SAC and second-team All-Region honoree as a freshman, has played 30 career matches and has netted a pair of goals.
Just four starters return from last year's squad for the Pioneers, who will need to replace nearly 2/3 of last year's offense. Tusculum has posted identical 7-8-3 records in each of Vital's first two seasons in Greeneville, but has gone 9-5-4 in 18 conference matches during that span.
Wingate, which advanced to the national quarterfinals last season after finishing fourth in the conference during the regular season, secured eight of 12 first-place votes and 114 points to claim the top spot in the poll. Lincoln Memorial is second with 104 points and one first-place vote, followed by Mars Hill with 98 points and three first-place selections.
Carson-Newman follows in fourth, with conference newcomer Coker in fifth and Tusculum sixth. Three-time defending Food Lion SAC Tournament champion Anderson is seventh, with another SAC first-year program in Queens claiming eighth. Catawba, Lenoir-Rhyne, Newberry and Brevard round out the poll.
The Pioneers open their season on Wednesday, Sept. 11 at King and will play their home opener on Saturday, Sept. 21 against Francis Marion at Pioneer Field.
- SAC -
2013 SAC Men's Soccer Preseason Coaches' Poll
Rk Team (1st Place Votes) Pts
1. Wingate (8) 114
2. Lincoln Memorial (1) 104
3. Mars Hill (3) 98
4. Carson-Newman 93
5. Coker 75
6. TUSCULUM 71
7. Anderson 67
8. Queens 48
9. Catawba 47
10. Lenoir-Rhyne 41
11. Newberry 21
12. Brevard 13
2013 SAC Men's Soccer Preseason All-Conference Team
First Team
F - Mario Pinto, LMU
F - Felipe Ferraro, MHU
F - Lars Zimmerman, AU
F - Corey Faughnan, CAT
MF - Alex Mullen, MHU
MF - Gui Andrade, WU
MF - Sindre Welo, C-N
MF - Thiago Andrade, QU
D - Gregg Munn, MHU
D - Tom Holland, L-R
D - Callum Home, LMU
D - Victor Tozelli, WU
GK - Rumwald Le Gueval, C-N
Second Team
F - Peron Da Silva, WU
F - Erick Suarez, QU
F - Joao Pedro Dowsley, C-N
F - Daniel Jackson, COK
MF - Roberto Pimentel, TC
MF - Liam Gillesphey, WU
MF - Martin Brain, AU
MF - Lucas Siqueira, C-N
D - Domhnall Minogue, CAT
D - Fernando Bedoya, COK
D - Matias Rubio, TC
D - Akeem Prendes, COK
GK - Marcel Barwanietz, LMU
