ROCK HILL, S.C. --- The Tusculum University men's soccer team placed senior forward Ignacio Alconchel and senior midfielder Damien Baltide on the South Atlantic Conference preseason All-Conference team, the SAC office announced Tuesday.

The conference picked the Pioneers for 11th place in the voting by the league's 12 head coaches, while the media relations offices for each school voted on the All-Conference team. Both Alconchel and Baltide were preseason second-team All-Conference honorees.

Alconchel led the Pioneers with seven goals and 14 points in 13 matches last season, and was tied for 10th in the SAC in goals. Alconchel, who led the Pioneers with 43 shot attempts and 20 on goal, scored a hat trick at Lees-McRae in early September and went on to net four goals in 10 conference matches. A native of Palma del Rio, Spain, Alconchel has 15 points in 15 career games for the Pioneers.

Baltide, who was selected honorable mention All-SAC following the spring 2021 season, started all 14 matches last season and was second to Alconchel on the team with three goals. Baltide, who played 1,246 of a possible 1,300 minutes, scored all three of his goals in consecutive SAC matches against Newberry, Limestone and Lenoir-Rhyne in early October. Baltide, who is from Fort-de-France, Martinique, has six goals and three assists in 21 career matches for the Pioneers.

Carson-Newman received 11 first-place votes and earned the top spot in the preseason poll with 114, followed by Lenoir-Rhyne with four first-place votes and 105 points. Limestone is third with 100 points, trailed by Coker (89 points) in fourth, Anderson (80) in fifth and Mars Hill (72) in sixth.

Wingate took 69 points and was seventh in the preseason poll, ahead of Catawba in eighth with 49 points and Newberry in ninth (36 points). Lincoln Memorial (34 points) was tenth, followed by the Pioneers (33) in 11th and league newcomer Emory & Henry in 12th place with 11 points.

The Pioneers host Spring Hill in their season opener on Friday, August 26 at Pioneer Field, and will play their league opener on Saturday, September 10 against Lenoir-Rhyne.

2022 South Atlantic Conference Men's Soccer
Preseason Coaches Poll

2022 South Atlantic Conference Men's Soccer
Preseason All-Conference Team
First Team
F – Tom Savigar, Catawba
F – Harry Whitehead, Carson-Newman
F – Peter Plougmand, Mars Hill
F – Kevonte Willoughby-Williams, Mars Hill
MF – Antonio Ferreira, Limestone
MF – Pedro Santos, Wingate
MF – Martin Carpena, Anderson
MF – Carles Montoliu Lobo, Lenoir-Rhyne
D – Dani Fernandez, Lenoir-Rhyne
D – Alexander Render, Limestone
D – Eric Schmutzer, Carson-Newman
D – Owen Marshall, Wingate
GK – Jasper Rump, Coker

Second Team
F – Ignacio Alconchel, Tusculum
F – Nic Carsh, Carson-Newman
F – Jaime Poza, Lenoir-Rhyne
F – Gabin Guillou, Coker
MF – Yannick Kranz, Carson-Newman
MF – Damien Baltide, Tusculum
MF – Andres Osorio, Anderson
MF – Dan Roth, Mars Hill
D – Harri Rowe, Lenoir-Rhyne
D – Gustavo Palmieri, Coker
D – Joao Martinho, Anderson
D – Nolan McMillen, Mars Hill
GK – Brennan Whalen, Mars Hill

Third Team
F – Nino Egli, Emory & Henry
MF – Louis Pereira-Scott, Emory & Henry
D – Mariano Carpena, Anderson
D – Matty Tricker, Coker
D – Devin Scully, Wingate
D – Luke Manley, Mars Hill
GK – Juan Basabe, Lenoir-Rhyne