The UC Santa Barbara men’s soccer team has been ranked No. 13 in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America Preseason Poll.
The Gauchos, who last season won their ninth Big West Championship and advanced to the Sweet Sixteen for the seventh time in program history, are the second-highest ranked team in the West, trailing only No. 1 Stanford.
In 2016, UCSB will face three teams in the preseason Top-25: No. 18 Ohio State on Aug. 28, No. 2 Akron on Sept. 12, and No. 16 UCLA on Sept. 17. A pair of scheduled opponents, Cal Poly and Cal, received votes in the poll.
“Preseason polls aren’t always a perfect indication of how a team will perform that season, but we welcome the opportunity to start off as a top-15 team,” said UCSB head coach Tim Vom Steeg. “This ranking shows that expectations are high, and that is a challenge we are excited to take up.”
The 2016 Gauchos are led by MAC Hermann candidate and All-American striker Nick DePuy, who led the entire country last season with 15 regular season goals. He will be joined by All-Big West returners such as midfielder Kevin Feucht, forward Ahinga Selemani, and defenders Randy Mendoza and Jeff Quezada.
UCSB’s annual scrimmage against Westmont on Aug. 20 will kick of an 11-game home schedule featuring some of the biggest names in west coast soccer like UCLA, Cal, UC Irvine, Cal Poly, and LMU.