The Westminster Men's Soccer team is tabbed to win conference this season, according to the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SLIAC) Preseason Coaches' Poll. The Blue Jays soared past other schools, earning 81 points and nine first place votes.
Greenville College placed second with 63 points and the remaining first place vote. Webster and Spalding grabbed the third and fourth place spots, respectively.
"It's always difficult to defend a conference championship. We know that there are a lot of great teams in our conference looking to knock us off, and we'll have to play at our best every game if we want to reach our end goal," first year Head Coach Adam Galla stated. "We lose a couple key players from last year's team, but we gained a couple that I feel can fill those shoes. If we can make the necessary adjustments throughout the season and bring great character to each match, I'm confident we will have a great season."
The Blue Jays return 20 players from the 2015 squad, including All-Region starters Raul Belman Romero and Drew Cook and seven All-Conference players. The Blue Jays lose three key starters and 10 players overall.
The 2016 season begins with a home match-up with McMurry University on Thursday, September 1. Conference play starts on Saturday, September 24 with a home game versus Principia College.
