Maryland #2, UNC #4 In Preseason Poll

One can make the case that the Atlantic Coast Conference was the top men’s soccer conference in the country. Seven of last year’s nine teams earned berths in the NCAA tournament.

With the addition of Notre Dame, Syracuse and Pittsburgh this fall, the league grows to 12 men’s soccer programs.

Combined, those 12 teams have secured an amazing 196 all-time NCAA tournament berths, and won 15 national titles. As many as eight could be contenders for #16 in 2013.

University of Maryland

This will be the Terps’ last year in the ACC before moving to the Big Ten Conference in 2014. Coach Sasho Cirovski’s squad should go out with a flourish, perhaps with a national title.

Back to lead the Terps is 2012 Hermann Trophy winner, forward Patrick Mullins, who finished his junior year with 17 goals and 10 assists. Eight starters return, including key defenders Dakota Edwards and Mikey Ambrose.

Cirovski brought in one of the top recruiting classes in the country, led by U-20 MNT goalkeeper Zack Steffen. Two other freshmen who will compete for starting positions are DC United Academy product Suliaman Dainkeh and center back Alex Crognale, who Cirovski has compared with former Terp Clarence Goodson, a member of the U.S. national team.

Maryland’s 2.67 goals per game average was best in the country last fall, and the return of Mullins and preseason All-American Schillo Tsuma means the Terps offense should not miss a beat.

University of North Carolina

The Tar Heels are ranked #4 in the NSCAA preseason poll. They were ACC tournament finalists and NCAA quarterfinalists a year ago. The Heels lost three players to MLS, but UNC had coach Carlos Somoano has brought in an outstanding freshman class, including defenders Colton Storm and Jalen Markey, the latter a U.S. U-18 player.

Another newcomer who would step into the midfield right away is Jamaican U-17 captain Omar Holness. SMU transfer Tyler Engel should also step into one of the midfield spots.

The ‘Heels return defender Boyd Okwuonu and forwards Andy Craven and Rob Lovejoy. Lovejoy missed the first half of last season with an injury, but finished with five goals.

University of Notre Dame

The Irish are coming off possibly the greatest men’s soccer season in the program’s history, but they lose Ryan Finley and Dillon Power, both now in MLS.

[show_disconnected][show_to accesslevel=’Subscriber’] Coach Bobby Clark returns eight starters and 12 letterwinners, and has five incoming freshmen who are capable of earning significant playing time.

The Irish return senior goalkeeper Patrick Wall, who had a 0.98 gaa last fall. Senior defenders Grant Van de Casteele (22 starts) and Luke Mishu (21 starts) anchor the back line.

Most of the losses were at midfield, but forwards Harrison Shipp (6g, 6a), Alex Priede (4g, 1a), and Leon Brown (21 starts, 1g, 3a) are back and are expected to fill the scoring gap from the loss of Finley.

Wake Forest University

The top Demon Deacon freshman recruit is midfielder Jacori Hayes (#30) from the Baltimore Bays Academy. He will be joined by DC United academy defender Rafael Fagundo.

This class loaded with midfielders become even more stacked with the addition of incoming freshman Ian Harkes. Harkes, the son of American national team great John Harkes, won DC Gatorade Player of the Year and is a clever midfielder who should battle for time along with the rest of the talented youngsters.

Wake Forest has some gaps to fill in their lineup, but there seem to be players with the ability to step up. The goalkeeping position is up for grabs after the graduation of stellar shot stopper Michael Lisch, but Andrew Harris seems to be the front-runner heading into the season. The back line that only allowed 19 goals last year needs revamping as three starters graduated.

Top returning defenders are three-year starter and senior Chris Duvall and junior center back Sam Fink.

The Demon Deacons lost freshman midfield sensation Colin Martin this summer to a pro contract, but the midfield returns two-time All-ACC nominee Jared Watts. Luca Gimenez was second team All-ACC last year.

Syracuse University

The Orangemen are coming off their greatest season, after finishing 14-6-1. They reached the Sweet 16 where they were lost to eventual runnerup Georgetown.

Four of the team’s top five scorers are gone, and the hope is that some of the gaps will be filled by a seven-man recruiting class, including NJCAA Player of the Year Korab Syla, as well as Canadian youth national teamer Chris Nanco. Two of the recruits come from Norway.

Syracuse gave up only 17 goals a year ago behind returning sophomore goalkeeper Alex Bono who had a 0.85 gaa with 10 shutouts.

Jordan Vale, a freshman a year ago, has transferred to UCLA, but Syracuse returns sophomore Stefanos Stamoulacatos (3g, 4a) and defensive midfielder Nick Perea (21 starts, 1 g, 1a). Up front the Orangemen return senior playmaker Tony Asante.

University of Virginia

Last year the Cavaliers were young, but young players got experience. Will Bates is gone to Major League Soccer, but Coach George Gelnovatch, in his 18th year as head coach in Charlottesville, has put together back-to-back outstanding recruiting classes.

This fall he has two of the top three recruits in the country in Nicko Correiveau (#2) and Jordan Allen (#3). Pencil them into the starting lineup. Another top freshman is forward Riggs Lennon, who is ranked #14 and Arizona Gatorade Player of the Year.

Gelnovatch only has two seniors on the team, so the Cavaliers are still a young team. Junior goalkeeper Spencer LaCivita is in his third year as a starter.

The Cavalier backline only allowed 25 goals a year ago and will be anchored by sophomore sensation Zach Carroll and junior Matt Brown.

Gelnovatch will have plenty of options in the midfield with 2012 All-ACC freshman members Todd Wharton (18 starts), Marcus Salandy-Defour, junior Eric Bird (21 starts), and sophomore Brian James (1g, 2a) all competing for playing time in the loaded midfield.

Boston College

The Eagles were in the playoffs a year ago with an 8-6-5 season, but they graduated seven seniors. Coach Ed Kelly enters his 26th season with BC with a nine-player recruiting class. Included are four transfers.

Maybe the biggest addition to the Eagles is Cincinnati University transfer Cole DeNormandie (2g, 4a). An athletic forward, DeNormandie adds another dimension up top and replaces former Eagle star Charlie Rugg. University of Richmond transfer Nick Butler (18 starts, 3g) should add depth at center back.

The forward position, with transfer Cole DeNormandie the leading candidate for the starting nod at striker, is going to be made up of primarily newcomers.

Clemson University

Coach Mike Noonen enters his fourth season in Death Valley. He has nine newcomers, including two transfers. Midfielder Thomas McNamara was All-Ivy a year ago.

The top freshman is Florida Gatorade Player of the Year, midfielder Thales Moreno.

The Tigers defense is led by center backs junior Phanuel Kativa and sophomore Kyle Fisher. Alex Stockinger and Paul Clowes return in the midfield, but the Tigers must replace the scoring of graduated senior Austin Savage.

Duke University

The Blue Devils (8-8-2) missed the NCAA tournament last fall, but they lose none of their field players who played the most minutes a year ago.

Coach John Kerr has four freshmen who will battle for starting positions, led by Vancouver Whitecaps academy forward Brody Huitema. He had 28 regular season goals this year in Academy competition. He is joined by Sporting KC academy midfielder Seo-In Kim and DC United academy midfielder Jimmy Doll.

The major loss is first-team All-ACC goalkeeper James Belshaw, a four-year starter. Returning is 2012 ACC Defensive Player of the Year senior center back Sebastien Ibeagha.

The midfield remains intact with junior Riley Wolfe (3g, 3a) and 2nd Team All-ACC center midfielder Sean Davis (18 starts, 3 assists) leading the charge.

The goal scoring this year will come from offensive trio Luis Rendon (2g, 1a), Brody Huitema, and Will Donovan (11 starts, 2 goals). Expect Rendon, the 2011 National Gatorade player of the year to have a superb sophomore year.

N.C. State University

A year ago seven of the Wolfpack’s 10 losses were by one goal and two came in overtime. State head coach Kelly Findley has put together solid back-to-back recruiting classes.

The top recruit is Travis Wannamuehler, a forward with the U.S. U18 MNT. Michael Bazja is from Shaddocks St. Mary’s academy team. Sophomore midfielder Holden Fender is a transfer to NCSU from UCLA.

The Wolfpack has an experienced defense led by seniors Gbenga Makinde and Ryan Watts. Also back is first team All-ACC midfielder Alex Martinez, who scored 11 goals a year ago with 10 assists after transferring from High Point.

University of Pittsburgh

The Panthers are coming off a 6-9-2 record in their final BIG EAST season, after starting 2012 on a 6-0-2 run. Two time BIG EAST coach of the year, Joe Luxbacher, enters his 30th year at Pittsburgh. He brings 13 recruits into his roster for 2013.

The defense is led by senior captain John Cordier and Kevin Fielden, and the midfield will be anchored by 2012 freshman sensation Nick Wysong, who had five goals and three assists last fall.

Virginia Tech

The Hokies were without a conference win in 2012, but look to be improved this season. The team is young with only one senior and 11 newcomers. Sophomore transfer Alessando Mion may be the best of the lot.

Mion was a member of the U.S. U17 MNT Residency Program in Bradenton, FL, and he comes from West Virginia University. He is from Miami, FL, where he played for the Kendall Soccer Coalition and Gulliver Prep.

The starting 11 remains basically the same as last year, led by senior goalkeeper Kyle Renfro, after a career best 98 saves in 2012.

David Clemens is the top returning goalscorer with 10 goals as a junior.