For the fifth year in a row, UC Santa Barbara is the preseason pick to win the Big West Conference men’s crown.
UCSB returns seven starters from last year’s squad that advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Among the returnees are two-time All-American and 2005 Big West Defensive Player of the Year Andy Iro and 2005 Big West Freshman of the Year Eric Avila.
Cal State Northridge, the defending Big West champion, is picked to finish second behind the Gauchos. UC Irvine is selected to finish third, ahead of UC Riverside, Cal State Fullerton and Cal Poly.
OTHER MEN’S POLLS:
ATLANTIC SUN. Despite losing U.S. U-20 striker Sonny Guadarrama, who signed with Mexican club Santos, Campbell is the pick to repeat as the Atlantic Sun men’s champion. The Fighting Camels, who won the 2005 regular-season title, edged 2005 A-Sun tournament champ Stetson. The Camels are led by Guadarrama’s brother, Willy, who tallied 21 goals and in 20 matches and earned third-team All-American honors Also back from last year’s Camel squad are sophomore goalkeeper Aaron Johnson and senior central defender Devin Sheppard, who shared the A-Sun Defensive Player of the Year award in 2005. Mercer finished third in the A-Sun men’s poll, ahead of Belmont and Jacksonville, tied at No. 4, Gardner-Webb, Lipscomb and North Florida.
MAAC. Fairfield earned the top spot in the MAAC preseason coaches poll, edging Loyola (Md.) for first place. Four Stags were named to the preseason all-conference team: defenders Mike Troy and Tom Skara and midfielders Sam Bailey and sophomore Kerr McLeod, the 2005 MAAC Rookie of the Year. Rounding out the MAAC field is Marist at No. 3 in the preseason rankings, followed by St. Peter’s, Niagara, Iona, Rider, Canisius, Siena and Manhattan.