Loyola (Md.), which has earned eight Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference men’s soccer regular season titles as well as eight championship crowns since 1989, has been picked to win the conference crown this season in a preseason poll voted on by the league’s 10 head coaches. Loyola was the top choice with 96 points in the poll, 11 points ahead of second-place Fairfield and Marist. Rider was picked fourth with 68 points, and Iona was fifth with 49 points. Siena placed sixth (45), followed by Manhattan (37), St. Peter’s (34), Canisius (31) and Niagara (18). Marist’s Joseph Crespo, who was named the 2000 MAAC Player of the Year, has been selected as the 2001 MAAC Preseason Player of the Year. Crespo led the league last season in scoring, registering 12 goals and eight assists for 32 points, while helping the Red Foxes win the championship title and the automatic bid to the 2000 NCAA Division I Men’s Soccer Tournament. 2001 MAAC Preseason Poll
| 1. | Loyola | 96 |
| 2. | Fairfield | 85 |
| Marist | 85 |
| 4. | Rider | 68 |
| 5. | Iona | 49 |
| 6. | Siena | 45 |
| 7. | Manhattan | 37 |
| 8. | Loyola | 34 |
| 9. | Canisius | 31 |
| 10. | Niagara | 18 |
2001 MAAC Preseason First Team | Player | Position | School |
| Reb Beatty | Goalkeeper | Loyola |
| Aaron Kingi | Back | Fairfield |
| Niall Lepper | Back | Loyola |
| Michael Nelson | Back | Loyola |
| Adam Koster | Back | Marist |
| Rob DeFaveri | Midfield | Fairfield |
| Joseph Crespo | Midfield | Marist |
| Bob Francis | Midfield | Rider |
| Justin Thompson | Forward | Fairfield |
| Miguel Abreu | Forward | Loyola |
| Brian Garofola | Forward | Marist |
