News
August 19, 2015Men’s Soccer Picked Sixth in Preseason Poll
The MAAC coaches picked Siena sixth in the league’s annual Preseason Men’s Soccer Poll, released Wednesday by the conference office. Sophomore forward Alexander Tejera and junior back Danilo Markovic were Preseason All-MAAC Team selections.
Tejera (Ossining, NY) started 19 games posting six goals and three assists for 15 points as a freshman on his way to earning Siena’s Male Rookie of the Year last season. Markovic (Queens, NY) started all 20 games in 2014, posting a goal and an assist for three points.
“We have set up what we feel to be an incredibly challenging and interesting schedule,” Siena head coach Ceasar Markovic said. “In a unique year such as this (with the MAAC Tournament being held in Florida), we think the challenge of travel and playing in non-familiar surroundings with our 11 road games throughout the regular season will help prepare us well for the MAAC Championships.”
The Saints posted a 10-8-2 overall record and finished 5-3-2 in the MAAC to secure the No. 5 seed in the conference championships last season. The 10 victories tied for the second most in program history, and the Saints built off that momentum this spring in posting an undefeated 2-0-3 record against Division I opponents, which included a signature 2-1 victory at Syracuse.
The Saints welcome five newcomers to the 2015 squad in addition to returning nine starters and six of their top-seven scorers from last year’s team.
Monmouth University was selected first (111), followed by Quinnipiac (95). Iona (87) and Rider (87) tied for third and Fairfield (83) rounded out the top five.
The season opener is set for Friday, August 28 at 5:30 p.m. when the Saints travel to Piscataway, N.J. to kick off the year at Big Ten foe Rutgers.
