Lions Receiving Top 25 Votes
KANSAS CITY, KAN.-- Mars Hill's men's soccer team is receiving votes in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America 2013 NCAA Division II Preseason Rankings, which were released Tuesday.
KANSAS CITY, KAN.-- Mars Hill's men's soccer team is receiving votes in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America 2013 NCAA Division II Preseason Rankings, which were released Tuesday.
Vote totals were not available for those teams receiving votes but not ranked in the Top 25. Mars Hill is one of nine unranked teams receiving votes, unofficially placing the Lions among the top 34 teams in the nation. MHU is coming off a season in which the Lions won their first-ever outright South Atlantic Conference title and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the second-consecutive season.
The Lions return three First-Team All-SAC performers from last-season, including Daktronics Honorable Mention All-American midfielder Alex Mullen. The junior was Mars Hill's leading scorer last season with 27 points, tallying 10 goals and seven assists. He scored five game-winning goals.
NSCAA and Daktronics All-Region performer Felipe Ferraro returns after tallying 20 points on six goals and eight assists last season. The senior recorded multiple points in seven matches last season.
Defender Gregg Munn returns to anchor a back line that held opponents to 0.85 goals per game. Munn was also a Capital One Academic All-District honoree in 2012.
The Lions will welcome 14 newcomers to the program this fall, including eight freshman.
Mars Hill will face two opponents that appear in the NSCAA Preseason Rankings. The Lions will open their season when they host 10th-ranked Flagler on Sep. 6 at 7:00 p.m. in Meares Stadium. SAC-foe Wingate is ranked 12th and will travel to Mars Hill for a 7:30 p.m. match Oct. 4.
UNC Pembroke is the only other opponent on the Lions' schedule that is receiving votes. The two teams will meet at Pembroke Sep. 8 in a rematch of last-season's NCAA Tournament Opening Round match.
Founded in 1941 and based in Kansas City, the NSCAA is a non-profit organization with a mission to educate coaches, encourage excellence and serve the soccer community.
The NSCAA is the world's largest soccer coaches' organization with members at every level of the game. The membership is primarily made up of coaches, but also includes administrators, referees and others in the soccer industry. The NSCAA provides its members ways to enhance the game of soccer by providing a national education program, interaction and networking opportunities and membership benefits.
Mars Hill will open its season Sep. 6 with a 7:00 p.m. match against 10th-ranked Flagler in Meares Stadium.
