UT Dallas Picked to Win 2016 ASC Men's Soccer Championship
8/16/2016 9:30:00 AM
RICHARDSON, Texas – UT Dallas has been picked to win the 2016 American Southwest Conference Men's Soccer championship after a vote of the league's head coaches and sports information directors, the ASC office announced Tuesday (Aug. 16).
UT Dallas junior forward Danny Meyer and Hardin-Simmons senior goalkeeper Michael Vargas were named the ASC Offensive and Defensive Preseason Players of the Year, respectively.
UT Dallas (15-4-3 / 7-1-1 ASC) recorded 233 points in the preseason poll and received 13 out of a possible 22 first-place votes. Coach Jason Hirsch and the Comets enter the season as the defending ASC champion and made their second consecutive appearance in the NCAA tournament. UTD recorded its second straight 7-1-1 mark against conference opponents and has won the most overall games in each of the last three seasons. UTD returns junior forward Danny Meyer, the ASC Offensive Player of the Year, and senior defender Sam Konstanty, the ASC Co-Defensive Player of the Year. Meyer led the conference in shots (34), tied for first in points (16) and ranked second in goals (7) in matches against ASC teams. Konstanty anchored a Comets’ defensive unit that allowed just six goals in conference play and five of their seven wins over ASC teams were shutouts which tied for first in the ASC.
UT Tyler (10-3-3 / 7-0-1 ASC) came in at a close second in the preseason poll collecting 224 points and eight first-place votes. Coach Kenny Jones was named ASC Coach of the Year after leading the Patriots to the regular season title. UT Tyler was the only team to go undefeated against conference members and finished as the ASC runner-up. The Patriots return junior Leandro Cid Fernandez, the ASC Midfielder of the Year, and sophomore forward Lucas Pereira, the ASC Freshman of the Year. Fernandez led the Patriots with nine goals including five game-winners and Pereira scored five goals last season including the first three on the year for the Patriots.
Hardin-Simmons (8-6-2 / 5-3-1 ASC) received 179 points and one first-place vote in the preseason poll for a place third-place ranking. Winners of two out of the last three ASC championships and nine overall, the Cowboys return senior Michael Vargas, the ASC Goalkeeper of the Year. Against ASC teams, Vargas led the conference in save percentage (.889) and shutouts (4), and ranked second in goals against average (0.64) and was fifth in saves (48).
Thirty-three student-athletes were named to the ASC Men’s Soccer Players to Watch List. The list is composed of up to three players from each institution nominated by the head coaches. Fourteen of the 33 players submitted are returning all-conference selections including five award winners.
The 2016 season will get underway Thursday, September 1 as all 12 ASC teams take the field in their season openers.
The ASC Championship is scheduled for November 3, 5-6 and will be hosted at the site of the men's No. 1 seed. An automatic berth into the NCAA Division III Men's Soccer Championship will be on the line.
ASC Men's Soccer Preseason Players of the Year
Offense: Danny Meyer, Jr., F, UT Dallas
Defense: Michael Vargas, Sr., GK, Hardin-Simmons
ASC Men's Soccer Preseason Poll
(First-Place Votes)
| Rank |
Team |
Pts. |
2015 Record (ASC) |
| 1. |
UT Dallas (13) |
233 |
15-4-3 (7-1-1) |
| 2. |
UT Tyler (8) |
224 |
10-3-3 (7-0-1) |
| 3. |
Hardin-Simmons (1) |
179 |
8-6-2 (5-3-1) |
| 4. |
Concordia Texas |
168 |
12-3-1 (4-2-1) |
| 5. |
Mary Hardin-Baylor |
166 |
8-5-3 (4-2-2) |
| 6. |
Univ. of Ozarks |
116 |
7-7-3 (4-3-1) |
| 7. |
LeTourneau |
101 |
5-11-2 (2-5-1) |
| 8. |
East Texas Baptist |
96 |
3-13-1 (2-6-1) |
| 9. |
Howard Payne |
78 |
4-10-1 (2-7-0) |
| 10. |
Louisiana College |
45 |
1-16-1 (0-8-1) |
| 11. |
McMurry % |
35 |
1-15-1 (N/A) |
| |
Belhaven # |
|
14-4-2 (N/A) |
# Ineligible for 2016 ASC Championship / NCAA Tournament (NCAA Div. III Provisional)
% Ineligible for 2016 ASC Championship / NCAA Tournament (NCAA Div. III Reclassifying)
ASC Men’s Soccer Players to Watch List
2015 All-Conference Selection*
| Name |
Cl. |
Pos. |
Team |
| Eric Bigon |
Jr. |
D |
Concordia Texas |
| Fabian Billings* |
Jr. |
F |
Concordia Texas |
| Marc Kouassi* |
Sr. |
MF |
Concordia Texas |
| Jordan Burke* |
Jr. |
MF |
East Texas Baptist |
| David Jackson |
Sr. |
MF |
East Texas Baptist |
| Antoine Bravo |
Sr. |
F |
East Texas Baptist |
| Michael Vargas* |
Sr. |
GK |
Hardin-Simmons |
| Colyn Moore |
Sr. |
F |
Hardin-Simmons |
| Tanner Coffin |
Sr. |
D |
Hardin-Simmons |
| Collin Salyers |
So. |
D |
Howard Payne |
| Tracer Moore* |
Jr. |
MF |
Howard Payne |
| Alex Sanchez* |
Sr. |
F |
Howard Payne |
| Israel Madrid |
Jr. |
F |
LeTourneau |
| Antonio Fernandez |
Sr. |
MF |
LeTourneau |
| Jacob Malik |
So. |
F |
LeTourneau |
| Nathan Gautreaux |
Jr. |
GK |
Louisiana College |
| Wendy Edouard |
So. |
D |
Louisiana College |
| Halco Hajdarevic |
Fr. |
MF |
Louisiana College |
| Caleb Vandergriff* |
So. |
D |
Mary Hardin-Baylor |
| Caleb Almanza |
Jr. |
MF |
Mary Hardin-Baylor |
| Logan Keeler |
Jr. |
F |
Mary Hardin-Baylor |
| Ethan Brown |
Jr. |
F |
McMurry |
| Josh Erwin |
So. |
D |
McMurry |
| Ahmad Holt |
Fr. |
MF |
McMurry |
| Thomas Mills* |
Sr. |
F |
Univ. of Ozarks |
| Daniel Valencia |
Jr. |
D |
Univ. of Ozarks |
| Stewart Mena* |
Sr. |
MF |
Univ. of Ozarks |
| Sam Konstanty* |
Sr. |
D |
UT Dallas |
| Isaac Urcuyo |
Jr. |
MF |
UT Dallas |
| Danny Meyer* |
Jr. |
F |
UT Dallas |
| Leandro Cid Fernandez* |
Jr. |
MF |
UT Tyler |
| Lucas Pereira* |
So. |
F |
UT Tyler |
| Chris Stamm* |
So. |
D |
UT Tyler |