The Louisville men’s soccer team will enter its debut season in the Atlantic Coast Conference as one of five ranked program’s from the league as the Cardinals were 14th in the NSCAA/Continental Tire preseason poll released on Wednesday afternoon.
Louisville, which closed 2013 ranked 18th in the nation after going 11-5-4, is joined in the preseason top 25 by top-ranked and reigning NCAA champion Notre Dame, No. 3 Virginia, No. 11 Wake Forest and No. 22 North Carolina. The Cardinals, ranked in the preseason top 15 for the fifth straight season, will visit the Fighting Irish on Friday, Oct. 10 and the Demon Deacons on Saturday, Nov. 1.
The 2014 schedule for Louisville will also feature No. 2 ranked Maryland in the season-opener on Aug. 29 in the debut of Dr. Mark and Cindy Lynn Stadium. Five other opponents on the Cardinals’ fall slate were among the unranked teams receiving votes in the preseason poll – Saint Louis (road match, Sept. 9), Duke (home, Sept. 13), Indiana (home, Oct. 7), Syracuse (home, Oct. 17) and Clemson (home, Oct. 24).
Last season, Louisville won the inaugural American Athletic Conference regular season championship and advanced to the second round of the 2013 NCAA Championship before falling 1-0 in overtime at Michigan State. Led by ninth-year head coach Ken Lolla, the Cardinals returns seven starters and 12 letterwinners from last year’s squad.
Season tickets for the Cardinals’ debut season at Lynn Stadium and in the ACC are currently on sale to the general public and will provide admission to both men’s and women’s regular season matches. Visit GoCards.com to learn more about 2014 Louisville soccer season tickets or to see the 2014 Louisville soccer season ticket brochure.
ACC Leads With Five Squads in NSCAA Preseason Poll
Okwuonu, Besler, and Bird named to MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List
Defending National Champion Notre Dame enters the 2014 season as the No. 1 ranked team in the country and leads five Atlantic Coast Conference squads in the NSCAA/Continental Tire preseason poll.
The five ranked teams from the ACC are the most from any conference.
Virginia, which also reached the 2013 Men’s College Cup, joins the Irish near the top of the poll at No. 3. No. 11 Wake Forest, No. 14 Louisville, and No. 22 North Carolina will also begin the 2014 campaign nationally ranked. Clemson, Duke, and Syracuse received votes in the poll.
The ACC led all leagues with six teams in the NCAA Championship in 2013, with three advancing the College Cup. League newcomer Louisville reached the postseason as well.
Three ACC players – Notre Dame’s Nick Besler, North Carolina’s Boyd Okwuonu, and Virginia’s Nick Besler – were named to the 2014 MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List. ACC student-athletes have won the award 17 times, including the past three years.
Latest posts by Mark Blankenbaker (see all)
- Cardinals Lose to Kentucky 17-13 in Battle of the Bluegrass - April 17, 2024
- Pat Kelsey Officially Adds Kloman, Carr, Hamilton, Foy to Staff - April 11, 2024
- Louisville Athletics, 502Circle Announce Membership Campaign - April 1, 2024