Lock Haven, Pa. – The Mercyhurst men’s soccer team grabbed two of five first-place votes but was selected to finish third in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Western Division in the coaches preseason poll. The Lakers will compete in the PSAC for the first time during the 2008-09 season.
Three teams split the first place votes with Gannon collecting two of the top votes and being picked first in the division. Lock Haven got the remaining vote and finished just ahead of Mercyhurst. California (Pa.) and Slippery Rock tied for fourth. In the Eastern Division, East Stroudsburg got five of six first-place votes and West Chester took the remaining one for second place. Millersville, Bloomsburg and Shippensburg followed.
Mercyhurst won 10 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) championships in the past 12 years but went just 7-10-3 a year ago with a young squad. The Lakers played Gannon, the PSAC West favorite, three times in 2007 and pushed the Knights to overtime in each of those contests, including a thriller in the GLIAC Tournament.
The Lakers return six of the nine players who scored at least one goal a year ago, including Billy Colton, who led the squad with 16 goals and 35 points. As well, three-year starting goalkeeper Danny Mudd will anchor this defense in his senior season.