Complete Atlantic 10 Preseason Men's Soccer Poll and Honors

NEWPORT NEWS, VA. â€" Duquesne, which returns seven starters - including its top five point-getters - from last year's Atlantic 10 Championship-qualifying 8-5-5 team, was picked to finish seventh in the annual preseason poll of league coaches released today.

The Dukes, who tied for sixth last season with a 3-2-3 conference record, received 90 points, 18 more than eighth-place Massachusetts.

Defending champion Fordham (8 first-place votes) was picked to finish first, followed by last year's regular-season conference leader Saint Louis (2 first place votes). Third-place VCU received the other three first place votes.

The top three were followed by Dayton, Rhode Island and George Washington.

Duquesne did not have any players named to the preseason All-Conference or All-Rookie Teams.

DU, which has made three Atlantic 10 Championship appearances in its first four seasons under head coach Chase Brooks, added a 2017 recruiting class that was ranked among the Top 20 nationally by TopDrawerSoccer.com.

The top eight regular season finishers in the 13-team league will advance to the 2017 Atlantic 10 Championship. Quarterfinal games will be held on campus on Nov. 4 & 5, with the Championship set to conclude at the University of Dayton on Nov. 10 & 12.

The Dukes open the 2017 season at Saint Francis U on Friday, Aug. 25 at 1:00 p.m. The home opener, versus Bloomsburg, is set for Sunday, Aug. 27 at Noon.

Admission for all DU home matches is free.


2017 ATLANTIC 10 PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH
(as selected by conference coaches - first place votes in parentheses)

# TEAM (1st place votes) -- POINTS
1. Fordham (8) -- 162
2. Saint Louis (2) -- 153
3. VCU (3) -- 147
4. Dayton -- 122
5. Rhode Island -- 105
6. George Washington -- 94
7. DUQUESNE -- 90
8. Massachusetts -- 72
9. La Salle -- 70
10. Davidson -- 57
11. George Mason -- 43
12. Saint Joseph's -- 35
13. St. Bonaventure -- 33

• Fordham is the defending Atlantic 10 Champion