Aug. 25, 2008
LANCASTER, PA - The Johns Hopkins men's soccer team is the favorite among the Centennial Conference's head coaches in their annual preseason poll. The Blue Jays were picked to repeat with 77 points and seven first-place votes (voters not permitted to vote for their own team). Hopkins won its second consecutive Centennial Conference title in 2007 and will look to make it three in a row in 2008. The 2007 title was the seventh overall for the Blue Jays, more than any other school in the conference.
Dickinson and Muhlenberg earned the second and third spots in the poll with 66 and 65 points, respectively. The Red Devils earned two first-place votes, while the Franklin & Marshall Diplomats were fourth with 58 points and a first-place nod. Gettysburg received 54 points for the fifth spot in the poll.
The 2008 season will be the first for head coach Craig Appleby as he inherits a squad that went 18-4-0 last season and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The Blue Jays, ranked 15th in the NSCAA preseason poll, open the season with the annual Blue Jay Invitational Aug. 30 at Homewood Field. Hopkins will take on Buffalo State in the first game at 1:00 pm. Montclair State and Penn State Altoona will meet in the second game (3:30 pm). The winners will meet on Sunday in the championship game at 3:30 pm, with the consolation game slated for 1:00 pm.
School (1st Place Votes) - Points
1. Johns Hopkins (7) - 77
2. Dickinson (2) - 66
3. Muhlenberg - 65
4. Franklin & Marshall (1) - 58
5. Gettysburg - 54
6. Swarthmore - 46
7. McDaniel - 26
8. Washington - 25
9. Ursinus - 23
10. Haverford - 10
