PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The Plymouth State University men's soccer team was picked to finish eighth in the Little East Conference (LEC) this fall, according to the league's head coaches in the annual Preseason Coaches' Poll released Wednesday.
 
Plymouth State earned 20 points, finishing just behind Southern Maine in the poll. UMass Boston claimed the top spot with six first-place votes and 62 points, followed by WestConn, which received two first-place votes and 56 points. Rhode Island College grabbed the final first-place vote, ranking third with 51 points.
 
Head coach Rob Wright returns for his 24th season on the sidelines, looking to prove the preseason rankings wrong once again. Last fall, the Panthers were picked eighth but finished with a 9-9-2 record, tying for fourth in the final league standings. Plymouth State defeated Keene State in the opening round of the LEC Tournament before falling to eventual champions WestConn in the semifinals.
 
The Panthers lost 13 players from last season but welcome 14 newcomers to complement a solid returning core in 2025. Junior Vince Cassarino (Tolland, Conn.) and sophomore Colby Cowan (Oakdale, Conn.), a pair of talented finishers, return as the team's top scorers, having combined for six goals and one assist last year. Senior Massimo Korcsog (Ottawa, Ontario) brings veteran leadership to the defense, where he is joined by sophomore Rowan McCarthy (Pepperell, Mass.), who started 18 games and led the team in minutes played last season.
 
Plymouth State opens the season at New England College on Friday (Aug. 29), before returning home to face Colby-Sawyer on Saturday (Aug. 30). Conference play begins Sept. 13 at Rhode Island College.