PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The Plymouth State University men's soccer team was picked to finish ninth in the Little East Conference (LEC) this fall, as the league released its Preseason Coaches' Poll on Monday.
 
UMass Boston was selected as the preseason favorite, earning seven first-place votes and 63 points to edge reigning regular-season champion WestConn, which finished second with two first-place votes and 58 points. Southern Maine (43) was third just ahead of Eastern Connecticut (42) and Rhode Island College (38), while UMass Dartmouth occupied the sixth spot (32). Keene State (25), VTSU Castleton (15) and PSU (8) rounded out the poll.
 
Head coach Rob Wright became the longest-tenured coach in program history last fall and returns for his 25th season at the helm. The Panthers will look to improve on last year's 4-12-1 overall mark after posting a 1-6-1 record in league play and missing out on the postseason.
 
Senior Vince Cassarino (Tolland, Conn.), junior Rowan McCarthy (Pepperell, Mass.) and sophomore Nick Ferro (Smithfield, R.I.) are the top returners after the Panthers lost 13 players from last year's roster. Cassarino was a strong offensive threat, posting team highs of 31 shots and 16 shots on goal last fall, while McCarthy provided steady leadership on the back line, appearing in all 17 games and ranking among the leaders in minutes played. Ferro scored a pair of goals last fall, including the game-winner against Colby-Sawyer.
 
Plymouth State opens the season with home games against New England College on Sept. 1 and VTSU Johnson on Sept. 5. The Panthers begin conference play on September 12 when Rhode Island College visits Arold Field. The top six teams in the final league standings advance to the LEC Tournament, with the top two seeds earning byes into the semifinals.