University of North Carolina Athletics
Tar Heels Tabbed Second in ACC Men's Soccer Preseason Poll
August 5, 2005 | Men's Soccer
Aug. 5, 2005
GREENSBORO, N.C. - With seven returning starters back in the fold and a top-five recruiting class, the North Carolina men's soccer team was picked to finish second in the 2005 Atlantic Coast Conference Preseason Poll, which was determined by a vote of the league's nine head coaches and announced Friday.
The Tar Heels garnered 66 points and picked up a pair of first-place votes. Duke was picked to win the league with 74 points and five first-place votes, while Maryland claimed the No. 3 spot with 63 points and the remaining two first-place votes. Both the Blue Devils and Terrapins advanced to the NCAA College Cup last season.
Carolina returns 18 letterwinners and seven starters from last year's team that went 10-9-2 overall and 4-3-0 in league play. All-ACC forward Corey Ashe returns as the Tar Heels' leading scorer with nine goals and 18 points in 2004.
Completing the preseason poll in order of projected finish are Virginia (59), Wake Forest (39), Boston College (33), Clemson (30), NC State (21) and Virginia Tech (20).
2005 Preseason ACC Men's Soccer Poll School Points 2004 Record 1. Duke (5) 74 18-6-0 (4-3-0) 2. North Carolina (2) 66 10-9-2 (4-3-0) 3. Maryland (2) 63 17-6-2 (4-2-1) 4. Virginia 59 18-5-1 (4-3-0) 5. Wake Forest 39 14-5-2 (5-2-0) 6. Boston College 33 13-5-2 (6-3-1)* 7. Clemson 30 8-9-1 (2-5-0) 8. NC State 21 8-8-2 (2-4-1) 9. Virginia Tech 20 9-10-1 (2-5-0) * denotes Big East conference record in 2004
