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GLIAC -- The Saginaw Valley State University Men's Soccer team has been picked to finish runner-up in the 2019 GLIAC Men's Soccer Preseason Coaches Poll.
The Cardinals finished with 40 points, which was just a single point shy of favorite Parkside. The Rangers garnered two first-place votes while SVSU had the most first-place nods with four. Northwood finished third with 33 points while Ashland ranks fourth with 32 points and a first-place pick. Davenport was fifth and had 25 points with one first-place vote. Purdue Northwest ranks sixth with 22 points, Northern Michigan seventh with 21 and new associate member Upper Iowa finished eighth with eight points.
2019 Saginaw Valley State Preview
It will be a new-look SVSU Men's Soccer program for the upcoming 2019 season, as first year head coach Louis Barrow takes over a Cardinal program that has experienced tremendous success in recent years. Saginaw Valley welcomes 13 newcomers to the program this year and has 10 returners from a team that advanced to the NCAA Division II Round of 16 in 2018 and claimed the league regular season title.
Connor Rutz, a 2017 All-GLIAC First Teamer and All-Midwest Region performer, will return to help lead the offensive attack after missing last year. He will be joined by 2018 All-GLIAC Honorable Mention selection and defender Wladimir Babaew, who will help anchor the back line for the Cards. Junior midfielder Alex Gloshen will lead a solid group of returning midfielders after finishing last season third on the team with 16 points. He tallied four goals and eight assists in his 20 matches. The eight assists ranked second in the GLIAC.
Saginaw Valley gets its 2019 campaign underway September 6-8 when the Cardinals face McKendree and Indianapolis in regional matches on the campus of UIndy. The GLIAC slate gets going on Friday, Sept. 20, with a 3 p.m. home match versus Davenport University.
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