Cortland men's soccer picked No. 1 in SUNYAC preseason poll

CORTLAND, N.Y. - The State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) men's soccer coaches voted Cortland No. 1 in the 2019 conference preseason poll with 79 points. Oneonta was voted No. 2 with 70 points, while Brockport was voted third with 67 points.

Cortland men's soccer looks to capture its 19th overall SUNYAC title and second under current head coach Steve Axtell. The Red Dragons finished the 2018 regular season ranked No. 1 (8-1-0). They lost to Brockport in the SUNYAC championship game, 2-0, but received an at-large bid into the NCAA tournament. Cortland defeated Newbury College (3-1) and Elizabethtown (5-2) and then ended their run in the third round against Messiah (3-2). 

Oneonta looks to improve upon its 2018 season where they finished the regular season No. 4 (5-2-2) and lost to Cortland in the SUNYAC semifinal game on penalty kicks. The Red Dragons finished last season 10-4-5 overall. Oneonta is playing for its 11th SUNYAC crown overall and sixth under current head coach Iain Byrne.

In 2018 Brockport won its 11th overall SUNYAC men's soccer crown and first since 2009. Current head coach Gary LaPietra was named the 2018 SUNYAC Coach of the Year making it the third time he received this honor (2009, 2002). The Golden Eagles went into the tournament as the No. 3 seed (5-2-2) and defeated the top-seeded Cortland in the championship game to earn an automatic bid into the NCAA tournament. Brockport defeated St. Lawrence, 2-1, in the first round, but then fell to Rochester, 2-0. The 2018 SUNYAC Tournament MVP, Tautis Ponsikaitis (Rochester, N.Y.), returns for his senior season with the Golden Eagles.

2019 SUNYAC Men's Soccer Bracket

2019 Men's Soccer Preseason Poll

 1. Cortland, 79
 2. Oneonta, 70
 3. Brockport, 67
 4. New Paltz, 55
 5. Geneseo, 43
     Plattsburgh, 43
 7. Buffalo State, 41
 8. Oswego, 22
 9. Potsdam, 16
10. Fredonia, 14