Sooner Athletic Conference men's soccer coaches picked Wayland Baptist to finish fifth in the league in 2016.
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The Pioneers, in their third season under head coach
Cristhian Ospina, collected 64 points in the preseason polling of the SAC's 10 head coaches. Wayland was picked as high as third. Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own team.
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The University of Science and Arts, winners of four of the last five SAC regular season titles, is the favorite. The Drovers finished with nine of the possible 10 first-place votes for a maximum of 90 points. USAO finished last year with a 19-3 mark and a perfect 9-0 record in league play. The Drovers have qualified for seven straight NAIA National Tournaments.
John Brown finished second in the poll with 84 points, just ahead of third-place Oklahoma City (78 points) and fourth-place Southwestern Christian (76 points). After Wayland in fifth were Texas Wesleyan with 58 points, Southwestern Assemblies of God with 47 points, Mid-America Christian and St. Gregory's with 36 points each and Bacone College with 20 points.
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The Pioneers are coming off a 7-8-2 season that included a 3-6 record in conference for seventh place. In the opening round of the conference tournament, Wayland took USAO to overtime before falling, 1-0.
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Wayland opens its season Aug. 25 in Portales against Eastern New Mexico. The Pioneers' home debut is Sunday, Aug. 28 against Howard Payne in a game tentatively set for 5 p.m.
The SAC season will conclude with its championship tournament featuring the top eight teams from the regular season competing in a single-elimination tournament beginning Saturday, Nov. 5. The winner of the tournament will receive an automatic berth into the opening round of the NAIA National Tournament.
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| 2016 SAC Men's Soccer Preseason Poll |
| No |
Team |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
Total |
| 1 |
Science & Arts |
9 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
90 |
| 2 |
John Brown |
|
5 |
3 |
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
84 |
| 3 |
Oklahoma City |
|
3 |
2 |
3 |
 1 |
|
|
|
|
78 |
| 4 |
Southwestern Christian |
1 |
2 |
3 |
1 |
|
1 |
1 |
|
|
76 |
| 5 |
Wayland Baptist |
|
|
1 |
4 |
2 |
2 |
|
|
|
64 |
| 6 |
Texas Wesleyan |
|
|
|
2 |
4 |
2 |
1 |
|
|
58 |
| 7. |
Southwestern Assemblies |
|
|
|
|
3 |
3 |
1 |
2 |
|
48 |
| 8. |
Mid-America Christian |
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
4 |
3 |
1 |
36 |
| tie |
St. Gregory's |
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
3 |
5 |
|
36 |
| 10. |
Bacone |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
9 |
20 |
