KNOXVILLE, Tn- The Royals were voted to finish 12th according to the AAC Coaches' Preseason Poll released on Tuesday.
The poll was voted on by the men's soccer coaches of the AAC.
Columbia International is the team to beat in the hunt for the 2022 Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) Men's Soccer championship.
CIU narrowly edged out Reinhardt for the top spot as it garnered 180 voting points to Reinhardt's 177. Both teams received six first-place votes. CIU won last year's regular-season championship with a 12-1 conference record.
Milligan and Tennessee Wesleyan each picked up a first-place vote as they checked in at third and fourth, respectively. Union is fifth, while 2021 AAC Tournament champion Point is sixth.
Eight teams will advance to the AAC Tournament which begins on Nov. 4 with the championship match currently set for Nov. 11.
The Royals will look to surprise some people this season as they push to finish above their preseason ranking, and fight for a spot in the conference tournament.
Here is the complete poll:
2022 AAC Men's Soccer Coaches' Preseason Poll
School (First-Place Votes) - Total Voting Points
1. Columbia International (6) - 180
2. Reinhardt (6) - 177
3. Milligan (1) - 162
4. Tennessee Wesleyan (1) - 160
5. Union - 142
6. Point - 134
7. Montreat - 103
8. St. Andrews - 95
9. Bryan - 93
10. Truett McConnell - 83
11. Bluefield - 48
12. Johnson - 39
13. Columbia - 35
14. Kentucky Christian - 19
