The Ashland University men’s soccer team defied the odds in the 2022-23 fall semester as they dominated the Great Midwest Athletic Conference en route to a conference championship to cap off the season.

With such play, the conference has recognized the team heading into the coming season with high expectations as the team was voted to finish third.

The poll, which was released early in the early afternoon hours of Wednesday, August 23, saw the Eagles placed just behind the likes of Lake Erie College and Tiffin University.

The first-place-predicted Storm received a whopping nine first-place votes and a 119-point total. They were the clear favorites after going 12-8-5 last season and making a historic run to the final four of the NCAA Division II Postseason Tournament.

The Dragons just behind them, who are projected to finish second in the conference, received one first-place vote and 111 points.

The Eagles recorded 101 points to go alongside a first-place vote. The only other team outside of Lake Erie, Tiffin and Ashland to receive a first-place vote was the newly added program, Thomas More.

In the 2022 season, the Eagles recorded an overall record of 12-7-1 while going 9-5 in conference play. The team’s first GMAC championship was also marked by the program making it into the D-II Postseason Tournament, where they held their first home contest. There, they would end up taking a loss, ending their season.

However, the Eagles return standout starters in goalkeeper Ty Bowden, midfielder Matthew Roberts and defender Francesco Chiappo.

As the preseason poll is released, the Eagles continue to train ahead of their season opener against Charleston at home on Thursday, August 31 with kickoff set for 4:30 p.m.