Jake Van Der Luit
Jake Van Der Luit

Men's Soccer Tim Clodjeaux

Southeastern Tabbed as 2019 Preseason Men's Soccer Favorite in TSC Coaches' Poll

Fire Won 2018 TSC Tournament Title; 2018 Regular Season Champ Thomas Picked for Second

TAMPA, Fla.—Coming after a conference tournament championship win and hosting an NAIA Opening Round match in 2018, the Southeastern Fire has been selected as the 2019 Men’s Soccer preseason favorites in a vote of The Sun Conference’s 10 coaches.
 
Southeastern, who finished last season with a 12-4-2 record after falling 4-0 to Georgia Gwinnett in the NAIA Opening Round matchup, is seeking its third national tournament appearance in the last five seasons. The Fire placed second in The Sun’s regular-season standings a year ago (7-2), trailing only Thomas University. Southeastern avenged an early-season loss to Thomas by defeating the Night Hawks, 1-0, in the conference tournament championship match in Thomasville. Ga., in November.
 
Southeastern received six first-place votes and 74 total points in the balloting. Thomas received three first-place votes (coaches are not allowed to vote for their own teams) and placed second in the poll with 72 total points. Keiser (65), St. Thomas (57) and Johnson & Wales (50) rounded out the top five.
 
Warner (39), Ave Maria (33), Savannah College of Art & Design (25), Florida Memorial (19) and Webber International (16) completed the preseason rankings. Ave Maria secured the 10thand final first-place selection.
 
Coach Clay Roberts’ Southeastern Fire will be led once again by senior forward/midfielder Jake Van Der Luit. The former Tampa TribuneHigh School Player of the Year is back for a fifth season thanks to a medical redshirt year due to an injury in 2017.  Van Der Luit led the Fire in scoring in 2018 with 25 goals.
 
"We are excited to defend our title,” said Roberts, who is entering his sixth season as Fire head coach. “Our conference is loaded with talent and there are six different teams that could win the title each and every year. We have to be prepared for each and every conference opponent. When you overlook a team in the TSC, you will drop in points."
 
  
2019 Sun Conference Men’s Soccer Preseason Coaches’ Poll (first-place votes)
Southeastern    74 (6)
Thomas    72 (3)
Keiser    65
St. Thomas    57                            
Johnson & Wales    50                                
Warner    39           
Ave Maria    33 (1)                          
SCAD Savannah    25                      
Florida Memorial    19           
Webber International    16