WCC Release | 2021 Schedule | Tickets
 
SAN MATEO, CA – For the second straight campaign the No. 17 Loyola Marymount University Lions men's soccer team, champions in the 2021 spring season, were tabbed as preseason favorites by coaches from the West Coast Conference to finish first this year, it was announced.
 
In addition to the preseason poll, which is voted on by all eight of the conference head coaches, the WCC also released the 2021 All-WCC Preseason Men's Soccer Team. LMU tied for the conference lead with two players on the team with returning WCC Offensive Player of the Year, Noel Caliskan, and WCC Goalkeeper of the Year, Jacob Jackson named to the squad.
 
LMU, ranked No. 17 in the United Soccer Coaches preseason national poll, received seven first place votes for a total of 49 points in the preseason poll. The Lions, who captured the conference title in the 2021 spring season, are coming off an appearance in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. LMU completed the WCC slate with a 5-0-2 conference record in the spring.
 
Caliskan, in addition to being named the conference player of the year, was also recognized as First Team All-WCC, WCC All-Academic First Team, USC NCAA Division I Men's All-America Second Team, USC NCAA Division I Men's All-West Region First Team, MAC Hermann Trophy Semifinalist, and Top Drawer Soccer Best XI Second Team during the 2021 spring season.  
 
The Cologne, Germany native appeared and started in all nine games for the Lions and saw 870 minutes of action on the pitch. His average of 1.12 points per match was good for second among conference leaders. In WCC play, the sophomore midfielder accumulated three goals on 19 shots with three assists for LMU.
 
Jackson, the reigning conference goalkeeper of the year, was also named First Team All-WCC during the 2021 spring season. Last campaign, Jackson rated second among NCAA Division I leaders in GAA, fourth in saves percentage (0.895) and fifth in shutouts. Jackson became the second WCC goalkeeper in the last two completed seasons to post a WCC-only GAA of better than 0.25.
 
The Lions begin the quest to repeat as WCC Champions on Thursday, August 26th when they travel to Tulsa, Oklahoma and take on Oral Roberts. 

2021 WCC Preseason Men's Soccer Poll

Place	Team (1st Place Votes)	Points
1.	LMU (7)	49
2.	Saint Mary's (1)	43
3.	Portland	31
4.	San Diego	28
5.	Santa Clara	26
6.	Pacific	21
7.	San Francisco	18
8.	Gonzaga	8

 
 
2021 Preseason All-WCC Men's Soccer Team

Name	Institution	Year	Position
Nonso Adimabua	San Francisco	So.	F
Jake Arteaga	Portland	Sr.	M
Noel Caliskan	LMU	Jr.	M
Alex Churness	San Diego	Jr.	F
Nick Fernandez	Portland	So.	M
Ryan Her	Pacific	Jr.	M
Jacob Jackson	LMU	Jr.	GK
Demitrius Kigeya	Gonzaga	Jr.	F
Yazid Omri	Pacific	Jr.	M
Javier Ruiz Duran	Santa Clara	Sr.	F/M
Sebastian Schacht	Saint Mary's	Sr.	M