Hillcats Tabbed No. 6 in SAC Men's Soccer Poll

Senior Gary Arauz and the Hillcats will open the regular season slate on August 24th.

Claremore, Okla. - The Rogers State men’s soccer team was ranked No.6 in the Sooner Athletic Conference Men’s Soccer Coaches’ Preseason Poll announced by the conference office Friday afternoon.

Coach Derek Larkin’s squad received 34 votes after finishing fifth in the league in 2011, going 5-4-1 in the SAC with an 11-8-1 overall record.

The University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma was the unanimous No. 1 pick of the SAC men’s soccer coaches to win the 2012 conference title.
 
Coaches were not allowed to rank their own team in the poll. USAO received the maximum eight first place votes and tallied 64 points. The Drovers have won two of the last three league titles and captured the 2011 crown by seven points.
 
“We are very honored that our team is picked to finish so high in a conference as tough and loaded with quality programs and coaches as the SAC,” said USAO Coach Jimmy Hampton. “It will be very tough to win the SAC and we just hope to compete well. We will continue to work and get better daily and bring along our young players, while counting on the returning veterans to help us get through a very tough schedule this year. We know the end of the season rankings are the most important and we will strive to put ourselves in a position to compete for the SAC title. We look forward to a great year of competition.”
 
Oklahoma City is ranked second in the poll with 52 points. Oklahoma Baptist had the remaining first-place vote and is ranked third at 48.
 
Lubbock Christian edged out John Brown for fourth place with 40 points to JBU’s 39. Wayland Baptist is seventh at 21. Mid-America Christian and St. Gregory’s finished in an eighth-place tie with 13 points apiece.
 
SAC Men’s Soccer Coaches’ Poll Results
No. School (first place votes) Points 2011 Record
1 USAO (8) 64 18-5 (9-1)
2 Oklahoma City 52 7-6-4 (5-3-2)
3 Oklahoma Baptist (1) 48 10-9-1 (5-4-1)
4 Lubbock Christian 40 14-4-3 (6-2-2)
5 John Brown 39 8-9-2 (5-3-2)
6 Rogers State 34 11-8-1 (5-4-1)
7 Wayland Baptist 21 7-9-3 (4-5-1) 
8T Mid-America Christian 13 2-12-2 (0-8-2)
8T St. Gregory’s 13 3-11-3 (0-8-2)