In the annual preseason Big Ten Coaches poll announced Wednesday, the IU men’s soccer team was picked to finish second in the conference behind last year’s regular season and conference tournament champions, Maryland.
IU lost to Maryland in the finals of the Big Ten Tournament last year after finishing in sixth place in the regular season.
The Hoosiers also had three players named as preseason players to watch. Both senior Femi Hollinger-Janzen and junior Tanner Thompson were also on the list to start last season.
Sophomore defender Grant Lillard appears on the list for the first time this year after being named Big Ten Freshman of the year at the end of last season.
Each of the nine teams had three players named to the preseason watch list. Of the 27 players on the watchlist, seven are 2014 first-team All-Big Ten members, three second-team members and three All-Freshman team members.
The Hoosiers are the third highest nationally ranked team to start the season at No. 14, trailing No. 9 Michigan State and No. 13 Maryland.
