COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The preseason coaches poll for men's soccer went live Thursday afternoon, as announced by the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. Adams State men's soccer was voted to place 11th in the conference.
Men's soccer officially kicked off the season Wednesday morning, and head coach Justin Gilfert expressed his enthusiasm, stating, "I'm very excited for this upcoming season. With the short preseason that we are having, a lot of guys have been adapting well to all of the information that my staff and I have been pouring out to them, and the level of play that we need to be at has been there from day one."
CSU Pueblo, the national runner-up for the last two seasons, was voted to win the RMAC, totaling eight first-place votes and 97 points. Defending regular-season champions Fort Lewis received the final three first-place votes and scored 91 points.
Colorado Mesa checked in at third with 75 points, while UCCS finished fourth with 72 points. Colorado Mines rounded out the top five with 63 points.
The rest of the poll saw Westminster in sixth, Regis and MSU Denver tied for seventh, Colorado Christian in ninth with 28 points, and South Dakota Mines with 15 points.
Adams State placed 11th to secure the final spot with 14 points. Reflecting on the 2023 season, which saw the Grizzlies go 0-16, Coach Gilfert said, "There is a big ceiling that I believe we can reach during these next few weeks with our three preseason matches before kicking off the regular season on Sept. 5 at Eastern New Mexico."
With 22 new players brought in from across the world, Gilfert is looking for the freshmen and transfers to make an immediate impact.
"After meeting all the new guys and seeing everyone play, I have noticed that there has already been a major shift in the collective attitude from the guys, being way more positive and bringing much more of a winning mentality to training. We also seem to have a lot more depth in the squad this year, but the thing that excites me the most is the attitudes from the guys. I think this will allow us to have a much more successful season than last year's disappointing results, which is something myself and the rest of the team are looking forward to remedying," said Tyler Zimbounellis.
"With two returning players, Tyler Zimbounellis and Ranulfo Lopez, who were Second Team All-Conference and All-Conference Honorable Mention, respectively, I know they are looking to back their 2023 season and have an even stronger 2024 season. I am excited to see what they can do," Gilfert said.
Lopez shared his excitement for the season, stating, "I am super excited to get the new year started with a brand new group of guys from many different backgrounds. So far, the preseason has been great meeting new faces and learning new tactics from Coach Justin, Kristoff, and Hannah. We will leave it all on the field this year and hope you guys come and support our team."
The Grizzlies kick off their season at home on Sept. 21 against Sul Ross State University.
2024 RMAC Men's Soccer Preseason Coaches' Poll
1. CSU Pueblo (8 First Places Votes) - 97 points
2. Fort Lewis (3) - 91
3. Colorado Mesa - 75
4. UCCS - 72
5. Mines - 63
6. Westminster - 58
T7. Regis - 46
T7. MSU Denver - 46
9. Colorado Christian - 28
10. South Dakota Mines - 15
11. Adams State - 14
