UNC tabbed as ACC men’s soccer preseason favorite

North Carolina is the Atlantic Coast Conference men’s soccer preseason favorite to win the league championship, according to a vote of the league’s 12 head coaches.

The Tar Heels were named by five coaches as this year’s team to beat for the ACC Championship. Clemson received three votes, followed by Notre Dame with two. Virginia and Wake Forest each received one vote.

North Carolina, with 66 points, was also named the favorite to win the Coastal Division and received eight first place votes. Notre Dame was picked second and received the remaining four first place votes. Virginia was picked third with 50 points, followed by Duke (33), Pitt (21) and Virginia Tech (20).

Clemson, the runner-up at the 2015 NCAA College Cup, was picked as the Atlantic Division favorite, receiving 64 points and six first place votes. Wake Forest also received six first place votes for the division and was picked second with 62 points. Syracuse, which made its first trip to the College Cup last year, was picked third with 50 points, followed by Boston College (34), Louisville (28) and NC State (14).

The ACC placed seven teams in the NCAA Championship field in 2015, the most in the nation, and finished the season as the top-rated conference in the NCAA RPI. Two league teams – Clemson and Syracuse – advanced to the College Cup, marking the 15^th consecutive year that at least one ACC team has reached the national semifinals.

The ACC Championship will be held in early November, with first round games slated for Wednesday, Nov. 2, quarterfinals forSunday, Nov. 6, semifinals on Wednesday, Nov. 9, and the championship on Sunday, Nov. 13. The first three rounds will be held on the campus of the higher seeded team, and the championship will be held at MUSC Health Stadium in Charleston, South Carolina.

The 2016 season gets underway on Friday, Aug. 26.

2016 ACC Men’s Soccer Preseason Coaches Poll

(First place votes)

Overall Champion

• North Carolina (5)
• Clemson (3)
• Notre Dame (2)
• Virginia (1)
• Wake Forest (1)

Atlantic Division

1. Clemson (6) – 64
2. Wake Forest (6) – 62
3. Syracuse – 50
4. Boston College – 34
5. Louisville – 28
6. NC State – 14

Coastal Division

1. North Carolina (8) – 66
2. Notre Dame (4) – 62
3. Virginia – 50
4. Duke – 33
5. Pitt – 21
6. Virginia Tech – 20