NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- After capturing the conference crown in 2021, the nationally-ranked Christopher Newport men's soccer team was selected as the preseason favorites heading into the 2022 campaign in a vote of the league's head coaches. The Captains were unanimous picks at the top of the Coast-To-Coast Athletic Conference Preseason Coaches Poll, earning 64 total points after reaching the NCAA Tournament Round of 16 a year ago. 

Christopher Newport collected all eight posstible first-place votes as coaches do not vote for their own team. Mary Washington (56 pts) earned the remaining first-place vote and was picked second in the conference heading into 2022. Rounding out the top five are Wisconsin-Whitewater (49 pts), UC Santa Cruz (39 pts), and Wisconsin-Platteville (36 pts). The second half of the preseason poll included Salisbury (34 pts), Finlandia (22 pts), Pratt (13 pts), and Warren Wilson (11 pts). 

The Captains enter the season with the highest preseason national ranking, at No. 11, since 2015 when they started the year ranked No. 8. Head coach Justin Chezem has guided CNU Men's Soccer back into the preseason national poll for back-to-back years for the first time since 2011-12. 

CNU finished the 2021 campaign with a 12-5-2 overall record while facing the toughest schedule in the nation. The team went on to win the Coast-To-Coast Athletic Conference Championship and advanced to the third round of NCAA Tournament action after winning nine of ten games late in the year. 

Heading into this season, the Captains will feature the return of 2019 All-Conference forward Lincoln Kickbush after missing all of last year with an injury. Kickbush led the team in scoring in his last full season and will be joined at the top of the attack by All-Conference veterans Owen Burnett and Chris Schram. Burnett and Schram led the offense a year ago with 17 points combined. 

Defensively, CNU will have to replace a pair of fifth-year backs in Davis Pillow and Daniel Hulett, but returns three-year starter Jacob Dudley and C2C Tournament MVP Jonathon Leiding. All-Conference goalkeeper Gabe Barros is also back after finishing the year with a 1.10 goals-against average and a 7-2-0 record between the pipes. 

Christopher Newport will open the 2022 schedule next weekend with the Steve Shaw Classic played at Captains Field. The Captains will open on Friday, September 2 against Eastern University at 5:00 p.m. before also hosting Moravian University at 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 3. 

 

2022 C2C Men's Soccer Preseason Poll
Rank	Institution	Points (1st)
1.	Christopher Newport	64 (8)
2.	Mary Washington	56 (1)
3.	Wisconsin-Whitewater	49
4.	UC Santa Cruz	39
5.	Wisconsin-Platteville	36
6.	Salisbury	34
7.	Finlandia	22
8.	Pratt	13
9.	Warren Wilson	11