Men's soccer tabbed fifth in A-R-C Preseason Coaches Poll
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - Led by an experienced and talented core, the Simpson men's soccer team is poised to make a run for an American Rivers Conference title after placing fifth in the A-R-C Preseason Coaches poll earlier this week.
Back-to-back defending conference champion Wartburg claimed the top overall spot in the preseason poll with five first-place votes and 61 total points. Luther followed closely behind with four first-place votes and 59 points with Loras rounding out the top three. Nebraska Wesleyan and Simpson came in at four and five respectively. Central and Dubuque tied for sixth with Coe and Buena Vista closing out the poll.
Simpson looks to continue to build upon last year's strong finish in conference. "We are excited about the potential of this team," said 15th year head coach Rick Isaacson. "Our roster consists of a nice mix of returning veterans and talented newcomers. A group that we feel can win a lot of games this fall." On top of the veteran core, the Storm brought in 15 incoming players. "This has been one of the more competitive preseason camps we've had in recent memory and that competition is bringing out the best in our players," stated Isaacson. "Team depth is proving to be a strength."
Simpson begins the season on Friday, Aug. 29 at home hosting Augustana with a 5 p.m. kick-off time followed by a Saturday showdown versus Illinois College at 4 p.m. A-R-C action is slated to begin on Sept. 27 against Coe. "We've created a non-conference schedule that should serve us well as we prepare to tackle a challenging league slate," said Isaacson. "We were very intentional when scheduling some of the top teams in the region. The expectation is that a difficult non-conference schedule will properly prepare us to compete for an A-R-C title in 2025."
A LOOK BACK AT 2024
- Simpson finished last season with an 8-9-2 overall record and a fifth-place showing in the A-R-C with a 4-3-1 record, marking the 10th straight season of finishing .500 or better in conference action.
- The Storm earned their 13th consecutive spot in the conference postseason tournament, dating back to 2011, as a five-seed before falling to Nebraska Wesleyan 1-0 in the opening round.
- Ronaldo Ordaz claimed his second United Soccer Coaches third team All-Region honor after pacing the Storm with nine goals scored and 20 season points. Ordaz wrapped up his career ranked third in shots (232), tied for sixth in goals (30), seventh in points (78), and tied for seventh in assists (18).
- Joining Ordaz on the A-R-C All-Conference team was forward Mitchell Dickson and senior defender Espoire Nkomezi with Ordaz earning first team honors, and Dickson and Nkomezi as honorable mentions.
- Ordaz, Dickson and Zach Kline combined for 45 of the Storm's 84 points on the season, with the trio going for 16 goals, and 13 assists total.
- Mason Chaplin saw a majority of time in net for the Storm, playing in 16 matches while allowing only 19 goals with a team-high 41 saves and three combined shutouts.
KEY OFFENSIVE RETURNERS (2024 STATS)
- Mitchell Dickson, senior forward (4 goals, 6 assists)
- Zach Kline, junior forward (3 goals, 5 assists)
- Tim Sedlock, junior forward (2 goals, 2 assists)
KEY DEFENSIVE RETURNERS (2024 STATS)
- Tate Downs, junior defender (19 matches played, 1158 minutes, 1 goal, 1 assist)
- Sal Fratianni, junior defender (19 matches started, 1604 minutes)
- Grant Strickler, junior defender (18 matches started, 1461 minutes, 1 goal, 2 assists)
- Mason Chaplin, sophomore goalkeeper (41 saves, 1.52 goals allowed game)
2025 AMERICAN RIVERS CONFERENCE MEN'S SOCCER PRESEASON COACHES POLL
1. Wartburg (5) (11-5-4, 6-2-0 A-R-C) - 61 points
2. Luther (4) (8-4-6, 6-1-1 A-R-C) - 59 points
3. Loras (9-5-7, 5-1-2 A-R-C) - 48 points
4. Nebraska Wesleyan (11-8-1, 5-3-0 A-R-C) - 46 points
5. Simpson (8-9-2, 4-3-1 A-R-C) - 31 points
t-6. Central (8-9-2, 3-4-1 A-R-C) - 28 points
t-6. Dubuque (5-11-2, 2-5-1 A-R-C) - 28 points
8. Coe (6-11-1, 2-6-0 A-R-C) - 14 points
9. Buena Vista (9-11-0, 0-8-0 A-R-C) - 9 points
