RIO GRANDE VALLEY – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) men's soccer team learned on Thursday that it is projected to make the conference tournament in their first season in the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) after being picked fifth in the OVC Preseason Poll, as selected by the OVC head coaches and sports information directors.
The Vaqueros were picked fifth in the OVC Preseason Poll, receiving a total of 46 points in the poll, finishing ahead of UIW, Western Illinois, and Southern Indiana, who ranked sixth, seventh, and eighth, respectively.
UTRGV is joining the OVC after spending last season as an NCAA DI independent. Returning for the Vaqueros is senior
Mouhamed Pouye, who was named an OVC Preseason Player to Watch.
"I am very, very grateful for the recognition," Pouye said. "Coach always says, 'You never know who's watching.' Every time we stepped on the field last year, we gave it everything we had. It's an honor, and we're going to keep working to live up to it."
Reigning regular season and tournament champion Lindenwood is the preseason favorite, receiving 11 first-place votes and 94 total points. Houston Christian University and SIUE were picked to finish second after earning 80 total points. Eastern Illinois was ranked fourth in the preseason poll with 52 total points.
The top six teams from the regular season will qualify for the OVC Men's Soccer Tournament with the top two seed receiving byes into the semifinals. The conference tournament will be held from Nov. 8-14 at Lindenwood's Hunter Stadium in St. Charles, Mo.
The Vaqueros are looking to make their first conference tournament appearance since 2021, when they qualified for the Western Athletic Conference Tournament.
The Vaqueros will start their season with an open exhibition against Tec De Monterrey on Aug. 9 at UTRGV Soccer and Track & Field Complex.
The Vaqueros open the regular season at West Florida on Aug. 20 at 7:30 p.m. The home opener will take place on Aug. 23 at 10 a.m. against Stetson. All matches at UTRGV Soccer and Track & Field Complex will be free and open to the public.
OVC Preseason Poll
| Rank |
Team (First-Place Votes) |
Points |
| 1. |
Lindenwood (11) |
94 |
| T2. |
Houston Christian University (2) |
80 |
| T2. |
SIUE (3) |
80 |
| 4. |
Eastern Illinois |
52 |
| 5. |
UTRGV |
46 |
| 6. |
UIW |
42 |
| 7. |
Western Illinois |
36 |
| 8. |
Southern Indiana |
18 |
OVC Preseason Players to Watch
Conner Bayliss, Eastern Illinois
Ryan Okerayi, Houston Christian University
Luca Bartoni, Lindenwood
Mathias Clausen, SIUE
Garrett Morris, Southern Indiana
Diego Robles, UIW
Mouhamed Pouye, UTRGV
Xavier Gagnon, Western Illinois
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