HOBOKEN, N.J. (August 22, 2013) – The Stevens Institute of Technology men's soccer team has been picked to win its seventh straight Empire 8 Athletic Conference title in the 2013 Empire 8 Men's Soccer Preseason Coaches Poll.
  
The Ducks, who were ranked No. 13 in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA)/Continental Tire NCAA Division III Men's National Preseason Ranking, received 36 points in the poll, topping last year's co-champion Ithaca College by six.  Stevens received six of seven possible first-place votes, with Ithaca garnering the final one.  Utica College, Elmira College and St. John Fisher College were tabbed for third and tied-fourth, respectively, with only two points separating the three rivals.  Nazareth College came in a close sixth place, and Alfred University rounds out the conference in seventh. 
 
The Ducks finished the 2012 season ranked No. 10 in the nation with their second consecutive 18-3-1 record after claiming their sixth straight Empire 8 title and making their 12^thstraight NCAA Championship appearance, where they defeated No. 23 Methodist University, 2-0, in the First Round and Haverford College, 3-0, in the Second Round.  The Ducks posted a nine-game shutout streak that lasted over 1,000 minutes before the University of Scranton pulled the 1-0 upset in the Round of 16.  Four players were named All-Region by the National Soccer Coaches Association, with graduated forward Victor Daza and returning senior back Leonardo Casas earning All-America status (NSCAA, D3Soccer.com) and returning senior goalkeeper Paul Killian tabbed the National Goalkeeper of the Year by D3Soccer.com.

Stevens opens the season next weekend at the St. Lawrence University Tournament, where the Ducks will face No. 20 St. Lawrence on Saturday, Aug. 30 and Clarkson University on Sunday, Aug. 31.  Stevens will host one other preseason ranked team in No. 15 Swarthmore College later in the season on Oct. 9 at 7:30 p.m.
 
2013 Empire 8 Men's Soccer Preseason Coaches Poll
1.    Stevens Institute of Technology (6 first place votes)                                    36 points
2.    Ithaca College (1 first place vote)                                                                 30
3.    Utica College                                                                                                21
4.    Elmira College                                                                                              19
        St. John Fisher College                                                                               19
6.    Nazareth College                                                                                          16
7.    Alfred University                                                                                             6