ODAC Men’s Soccer Preseason Poll released

Published 6:00 am Wednesday, September 1, 2021

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Hampden-Sydney College has been picked fourth in the 2021 Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) Men’s Soccer Preseason Poll. The Tigers garnered 95 points for fourth among the 12 schools. H-SC finished 8-1-1 overall and 8-0 in the ODAC this past spring, being named the top seed in the ODAC Tournament.

Washington and Lee University was picked first with 116 points, with the University of Lynchburg’s 111 points and Roanoke College’s 98 points rounding out the top three. After H-SC, Guilford College (79), Randolph-Macon College (77), Randolph College (58), Virginia Wesleyan University (45), Bridgewater College (44), Ferrum College (33), Shenandoah University (23) and Eastern Mennonite University (13) complete the poll.

Head Coach Tommy DiNuzzo enters his fifth season at the helm of the Tigers and has a 37-21-5 record in his first four seasons. During the past two seasons, H-SC has not dropped a regular season ODAC contest, going 7-0-1 in 2019 and 8-0 in the Spring 2021 season. The two seasons are two of the best three that the program has had since 1990. Stretching over that span, the Tigers set a new ODAC record for an unbeaten streak at 23 games (Sept. 19, 2019 – April 9, 2021).

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H-SC returns eight of the nine goal scorers from the spring, totaling 15 of the 16 goals scored. Sophomore Declan Shaw/Durham, North Carolina led the Tigers with four goals and four assists and was named the 2020-21 ODAC and VaSID Rookie of the Year and First Team All-ODAC for his efforts. Junior Connor Brooks/Springfield (Third Team), as well as sophomores Stefan Ngoh/Goldvein (Second Team) and Emory Davis/Palmyra (Third Team), were each selected to All-ODAC teams and return this fall.

Coach DiNuzzo is joined by Associate Head Coach Patrick Bain and Assistant Coach Rylan Whan, who are both in their first year on staff.

H-SC is scheduled to open the 2021 campaign on the road at William Peace University on Wednesday, Sept. 1 at 7 p.m. in nonconference action in Raleigh, North Carolina.