Keene State Perched Atop Men's Soccer Preseason Standings

GORHAM, Maine:  Two-time defending Little East Conference men?s 
soccer champion Keene State College received four first-place votes and 
60 total points to claim the top spot in the annual pre-season coaches? 
poll.
   
A year ago the Owls finished third in the league with a 4-1-2 mark, 
but rallied to capture their second consecutive conference tournament 
and advance to the NCAA Tournament. Keene State concluded the year with 
an overall mark of 13-5-3.
   
Western Connecticut, which received the four remaining first place 
votes, finished second in the coaches? poll with 54 total points. The 
Colonials captured the 2002 LEC regular-season title with a 6-1-0    
slate, before bowing to the Owls in the finals of the league tournament. 
Western Connecticut finished the year with a stellar 14-3-5 mark.
   
Rounding out the top half of the pre-season poll were a pair of 
perennial contenders in Plymouth State University and the University of 
Massachusetts Dartmouth. Plymouth State collected 49 points to place 
third, while UMass Dartmouth followed with 40 points in fourth place. 
Last year, the Panthers finished second in the league with a 5-2-0 mark, 
advanced to the semifinals of the conference tournament and registered a 
final mark of 8-7-2. The Corsairs finished fourth in the regular season 
with a 4-2-1 mark, advanced to the semifinals of the LEC and ECAC 
Tournaments and concluded the year with a 12-6-2 record.   
   
Rhode Island College (11-8-0; 2-5-0/6th), which led all teams with 42 
goals scored a year ago, finished fifth in the poll with 34 points, 
while Eastern Connecticut State University (8-9-1; 3-4-0/5th)    
collected 26 points to place sixth.   
   
The University of Southern Maine (4-10-3; 1-4-2/7th) received 15 
points to finish seventh in the poll, and the University of 
Massachusetts Boston (3-13-2; 0-6-1/8th) followed in eighth with 10 
points. 

     2003 Little East Conference Pre-Season Men?s Soccer Coaches' Poll
            1.   Keene State College                    (4)   60
            2.   Western Connecticut State University   (4)   54
            3.   Plymouth State University                    49
            4.   University of Massachusetts Dartmouth        40
            5.   Rhode Island College                         34
            6.   Eastern Connecticut State University         26
            7.   University of Southern Maine                 15
            8.   University of Massachusetts Boston           10
   
(first place votes in parentheses)