Men's Soccer Picked to Win BIG EAST; Perez and Stauffer Named Preseason All-BIG EAST

OMAHA, Neb. -- The Creighton men's soccer team has been picked as the favorite to win the BIG EAST conference, as voted by the league coaches. Additionally, Ricardo Perez and Lucas Stauffer each claimed a spot on the BIG EAST Preseason All-Conference team.

The Bluejays ended last season with the most wins in Division I (19) and ranked third in the country in scoring offense (2.30 goals per match), while spending a program-best eight consecutive weeks as the No. 1 team in the NSCAA poll. Creighton started the season 15-0-0, its best start since 1993, and advanced to the Elite Eight of the NCAA tournament for the second straight season before falling in double overtime to Akron. The Bluejays return five starters from a 2015 squad that was picked as the co-favorite to win the BIG EAST last season. Creighton finished in second place in the regular season standings (7-2-0) and runner-up at the BIG EAST Championships.

The Bluejays earned five of the possible nine first-place votes and 74 points overall for the first-place position. Defending regular-season and tournament champion Georgetown claimed two first-place votes and 71 points for second, followed by Providence (two first place-votes, 64 points) and Xavier (one first-place vote, 58 points). Butler garnered 56 points for fifth, while Villanova (39), Marquette (28), St. John's (28), DePaul (22) and Seton Hall (10) rounded out the poll.

This is the ninth time in the last 12 years, and 16th time since 1990, that Creighton has been picked to win its league in the preseason.

The duo of Perez and Stauffer made Creighton one of four schools with at least two players on the all-BIG EAST list. It is also the third consecutive year the Bluejays have had two or more players on the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team.

Perez returns as the Bluejays' leading scorer from last season. He scored six goals and had two assists in 23 matches, including 20 starts. Perez has played 65 career matches for the Bluejays (45 starts), more than any other player on the current roster. Last season, he earned a spot on the NSCAA All-Great Lakes Region Second Team and received The Manion Family Most Improved Award at the Creighton postseason banquet.

Stauffer is the only returner to start each match last season. The Owensboro, Ky., native, tallied six points from two goals and two assists in 23 matches during the 2015 year as a sophomore. He earned BIG EAST All-Rookie status following the 2014 campaign.

Creighton, ranked seventh in the preseason NSCAA Top 25 Preseason Poll, hosts Missouri State and Wisconsin this week in exhibition matches before opening the regular season at No. 25 Rutgers on Aug. 26. The Bluejays begin their home portion of the schedule on Aug. 29 against San Francisco.

2016 Men's Soccer Preseason Major Awards
Offensive Player of the Year
Mac Steeves, Providence, Sr., F

Defensive Player of the Year
Cory Brown, Xavier, Jr., D

Goalkeeper of the Year
JT Marcinkowski, Georgetown, So.

2016 Men's Soccer Preseason All-BIG EAST #
David Goldsmith, Butler, Sr., F ^
Mac Steeves, Providence, Sr., F ^
Matt Vasquenza, Xavier, Jr., F
Julian Gressel, Providence, Sr., M
Arun Basuljevic, Georgetown, Jr., M
Ricardo Perez, Creighton, Sr., M
Dominic Machado, Providence, Sr., M
Simon Megally, DePaul, Sr., M
Cory Brown, Xavier, Jr., D ^
Lucas Stauffer, Creighton, Jr., D
John Pothas, Marquette, Sr., D
JT Marcinkowski, Georgetown, So., GK

2016 BIG EAST Men's Soccer Preseason Coaches' Poll
First place votes in ( )
1. Creighton – 74 pts. (5)
2. Georgetown – 71 pts. (2)
3. Providence – 64 pts. (2)
4. Xavier – 58 pts. (1)
5. Butler – 56 pts.
6. Villanova – 39 pts.
T7. Marquette – 28 pts.
T7. St. John's – 28 pts.
9. DePaul – 22 pts.
10. Seton Hall – 10 pts.

^ - denotes unanimous selection
# there is an extra player on the preseason All-BIG EAST team due to a tie in voting

Men's Soccer Picked to Win BIG EAST; Perez and Stauffer Named Preseason All-BIG EAST

Players Mentioned

Ricardo Perez

Lucas Stauffer

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