California Baptist University
(RV) West Virginia
MSOC Preview: Lancers Open 2023 At West Virginia and Michigan
8/23/2023 12:30:00 PM | Men's Soccer
RIVERSIDE - Reigning Western Athletic Conference champions California Baptist University men's soccer is set to open the 2023 season with a challenging schedule that begins with a substantial road trip to the University of West Virginia and the University of Michigan.
The Lancers bring raised expectations from outside audiences with them as the WAC Preseason Coaches Poll chose them as unanimous favorites for the upcoming season. Thomas Beecham earned Preseason Defensive Player of the Year honors, as backline mate Antonio Gomez and the 2022 leading scorer, Luis Mueller, each made the All-WAC Preseason team alongside Beecham.
☝️
The first 𝐔𝐍𝐀𝐍𝐈𝐌𝐎𝐔𝐒 preseason favorites in WAC men's soccer history 😤#LanceUp⚔️ pic.twitter.com/C8UCNWbDnG— California Baptist Men's Soccer (@CBUmsoccer) August 17, 2023
CBU will look slightly different this season after losing key seniors to graduation. Second leading scorer from 2022, Bryan Iliohan, exhausted his eligibility at CBU after he recorded seven goals and seven assists for the Lancers last season. CBU will also replace veteran midfield presences in Brian Gonzalez and Jordan Lane, who also moved on after graduation. Expect 2022 All-WAC Tournament Team honoree, Leo Mendez, WAC All-Freshman team honoree Adolfo Pino, and off-the-bench spark Lincoln Aquino to fill some of those voids for Head Coach Coe Michaelson.
This Preseason All-WAC trio is next level!#LanceUp⚔️ pic.twitter.com/cH8YGgveae— California Baptist Men's Soccer (@CBUmsoccer) August 17, 2023
WEST VIRGINIA AT A GLANCE
The Lancers travel to the Eastern Time Zone to kick off 2023 against the Mountaineers of West Virginia, a squad that finished fourth in the Sun Belt Conference in 2022 and was recently picked to finish this season in third. The Mountaineers finished last season 7-7-4 overall and 3-1-4 in Sun Belt play, losing to the eventual conference champions from Kentucky in the tournament's semifinals.
Four of WVU's top five scorers from a season ago return, including their two highest points earners in Marcus Caldeira (five goals, four assists) and Ryan Crooks (four goals and six assists). They are led by senior goalkeeper Jackson Lee between the pipes, but the defenders in front of him statistically do most of the heavy lifting as Lee stopped just 30 of the 51 shots (58.8%) he faced last year in 15 appearances.
MICHIGAN AT A GLANCE
The Wolverine's 2022 record of 4-10-3 overall and 1-6-1 in the Big Ten is not indicative of the level of opponent Michigan will be. Coming off their worst season under head coach Chaka Daley, Michigan will undoubtedly be motivated to get the 2023 season off to a strong start. Despite the .324 winning percentage last season, their RPI ranking was 68, ranking behind only UC Santa Barbara (63) and West Virginia (53) among the Lancers' non-conference opponents.
No Wolverines ranked in the top 10 in the conference last year offensively. To counter that stat, UM brought in 15 newcomers, with three transfers, two of which are familiar to the Lancers. Nick Bourgeois from Air Force and Riley Ferch from UCLA each saw action against the Lancers last season and will see them again in the second game of 2023.
Season tickets are on sale for the 2023 season of Lancer men's soccer! Click this link to secure your tickets for all of this season's action!
Mark your 🗓️
Secure your 🎟️
Grab your 🍿
CBU men's soccer is going to put on a show for you this season!#LanceUp⚔️ pic.twitter.com/DtBtZDd72v— California Baptist Men's Soccer (@CBUmsoccer) July 28, 2023
