Contact: Chassidy Holloway, Associate Executive Director, holloway@midwestconference.org
 
GRINNELL, Iowa – The Foresters of Lake Forest College are predicted to repeat as Midwest Conference (MWC) men’s soccer champions after a vote of the league’s head coaches in this year’s preseason poll. The Foresters tallied 57 points and five first-place votes.
 
Last season, the Foresters marked league-bests in regular season and tournament titles with 18 and 8, respectively.
 
Earning 50 points and one first-place vote each, Grinnell College and Knox College share second place, followed by Ripon College in fourth with 48 points and Cornell College in fifth, receiving two first-place votes and 36 points. 
 
Illinois College (32), Beloit College (22), Lawrence University (21), and Monmouth College (8) close out the poll.
 
The season begins Friday, September 1, with a slate of non-conference matches, and MWC play opens September 23.
 
The MWC Men’s Soccer Tournament is scheduled for November 3-4, 2023. The season-culminating event will feature the league’s top-four teams competing for the tournament title and rights to the automatic qualifier for the NCAA postseason.
 
Full preseason coaches’ poll results and quick facts for all nine league teams can be found below: 
 
2023 MWC Men’s Soccer Preseason Coaches’ Poll Results
1. Lake Forest College (5) – 57 points
T2. Grinnell College (1) – 50 points
T2. Knox College (1) – 50 points
4. Ripon College – 48 points
5. Cornell College (2) – 36 points
6. Illinois College – 32 points
7. Beloit College – 22 points
8. Lawrence University – 21 points
9. Monmouth College – 8 points
 
() – indicates first-place votes 
*Coaches are not allowed to vote for their own teams. 
 
Beloit College Buccaneers
Head Coach: Patrick Sanchez (1^st Season)
2022: 3-8-4 (overall), 3-1-4 (MWC)
All-Conference Returnees: N/A

Cornell College Rams
Head Coach: Nate Grosse (10^th Season)
2022: 8-6-3 (overall), 1-5-2 (MWC)
All-Conference Returnees: George Archer (Jr - 2021 Newcomer of the Year), Aidan Lerch (Jr), Cian McNamara (5^th Year) 

Grinnell College Pioneers
Head Coach: Brian Jaworski (20^th Season)
2022: 10-8-1 (overall), 5-2-1 (MWC)
All-Conference Returnees: Carter Benson (Sr), Dylan Maddux (Jr)

Illinois College Blue Boys
Head Coach: Evan Philpott (5^th Season)
2022: 9-8-2 (overall), 3-4-1 (MWC)
All-Conference Returnees: Tyler Schiltz (Sr)
 
Knox College Prairie Fire
Head Coach: Kevwe Akpore (2^nd  Season)
2022: 5-11-1 (overall), 4-3-1 (MWC)
All-Conference Returnees: N/A
 
Lake Forest College Foresters
Interim Head Coach: Tim Dean (1^st Season)
2022: 8-9-3 (overall), 5-1-2 (MWC)
All-Conference Returnees: Rafael Bonilla-Climaco (Sr), Elliot Hull (Sr), Szymon Mocarski (Sr – 2022 Defensive Player of the Year), Eric Rodriguez (Jr), Karl Weisenfeld (So), Ido Zimbelman (So)
 
Lawrence University Vikings
Head Coach: Will Greer (7^th Season)
2022: 2-10-5 (overall), 1-4-3 (MWC)
All-Conference Returnees: N/A
 
Monmouth College Scots
Head Coach: Ian Hatleli (3rd Season)
2022: 4-11-2 (overall), 2-6 (MWC)
All-Conference Returnees: N/A
 
Ripon College Red Hawks
Head Coach: Marco Rhein (5^th Season)
2022: 8-8-3 (overall), 4-2-2 (MWC)
All-Conference Returnees: Abner Contreras (So), Eli Dietzel (Sr), Finley Manning (So)