Contact: Chassidy Holloway, Associate Executive Director, holloway@midwestconference.org
 
GRINNELL, Iowa – A vote of the Midwest Conference (MWC) men’s soccer head coaches anticipates Illinois College finishing the 2024 season as champions for the second straight year. In this year's preseason coaches' poll, the Blueboys received four first-place votes and 57 points to edge out Lake Forest College who received four first-place and 56 points.
 
A season ago, Illinois College ended a 33-year drought to win its program’s second regular season title and Lake Forest won its second straight MWC tournament title. 
 
Cornell College garnered the remaining first-place vote and 49 points to claim third place ahead of Grinnell College in fourth with 47 points.
 
Knox College was selected fifth with 34 points, narrowly leading Ripon College in sixth place with 32 points.
 
Rounding out the preseason poll is Beloit College (22), Monmouth College (17), and Lawrence University (10).
 
The 2024 MWC campaign officially gets underway on Friday, August 30, with eight of the nine teams in action, and league play begins on Saturday, September 28.
 
The league’s top four teams in the final standings will meet at the 2024 MWC Men’s Soccer Tournament, scheduled for November 8-9, to compete for the tournament title and the automatic qualifier to the NCAA Tournament. 
 
Full preseason coaches’ poll results and quick facts for all nine league teams can be found below:
 
2024 MWC Men’s Soccer Preseason Coaches’ Poll Results
1. Illinois College (4) – 57 points
2. Lake Forest College (4) – 56 points
3. Cornell College (1) – 49 points
4. Grinnell College – 47 points
5. Knox College – 34 points
6. Ripon College – 32 points
7. Beloit College – 22 points
8. Monmouth College – 17 points
9. Lawrence University – 10 points
 
() – indicates first-place votes 
*Coaches are not allowed to vote for their own teams. 

Beloit College Buccaneers
Head Coach: Patrick Sanchez (2^nd Season)
2023: 3-10-2 (overall), 3-3-2 (MWC)
All-Conference Returnees: None

Cornell College Rams
Head Coach: Nate Grosse (11^th Season)
2023: 6-8-5 (overall), 4-2-2 (MWC)
All-Conference Returnees: George Archer, Attacker (Sr); Will Bickel, Defender (Sr); Aidan Lerch, Attacker (Sr)

Grinnell College Pioneers
Head Coach: Brian Jaworski (21^st Season)
2023: 9-6-5 (overall), 3-3-2 (MWC)
All-Conference Returnees: Dylan Maddux, Attacker (Sr); Oliver Northing, Attacker (Jr)

Illinois College Blueboys
Head Coach: Evan Philpott (6^th Season)
2023: 10-5-3 (overall), 5-1-2 (MWC)
All-Conference Returnees: Jives Efemini, Midfielder (So); Brock Kennell, Defender (Sr); Tyler Lunning, Forward (Jr); Reed Rogers, Forward (Jr – 2023 MWC Newcomer of the Year); Toby Yabarra, Forward (Sr)
 
Knox College Prairie Fire
Head Coach: Kevwe Akpore (3^rd Season)
2023: 6-6-5 (overall), 2-2-4 (MWC)
All-Conference Returnees: Adrian Segura, Forward/Midfielder (Sr)
 
Lake Forest College Foresters
Head Coach: Dan Andrews (9^th Season)
2023: 7-9-4 (overall), 3-1-4 (MWC)
All-Conference Returnees: Rafael Bonilla-Climaco, Defender (Grad), Peter Cirbo, Midfielder (So), Alexis Flores, Defender (Jr)
 
Lawrence University Vikings
Head Coach: Will Greer (8^th Season)
2023: 0-10-6 (overall), 0-4-4 (MWC)
All-Conference Returnees: None
 
Monmouth College Scots
Head Coach: Ian Hatleli (4^th Season)
2023: 3-11-2 (overall), 2-4-2 (MWC)
All-Conference Returnees: None
 
Ripon College Red Hawks
Head Coach: Marco Rhein (6^th Season)
2023: 6-4-7 (overall), 1-3-4 (MWC)
All-Conference Returnees: None