NEW ORLEANS - Coastal Carolina men's soccer forward Alvaro Garcia-Pascual was named to the 2022 Preseason All-Sun Belt team, while the Chanticleers were picked to finish fifth in the 2022 Sun Belt Conference Men's Soccer Preseason Coaches poll, the league announced on Monday.
 
In the first preseason coaches poll since the reinstatement of men's soccer in the Sun Belt, the Chanticleers received a total of 39 points to place in a tie with newcomer James Madison in fifth.
 
West Virginia (75 points) garnered five first-place votes and was picked to finish first in the preseason poll. Marshall (72 points) picked up three first-place votes to come in second, while Kentucky (69 points) was selected to finish third and received one first-place vote. In state foe, South Carolina was picked just ahead of the Chants in fourth with 41 points. 
 
Georgia State (25 points), Old Dominion (20 points), and Georgia Southern (15 points) rounded out the preseason poll. 
 
Named to the 2021 All-Conference USA second team and the C-USA All-Freshman Team, Garcia-Pascual was the only true freshman to appear in 13 matches and earn 12 starts last season. He finished the season with five goals – including his first career brace against Marshall (Sept. 4) – and two assists. Garcia-Pasqual recorded 12 points for the Chants while taking 44 shots, placing 23 on goal in 922 minutes of action. Notably, Garcia-Pasqual was named the C-USA Offensive Player of the Week following his performance against Marshall.
 
 2022 Sun Belt Conference Men's Soccer Preseason Awards
 Preseason Offensive Player of the Year
 Eythor Bjorgolfsson, Kentucky (Sr., F – Jessheim, Norway)
 
 Preseason Defensive Player of the Year
 Luis Grassow, Kentucky (Sr., D – Munich, Germany)
 
 Preseason All-Sun Belt Team* 
 Alvaro Garcia-Pascual, Coastal Carolina (So., F – Benalmadena, Spain)  
 Luca Erhardt, James Madison (RS Sr., F – Offenbach, Germany)  
 Eythor Bjorgolfsson, Kentucky (Sr., F – Jessheim, Norway) 
 Milo Yosef, Marshall (RS Sr., F – Aachen, Germany)   
 Ross Finnie, Georgia State (Sr., M – Carnoustie, Scotland)  
 Rodrigo Robles, James Madison (RS Jr., M – Burgos, Spain)  
 Vinicius Fernandes, Marshall (Gr., M – Sao Paulo, Brazil)  
 Luis Grassow, Kentucky (Sr., D – Munich, Germany) 
 Robert Screen, Kentucky (5th Yr., D – Raleigh, N.C.)  
 Gabriel Alves, Marshall (Jr., D – Sao Paulo, Brazil) 
 Bjarne Thiesen, West Virginia (RS Jr., D – Kiel, Germany)  
 Oliver Semmle, Marshall (Gr., GK – Au Am Rhein, Germany)   
* Team Expanded Due to Ties in Voting
 
 2022 Sun Belt Conference Men's Soccer Preseason Coaches Poll
 1. West Virginia – 75 (5)
 2. Marshall – 72 (3)
 3. Kentucky – 69 (1)
 4. South Carolina - 41
 T5. Coastal Carolina - 39
     James Madison - 39
 7. Georgia State - 35
 8. Old Dominion - 20
 9. Georgia Southern – 15

On Sunday, Aug. 14, Coastal battled No. 15 preseason nationally-ranked Wake Forest to a 1-1 draw at the CCU soccer stadium. The Chanticleers will close their exhibition schedule when they host NC State on Aug. 20.
 
 For complete coverage of CCU men's soccer, follow the Chants on social media @CoastalMSoccer (Twitter), facebook.com/CCUChanticleers (Facebook), @GoCCUSports (Instagram), or visit the official home of Coastal Carolina Athletics at www.GoCCUsports.com.