Men's Soccer: Bethany selected fourth in PAC Preseason Poll
BETHANY, W.Va. – The Bethany College men's soccer team was picked to finish fourth in the preseason poll released by the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) on Wednesday. The Bison finished sixth in the 2022 PAC standings and made it to the PAC Championship in back-to-back seasons.
The Grove City College men's soccer program was voted as the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) favorite this fall, according to the league's annual preseason coaches' poll. Voted on by the conference's 11 head coaches, the results of this year's poll were revealed with the PAC's Players to Watch List.
Defending champion Franciscan University ranked second in this year's preseason poll after gathering two first-place votes and totaling 85 points.
Geneva College totaled 75 points to finish third and was followed by Bethany in fourth with 72 points. Ranking fifth in the balloting was Allegheny College with 62 points, with Westminster College coming in sixth with 55 points, followed by Washington & Jefferson College (54), Chatham University (42), Saint Vincent College (27), Waynesburg University (22), and Thiel College (12).
A total of 23 All-PAC players from 2022 return to their respective programs this fall, including four First Team selections, four Second Team selections and 15 Honorable Mention choices.
Bethany finished the 2022 season with an overall record of 9-7-5, including 4-3-3 in the conference standings. The men return talent from last year's roster but will also have spots to fill after losing some key performers on offense and in net.
Senior midfielder and All-PAC Honorable Mention Sebastian Arrocain (Chivilcoy, Buenos Aires, Argentina/Campus Lincoln) headlines the Bison as a PAC Player to Watch this season. Juniors Gregorio Lopez Ogawa (Del Viso, Buenos Aires, Argentina/Del Viso Day School) and Matteo Pintus (Cagliari, Italy/Liceo Euclide) and newcomers Ousainou Conateh (Banjul, Gambia – Oakton, Va. / Oakton) and Issa Dieng (Dakar, Senegal/Jean Mermoz de Dakar) join Arrocain on the Players to Watch list.
Arrocain, a captain for the Bison, finished the 2022 campaign with four goals, including the Bison's lone goal in the PAC Championship loss to Franciscan.
Lopez-Ogawa is one of the few Bison athletes to appear and start in all 21 matches for the Bison.
Pintus made six starts in net last season for the Bison. He registered 27 saves and went 4-1-1, including three shutouts for the Green and White.
Bethany opens their 2023 campaign on Sept. 1 against Mount Aloysius at 4 p.m. in Cresson, Pa.
