BRIDGEPORT, W.Va. – The Mountain East Conference men's soccer preseason poll has been released with Notre Dame College occupying third place, with 50 points. NDC's season begins on Thursday, Aug. 25, against Lock Haven University on Mueller Field. (Release)

"We are extremely motivated and excited about the challenge presented," said head coach Carl Nolan.

The Falcons finished the 2021 campaign with a record of 9-5-2, while going 8-4-2 in conference play. The team scored 54 goals, an average of nearly 3.4 per game, and held their opponents to just 20. Notre Dame also totaled 44 assists, which ranks fifth in program history. The defense posted five shutouts.

Many of the top players from last season's team return for 2022. Top goal scorers and All-Region members Ned Dry and Ailton Fagner Silva will both be on the pitch. Dry was fourth in the MEC with 11 goals and Silva scored nine times, which was fifth-best in the conference. Silva also ranked in the MEC's top ten with six assists and 24 points. Dry led the league in points with 26 (11 goals, four assists) and an average of 1.63 per game. Silva was named Freshman of the Year last season and was joined on the All-MEC Freshman team by Taylor Dyson, who had five assists.

The spring 2021 Freshman of the Year and All-Region member Antonio Bittencourt will be back on the defensive side of the field, after playing 1,100 minutes last season. Goalkeeper Pedro Alves saves 23 shots in the fall 2021 season and was credited with two shutouts,

NDC will have a couple early tests in the schedule as they travel to play Davis & Elkins, on Aug. 28, and Charleston, on Sept. 4. Those two teams were picked to finish in front of the Falcons.
 

2022 MEC Men's Soccer Preseason Poll
Rank	Team	Points
1.	Charleston (7)	63
2.	Davis & Elkins (2)	57
3.	Notre Dame	50
4.	W.Va. Wesleyan	39
5.	Frostburg State	36
6.	West Liberty	24
7.	Concord	21
8.	Alderson Broaddus	19
9.	Wheeling	15

() indicates first-place votes