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ST. LOUIS – The Missouri State men's soccer team is predicted to finish fourth in the Missouri Valley Conference, according to a preseason poll done by the league's coaches, the MVC office released Thursday (Aug. 18).
 
The Bears, who finished fourth in the Valley last season, picked up two first-place votes and 32 total points in the poll. Sitting atop of the results is defending MVC regular season champion SIU Edwardsville after claiming four first-place votes and 45 total points. Last season's league tournament champion Drake finished second in the standings with one first-place vote and 39 total points, while Loyola edged MSU by a slim margin tallying 34 total points. Bradley (25), Central Arkansas (12) and Evansville (9) rounded out the rest of the results.
 
"The teams around the Valley this preseason have been able to play some really good teams," said head coach Jon Leamy. "It appears it is going to be a high end league this season and I truly believe that we are one of the best leagues in the nation."
 
The Valley also announced its Preseason All-MVC Team Thursday. Among honorees was Missouri State senior Jack Griffin. Griffin played in all 17 matches for the Bears last season and registered two goals, including the game-winning goal against SIUE with two seconds left in overtime. He was the only Bear to be named to the 2015 All-MVC first team and was recognized by the National Soccer Coaches of America Association (NSCAA) by earning a spot on the All-West Region third team.
 
"It is awesome seeing Jack being recognized by the conference coaches as one of the top players in the league," Leamy said. "He is coming off of a great junior season and we will continue to look for him to be a heavy minute guy for us. Jack has a leadership role on our team that is well demonstrated on and off the field."
 
MSU is set to host the 2016 MVC Men's Soccer Championship that is scheduled to take place Nov. 8-13 at Betty and Bobby Allison South Stadium.
 
"It is a really special thing to be able to host this year's conference tournament," commented Leamy. "It has been a long time coming and it will be a neat experience for our university and the city of Springfield. We feel honored and privileged to have this opportunity."
 
The Bears will conclude exhibition play at home this Friday (Aug. 19) against Missouri S&T at 7 p.m. The regular season for MSU begins Aug. 26 when Green Bay comes to town for an 8:30 p.m. kickoff. The match will be available for fans on The Valley on ESPN3, part of the league's media rights agreement with ESPN. The HD-quality telecasts are available for free at www.WatchESPN.com or on the WatchESPN App.