CENTRAL ISLIP, N.Y. (Aug. 26, 2016) - On Friday, the East Coast Conference released its preseason men's soccer poll, and LIU Post was chosen to win the ECC title for a second-straight season in 2016.

In addition, junior back David Arvidsson (Gothenburg, Sweden) was named the league's Preseason Defensive Player of the Year.

The Pioneers are coming off a 2015 campaign in which they secured their third ECC crown in four years and captured a second-straight NCAA Division II East Region Championship. The green and gold return eight players, who started at least 11 games last year, including the reigning ECC Goalkeeper of the Year, Jesper Malmstrom (Linkopping, Sweden). 

The Pioneers received nine out of the 10 first-place votes to top the poll with 99 total points. New York Institute of Technology (86 points) and Molloy College (69 points) round out the top three squads.

Arvidsson, a 2015 NSCAA All-East Region first-team and All-America third-team selection, returns to anchor the LIU Post back line. Arvidsson also earned his second-straight All-ECC selection last year and will lead a defense that allowed just 24 goals in 21 games in 2015.

The Pioneers open the 2016 season on the road at Adelphi University, when they take on the Panthers and Southern Connecticut State University, as part of the Adelphi Alumni Invitational on Sept. 1 and 3, respectively.

2016 ECC Men's Soccer Preseason Poll
1. LIU Post (Nine First-Place Votes) - 99 Points
2. NYIT - 86 Points
3. Molloy (One First-Place Vote) - 69 Points
4. Bridgeport - 65 Points
5. Queens - 55 Points
6. Roberts Wesleyan - 52 Points
7. Mercy - 43 Points
8. District of Columbia - 40 Points
9. St. Thomas Aquinas - 31 Points
10. Daemen - 10 Points