The 2021 Mid-American Conference Men's Soccer season begins today Thursday, August 26th with all seven teams competing non-conference matchups throughout the day.
Below is a team-by-team preview taking a deeper look at each squad as they start a new MAC campaign.
Team-By-Team Previews (In Preseason Coaches Poll Predicted Order)
WEST VIRGINIA
Led by second-year coach Dan Stratford, the Mountaineers return to action following a 6-3-1 (4-3-1 MAC) campaign in 2020-21. The squad welcomes 10 of 11 starters back off last year's team, as well as 15 total lettermen. The Mountaineers also return all seven goal scorers from the spring, including senior forward Ike Swiger, who paced West Virginia with four goals and eight points. Fifth-year senior goalkeeper Steven Tekesky, Swiger and junior midfielder Luke McCormick earned All-MAC First Team honors, while fifth-year senior midfielder Pau Jimenez Albelda and fifth-year senior defender Kevin Morris were second-team selections.
West Virginia opens the 2021 campaign by traveling to Robert Morris on Thursday, Aug. 26, at North Athletic Complex in Moon Township, Pennsylvania. Kickoff is set for 4 p.m. ET. The squad's home opener is scheduled for Monday, Aug. 30, against No. 3 Pitt in a 7 p.m., kickoff at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium in Morgantown.
AKRON
The University of Akron men's soccer team opens its 2021 fall campaign on Thursday, Aug. 26 as the Zips welcome Wright State to FirstEnergy Stadium. Now in its 67th season of intercollegiate soccer in 2021, the Akron men's soccer team have posted a record of 39-19-8 overall in season openers since the Zips first took the field against Ohio Wesleyan on Oct. 8, 1955. Over the last 10 campaigns, Akron owns a 5-3-2 mark in season openers. Led by Diogo Pacheco, who was selected as First-Team All-Mid-American Conference men's soccer selection, five Akron student-athletes garnered All-MAC accolades this past spring. Colin Biros, Will Jackson, junior Carlo Ritaccio (Westbury, N.Y.) and Daniel Strachan were tabbed second-team honorees.
BOWLING GREEN
The Falcons begin the 2021 regular season on Thursday (Aug. 26) evening, facing IUPUI at Cochrane Stadium in a 7:00 p.m. start. BGSU received four votes in the United Soccer Coaches national preseason poll. BG, as mentioned, won the MAC regular-season title and advanced to the NCAA Championships in the spring of 2021. BGSU ended the season ranked No. 30 in the final College Soccer News poll, and the Falcons also were 30th (the fifth team among 'also receiving votes') in the United Soccer Coaches rankings.
BGSU wound up third in the final United Soccer Coaches North Region poll, and coach Eric Nichols and his staff were named the North Region Staff of the Year.
The Falcons captured MAC's regular-season championship outright for the first time since 1996 and just the second time since the MAC began sponsoring the sport in '93. The Falcons advanced to the NCAA Championships for the first time since 1997.
WESTERN MICHIGAN
The Western Michigan men's soccer team opens the 2021 season with a pair of road games against seven-time national champions Virginia on Thursday and at 7 p.m. and Loyola Chicago on Sunday at 6 p.m. Western Michigan enters the 2021 season after going 7-3-1 (5-3-1 MAC) last season, which was played in the Spring of 2021 due to COVID-19. WMU just missed out on winning the MAC Regular Season Championship, finishing just behind Bowling Green due to points per game.
The Broncos return First Team All-MAC midfielder/defender Daniel Nimick. Nimick had three goals and three assists last season with two of his goals going for game winners. Junior midfielder/forward Dylan Sing also heads into the season on the back of a career-best year after scoring five goals and tallying an assist to finish second on the team in points with 11. Second Team All-MAC midfielder Brennan Creek returns for his junior campaign after helping drive the Bronco attack the past two seasons.
NORTHERN ILLINOIS
The Huskies return a veteran roster including the 2020-21 MAC Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year for the 2021 campaign with just three players lost to graduation from a season ago and six freshmen on the roster this season. The Northern Illinois University men's soccer team opens the 2021 regular season on Thursday afternoon, Aug. 26, when it hosts Purdue Fort Wayne at 2 p.m. at the NIU Soccer Complex.
GEORGIA STATE
Looking to build off the momentum of a solid exhibition season, the Georgia State men's soccer team will open the 2021 regular season hosting UNF on Thursday night at 6 p.m. at the new GSU Soccer Complex. Coming off a 9-2-2 2020 season, Georgia State will be looking to win a sixth-straight home opener and third-straight regular season opener as the Ospreys travel north on the first night of the regular season.
Georgia State returns a talented group that includes nine seniors and 17 total upperclassmen. Senior Matthew Fearnley, who tied for the team lead last year with five goals and earned CoSIDA Academic All-American honors, the first in program history, will be looking to build upon a sixth-straight conference tournament championship game appearance while joining a new league, the Mid-American Conference.
GEORGIA SOUTHERN
Georgia Southern men's soccer will host its first official match as a member of the Mid-American Conference, when they host Presbyterian for the second match of the doubleheader. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. from Eagle Field. The Eagles welcome in nine newcomers to the squad in 2021 as they look to improve on a 1-9 finish last season.
