BOSTON – The Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) has released the votes of the league's 10 head men's soccer coaches Tuesday afternoon with the Suffolk University Rams selected seventh. 

Defending conference champion Johnson & Wales was tabbed the 2016 preseason favorite as the Wildcats collected all 10 first-place votes for a unanimous 100 points to headline the poll. Two points separated the runner-up and fourth-place finishers with Saint Joseph's (Maine) sealing second with 75, Mount Ida third at 74 votes and Norwich rounding out the top-four with 73 points. 

Suffolk has been slotted behind Albertus Magnus (66) and Emmanuel (46) in seventh. The Rams, coming off their eighth conference postseason tournament appearance in the last nine seasons , garnered 41 points in the poll finishing ahead of Lasell (35), Rivier (23) and Anna Maria (17). 

Led by senior leadership of Ben Daniels, who was named to the All-GNAC third team in 2015, the Rams look to rebound from a 2-16-1 season. Suffolk will call upon its top returning offensive threat sophomore Jordan Casey, who paced Suffolk in goals (3), assists (4) and points (10) as a freshman in 2015. 

For the second straight season Suffolk opens its slate on the turf of James A. Sartori Stadium at East Boston Memorial Park as the Rams welcome in city rival Newbury Thursday, Sept. 1 for 3:30 p.m. showdown.