CCC RELEASE

BEVERLY, Mass. – Following a runner-up finish in the Commonwealth Coast Conference a year ago, the league's nine head coaches have predicted Suffolk men's soccer to finish third per the Preseason Coaches Poll, the conference office announced Wednesday. 

The Rams scooped up 63 points with one first place vote to take third, the highest preseason prediction for the blue-and-gold during its tenure in the CCC, which dates back to 2021. 

Overall, Suffolk has never been voted to take third in a league preseason poll, according to the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC)'s record book, which date through the 2008 campaign. The third-place selection marks the highest preseason forecast for the Rams since 2011 when the GNAC coaches chose Suffolk's squad to place second. The first-place nod, meanwhile, is a first for the Rams in the record books as well. The first-place pick, meanwhile, marks a first for Suffolk as a member of the CCC and second-ever as the squad received one first-place vote while members of the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) in 2014. 

Suffolk's third-place projection comes after Bill Maddock's team finished as the 2022 CCC Runner-Up, after it fell to 2023 CCC Preseason favorite Roger Williams in the title tilt, 2-1. The Hawks earned four first place picks for 76 points to claim the top spot. Endicott came between RWU and Suffolk in second as the Gulls garnered four first place votes of their own to finish with 74 points. 

Western New England (50), Gordon (38), Nichols (36), Curry (29), Wentworth (26) and the University of New England (13) rounded out the 2023 CCC Men's Soccer Preseason Rankings in that order. 

Maddock welcomes back 28 Rams from last season's 10-6-5 overall team highlighted by United Soccer Coaches all-region honoree Brady Sorensen, who led Suffolk's 39-goal offense a year ago with six goals and three assists. Sorensen is one of five 2022 All-CCC performers back in blue-and-gold with Jack Phelps, Xander Balog (1.23 GAA, .790 save percentage, nine shutouts), Tommy Handelsman (2g, 6a) and Carter Van Buskirk (5g, 4a) returning to the fold as well.  

Ten newcomers have joined Suffolk's squad to help push the Rams to championship status this year, which gets underway Friday, Sept. 1 at Emmanuel at 2 p.m., with the home opener at East Boston Memorial Park's James A. Sartori Stadium the following day, Saturday, Sept. 2 versus Salem State at 1 p.m. 

2023 CCC Men's Soccer Preseason Coaches' Poll