BOSTON, Mass. – Coming off a third straight season advancing to at least the semifinal round of the Commonwealth Coast Conference Tournament, the Wentworth Institute of Technology men's soccer team has been picked to finish third in the CCC Preseason Coaches' Poll.

The Leopards picked up a total of 57 points and were picked to finish behind defending champion Endicott (78 points, seven first-place votes) and 2017 CCC finalist Gordon (72 points, one first-place vote). Western New England (49 points) closed out the top four with 49 points.

Salve Regina (42 points), Roger Williams (41 points), Nichols (28 points), the University of New England (21 points), and Curry (17 points) rounded out the poll.

The Wentworth Institute of Technology men's soccer team is coming off its third straight season of reaching at least the semifinal round of the CCC Tournament. With 18 returning letter winners, sixth-year head coach Connor Erickson and the Leopards should be in the mix for another deep run in the conference tournament. Wentworth returns two of its top four scorers from a season ago, including junior Griffin Price (Allendale, N.J.) who had a team-high 28 points on 13 goals and two assists. Price earned a spot on the CCC First Team All-Conference as a sophomore. Senior Noah Martins (Dartmouth, Mass.) returns to the Leopards after posting 19 points (seven goals, five assists) and earning his second straight All-CCC nod. Sophomore Ryan Firmin (Gorham, Maine) was a solid, two-way midfielder during his rookie campaign while classmate Noah Niles (Saco, Maine) also returns to help anchor the back line. In net, junior Philip Chomicki (Dorchester, Mass.) is coming off a sophomore season which saw him post a 7-2-2 record with a 0.96 goals against average and three shutouts.

The men's soccer schedule gets underway on Friday, Aug. 31 with eight CCC teams starting non-conference play. League play gets underway on Saturday, Sept. 15. This year's conference tournament features a slightly modified format with the top seven teams qualifying. The tournament will begin on Saturday, Oct. 27 with three quarterfinal matches as the top seed will receive a bye. Quarterfinal winners will advance to the semifinals on Wednesday, Oct. 31 followed by the Championship match on Saturday, Nov. 3. The CCC Tournament Champion will earn the conference's automatic qualifier in to the 2018 NCAA Division III Men's Soccer Championship.

Wentworth opens the 2018 slate at Husson on Friday, August 31, and follows a day later (Saturday, September 1) at the University of Maine Farmington. The Leopards' home opener will be on Wednesday, September 5, when they host preseason No. 10 Amherst at 7:00 p.m.

2018 CCC Men's Soccer Preseason Coaches' Poll

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