NEW ORLEANS – James Madison men’s soccer redshirt senior Luca Erhardt and redshirt junior Rodrigo Robles were both named to the Preseason All-Sun Belt Team, as the Dukes were picked tied at fifth in the coaches poll voted on by the nine head coaches in the league, the Sun Belt Conference announced on Monday afternoon.
West Virginia, ranked sixth in the nation in the Preseason United Soccer Coaches National Rankings for Division I, earned five first-place votes and are picked to win the league. Marshall, the preseason no. 14 team, was second with three first-place votes and was followed by Kentucky, the preseason No. 8, who earned one-first place vote.
South Carolina was picked fourth, with JMU and Coastal Carolina tied for fifth and Georgia State, Old Dominion and Georgia Southern rounding out the poll.
Erhardt was selected to the preseason team as a forward, as he is the top goal scorer returning to the new Sun Belt men’s soccer league. He led the Dukes last season in goals (nine) and points (19), while earning First Team All-CAA and All-State honors. The Offenbach, Germany native became the first Duke a season ago to score back-to-back multi-goal matches since CJ Sapong in 2010.
Robles earned the preseason nod as a midfielder, returning as the top assister in the league. The Burgos, Spain native led the Dukes in assists with eight, adding a goal for 10 points overall which claimed second on the team last year. He earned Second Team All-CAA and All-State honors, with the eight assists being the most a Duke has recorded in a single season since Christian McLaughlin in 2011.
The Dukes begin the season on Thursday, Aug. 25 as they welcome Binghamton to Sentara Park for a 7:30 pm kickoff in the first day of the Fairfield by Marriott Invitational.
2022 Sun Belt Men’s Soccer Preseason Poll
West Virginia – 75 (5)
Marshall – 72 (3)
Kentucky – 69 (1)
South Carolina – 41
Coastal Carolina – 39
James Madison – 39
Georgia State – 35
Old Dominion – 20
Georgia Southern – 15
2022 Sun Belt Men’s Soccer Preseason Awards
Preseason Offensive Player of the Year: Eythor Bjorgolfsson, Kentucky
Preseason Defensive Player of the Year: Luis Grassow, Kentucky
2022 Men’s Soccer Preseason All-Sun Belt Team
F – Alvaro Garcia-Pascual, Coastal Carolina
F – Luca ErhardtJames Madison
F – Eythor Bjorgolfsson, Kentucky
F – Milo Yosef, Marshall
MF – Ross Finnie, Georgia State
MF – Rodrigo RoblesJames Madison
MF – Vinicius Fernandes, Marshall
D – Luis Grassow, Kentucky
D – Robert Screen, Kentucky
D – Gabriel Alves, Marshall
D – Bjarne Thiesen, West Virginia
GK – Oliver Semmel, Marshall
*- Team expanded due to ties in voting