Defending regular season and tournament champion SIUE has been predicted the preseason favorite ahead of the 2024 OVC men's soccer season.
The Cougars, who claimed both championships during the inaugural season of men's soccer in the OVC in 2023, picked up 11 of 16 first-place votes and 95 points in the poll of league head coaches and communications directors. SIUE finished last season 9-0-1 in league play and 16-1-3 overall, with its only loss coming in the NCAA Tournament.
Liberty picked up three first-place votes and 79 points in being tabbed second, followed by UIW (67 points), Lindenwood (66) and HCU (59 points and the final two first-place votes). The poll was rounded out Eastern Illinois (36 points), newcomer Western Illinois (25) and Southern Indiana (21).
This year marks the first for Western Illinois in competing in men's soccer in the OVC. The Leathernecks joined the Conference for all sports on July 1, 2023, but played one final year of men's soccer in the Summit League in 2023.
The top six teams in the standings will qualify for the 2024 OVC Men’s Soccer Championship Tournament, which will take place November 10, 13 & 16 in Edwardsville, Illinois on the campus of SIUE. It marks the second-straight year that the venue has hosted the Championship.
2024 OVC Men's Soccer Predicted Order of Finish
1. SIUE (11 first-place votes) - 95 points
2. Liberty (3) - 79
3. UIW - 67
4. Lindenwood - 66
5. HCU (2) - 59
6. Eastern Illinois - 36
7. Western Illinois - 25
8. Southern Indiana - 21
Teams voted on by league head coaches and communications directors; teams received 7 points for a first-place votes, 6 for a second-place vote, etc.
2024 OVC Men’s Soccer Players to Watch
Sam Eccles (F, Grad., Sheffield, England) - Eastern Illinois
Earned second-team All-OVC honors last season ... Played in all 19 matches, leading EIU in points (11) thanks to four goals and three assists ... Scored a game-winning goal against Lindenwood ... Played 1,378 total minutes.
D'Alessandro Herrera (MF, Jr., Houston, Texas) - HCU
Named 2023 OVC Midfielder of the Year, becoming just third HCU player to earn a player of the year honor (and first since 2010) ... Led team in points, assists, shots, shots on goal, penalties made, penalties taken and game-winning goals ... Scored game-winner in 89th minute against Santa Clara ... Tallied three game winners.
Luke Eberle (MF, Sr., Arnold, Md.) - Liberty
Second-team All-OVC selection in 2023 ... Played a team-high 1,520 minutes a year ago, starting all 18 matches ... Led team with seven goals and 18 points ... Also contributed four assists ... Had two game-winning goals.
John Gates (F, Sr., St. Louis, Mo.) - Lindenwood
Transfer from Loyola Chicago ...Scored three goals and had five assists a season ago ... 15 of his 28 shots were on-goal ... tied for team lead with two game-winning goals.
Nacho Abeal (F/MF, Sr., A Coruña, Spain) - SIUE
Named MVP of 2023 OVC Tournament after scoring all three of SIUE's goals as team won inaugural tournament championship ... For the season was second on the team with five goals and third with 14 points ... Also scored game-winning goal against Eastern Illinois during regular season.
Jaron Frye (F, Jr., Tulsa, Okla.) - Southern Indiana
Did not appear in a match in 2023 after transferring from Northern Oklahoma College ... At NOC he played in 27 games, scoring 11 goals and three assists over two seasons.
Miles Merritt (MF, So., Albuquerque, N.M.) - UIW
Named to 2023 All-OVC second-team and All-OVC Newcomer squad ... Started every match as a true freshman ... Finished year with two goals and three assists ... Key part of a defense that produced four shutouts.
Jimmy Baars (MF, Sr., Kudelstaart, Netherlands ) - Western Illinois
Started in seven of 14 appearances a season ago ... Tallied 590 total minutes during the season ... Attempted nine shots, with a season-most three coming against Eastern Illinois.