The Valparaiso men’s soccer team picked up the most first-place votes of any Horizon League team en route to being chosen to finish in third place during the 2012 season, according to preseason polling of the league’s head coaches.  The Crusaders are coming off of their first ever Horizon League regular season championship last year.

Valpo picked up three of the eight first-place votes in the polling, which awarded eight points for a first-place vote down to one point for an eighth-place vote.  Coaches could not vote for their own team.

Wright State topped the polling with 40 points and two first-place nods, with Cleveland State also earning two first-place selections and 39 points.  The Crusaders trailed CSU by just one point, picking up 38 points in all.  UIC and Loyola finished tied for fourth with 29 points apiece, the former gaining the final first-place vote.  Green Bay (24), Milwaukee (18) and Detroit (7) rounded out the polling.

Head coach Mike Avery returns eight players in 2012 which started at least five fixtures a season ago for the regular-season champion Crusader side.  Valpo opens exhibition play on Monday, Aug. 13 at Oakland at 4 p.m. CDT, with a home exhibition contest at Brown Field against the University of Chicago on Sunday, Aug. 19 at 7 p.m.  The regular season commences Friday, Aug. 24 at Michigan State.  Follow the Crusaders throughout their preseason into the 2012 campaign on Twitter - @vumso.