The Valparaiso men’s soccer team has been chosen to finish in fifth place in the Horizon League standings in 2014, according to preseason polling of the league’s head coaches.

Valpo tallied 38 points in the polling, in which coaches were not allowed to vote for their own teams, to place fifth in the preseason rankings.  The Crusaders return a trio of All-Freshman Team honorees from a season ago – Adrian Graham, Kevin Klett and Omar Lawrence – and will look to a group of ten seniors to lead them into the 2014 campaign.

Exhibition play opens up for the Crusaders this Saturday morning at 11 a.m., as Valpo hosts Lake Forest at Eastgate Field.  The Crusaders will travel to the East Coast for the regular season opener Aug. 29 at North Carolina State.