NCCAA DII South Region Men’s Soccer Preseason Report Card

Pensacola Christian College| A+

The PCC Eagles have a lot on the line as the reigning and defending 2019 NCCAA DII National Champions. Every team they face will play like they have nothing to lose and after losing a solid senior core it won’t be easy. With that said, you are probably wondering why they recieved an “A+” grade and this is why: Head Coach Joseph Liwosz. Even when they haven’t had the talent, Coach Liwosz has found a way to make the Eagles a NCCAA Top Ten team each year and already has two national championships in his short three year head coaching career. Even though they will have quite few new faces on the pitch, they can still rely on a solid goalkeeping core to keep them in close games. Their toughest NCCAA match up this year will be Bob Jones University and if they can take on that challenge succesfully, they will once again hear “And your 2020 NCCAA DII Men’s Soccer National Champions…”

Bob Jones University | A

Victor Oladipo and the Bruins have one thing on their mind and that is to beat Pensacola Christian College. With the PCC Eagles being their rivals, it already makes sense why the Bruins really want to get a win over them, but it is much more complicated than that. The Eagles beat the Bruins twice this year with the second time being in the conference championship final. That loss prevented the Bruins from a national tournament bid and there are quite a few players with a bad taste in their mouth. Numbers will not be a problem this year, as they will have enough players for a blue/white scrimmage game that will kick off the season. Coach Hotchkin is now in his second season and won’t be able to play the first year coach card this season, so expect to see an even hungrier Bruins squad this Fall.

Trinity Baptist College | B

They are so close, yet so far… from a conference and national championship, and it has seemed to repeat itself every season since their back to back championship battles (conference and national championship games) with Pensacola Christian College in 2017. They want to see a banner fly once again and it may come sooner than they think after their coach hire. The TBC Eagles bring in goalkeeping specialist Dan Robertson as their new Head Coach. Last year, scoring was the last problem on their mind, but their defensive third seemed to always put them in the losing columns in important games. This team may have a legitimate shot at a national title this season, although only time will tell if Robertson’s style of play will mesh successfully with his new team.

Toccoa Falls College | C+

Head Coach Shezti Heu now enters his fifth season with the Screaming Eagles and with their season win total decreasing each year for the past three years, this may be a contract defining year. Coach Heu may be on the move if he can’t bring the team up to par with other top NCCAA schools, they have continued to bring in talent and they may just be able to produce this season if they are able to improve their defense in the final third. If they can somehow pull a miracle and achieve a winning season, they just might guarantee Coach Heu a sixth season.

Johnson University Florida | D

They have been here before. A lot has happened to this Suns soccer team in the past year. Last year, they got their fifth head coach in four years and for the first time since the beginning of the terrible coaching turnover, they will have the same head coach for two consecutive years. They did lose their recruiting coordinator last year and it is already starting to make a difference. They have a small recruiting class and with travel bans,much of their international talent will not participate this season. Sophomore captain Jorge Miranda will have his work cut out for him with less then five returnees. This will most definitely be a learning year.

Trinity College of Florida | Incomplete

If you don’t participate in the assignment, you get an incomplete grade and that will be the result this year for this young tigers team. Trinity has a new coach at the helm known as Robert Rivers III. He has definitely had his work cut out for him as he joins a program that hasn’t seen a conference tournament appearance in quite some time. Due to COVID-19, the team has decided to take a gap year and will focus on next season. Their future is hopeful, but they definitely won’t be winning any banners this year.