Defending Colonial Athletic Association men’s soccer champion Hofstra was unanimously selected by its opponents’ head coaches as the preseason favorite for the 2022 campaign.

Hofstra, ranked No. 17 in the United Soccer Coaches preseason poll, was selected as the preseason No. 1 pick by all nine opposing CAA programs. Coaches were not permitted to vote for their own team or players in preseason balloting.

Four teams ranked second through fifth – UNCW, Elon, Northeastern, and Drexel – were separated by eight total points in coaches voting with the Dragons receiving a first-place vote. William & Mary ranked sixth in the poll, followed by conference newcomers Monmouth and Stony Brook, with Delaware and Charleston rounding out the 10-team list.

The Pride’s Hendrik Hebbeker was selected as the CAA Preseason Player of the Year as the midfielder from Germany aims to build on a memorable 2021 season. Hebbeker was a MAC Hermann Trophy semifinalist last fall and a second team United Soccer Coaches All-America selection with nine goals and 11 assists for the nation’s most high-powered offense.

Hofstra went 18-2-2 in a stellar campaign last fall that included a CAA Championship in front of the home crowd on Long Island. The Pride advanced to the Round of 16 in the NCAA Tournament after dispatching Lipscomb in Hempstead and rolling to an 8-2 victory over Penn State in the Second Round – tied for the most goals in a single NCAA Tournament match since 1978. Hofstra placed three players – Hebbeker, Ryan Carmichael, and Wessel Speel – on the preseason All-CAA team.

UNCW aims to return to the CAA Championship in 2022 after narrowly missing out on November soccer last fall. The Seahawks, who tallied a win and a draw against ACC competition last fall, welcome back preseason All-CAA honoree Bachir Ndiaye in the midfield.

Elon advanced to its first CAA final in 2021 as the Phoenix played 14 of its 19 contests to a margin of one goal or less with an 8-4-2 mark in those matches. The Phoenix returns two preseason All-CAA selections on the back line in Kasper Lehm and Jannik Videbaek. 

Northeastern recorded its first 10-win season since 2012 and advanced to the CAA semifinals. The Huskies, who recorded 51 assists as a team – good for fifth in CAA history – received 13 of them from Federico Tellez, who earned preseason All-CAA honors along with Timothy Ennin. 

Drexel collected a first-place vote from the coaches this August after making it to the CAA semifinals in 2021. The Dragons, who did not allow more than two goals in regulation in a game last fall, placed Daniel Nesseler and Youri Senden on the preseason All-CAA team.

William & Mary returns to a full schedule in 2022 after being limited to 14 matches – the third-fewest in the nation – in the unique scheduling challenges of 2021. The Tribe, which went 4-4 in CAA play, have preseason All-CAA honorees Alexander Levengood and Diba Nwegbo back for the fall in Williamsburg.

Monmouth joins the CAA after winning two MAAC titles, including a Second Round NCAA Tournament appearance in 2020-21. The Hawks, who appeared in the MAAC semifinals in 2021, earned an honorable mention spot for Ben Zakowski on the CAA preseason list. 

Stony Brook’s entry into the conference follows a 21-year run in the America East that included a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances. The Seawolves, who split a pair of one-goal matches against CAA Championship teams a year ago, earned a CAA honorable mention nod courtesy of Jonas Bickus.

Delaware enters its first season under head coach Tommy McMenemy looking to return to the form of a Blue Hens side that made CAA Championship appearances in 2018 and 2019. Delaware will play 11 home matches in Newark this fall.

Charleston picked up a quartet of non-conference victories against foes from the Carolinas last fall and returns three of its top five scorers. The Cougars will play 11 contests in the Palmetto State after an opening-weekend trip to Alabama.

The CAA men’s soccer season begins on Thursday, August 25, with eight teams in action on the year’s opening night. CAA home games throughout the 2022 season and the CAA Championship, which will begin with first round action on Thursday, November 3, can be seen on FloFC.

2022 CAA MEN’S SOCCER PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH

2022 CAA MEN’S SOCCER PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM

CAA Preseason Player of the Year: Hendrik Hebbeker, Hofstra

Honorable Mention: Jonas Bickus, Sr., F, Stony Brook; Stefan Mason, Sr., M, Hofstra; Gabriel Perrotta, Sr., GK, UNCW; Ben Zakowski, Sr., M, Monmouth