LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. – Another season brings high expectations for the Georgia Gwinnett College men’s soccer program. The 2019 team is ranked No. 12 in the NAIA Top 25 preseason poll, selected by a nationwide panel of coaches.

GGC is coming off a 12-win season, advancement to the Round of 16 of the 2018 NAIA national tournament and an Association of Independent Institutions championship.

The team, with Head Coach Steve DeCou, will have a match at No. 25 Southeastern University (Fla.) on Oct. 23. Opponents receiving votes in the preseason poll were University of Mobile (Ala.), Thomas University (Ga.) and Huntington University (Ind.).

Junior Toni Tiente earned second NAIA All-America team honors in 2018 after scoring eight goals and a single-season school-record 11 assists.

Other top returnees include senior Sagi Hirsch, who provided 10 assists last season, and junior Matija Gligorovic, who posted an 11-4-1 record as goalkeeper.

The Grizzlies are scheduled to open the season at Grace College (Ind.) on Thursday, Aug. 22, at 7 p.m. in Winona Lake, Ind. The team’s home opener is Aug. 27 against Bryan College (Tenn.) at the Grizzly Soccer Complex.