The University of Akron Athletics
Akron Tabbed to Win BIG EAST Midwest Division as Zips' Budler Earns Preseason Accolades
August 19 | Men's Soccer
NEW YORK – The BIG EAST Conference announced the 2025 Preseason Coaches' Poll and all-conference awards on Tuesday as No. 21 Akron was selected by the league's men's soccer coaches to finish as the top team in the Midwest Division, while No. 25 Georgetown was tabbed to win the East Division.
Over an eight-match conference season, the team with the highest overall conference points will secure the No. 1 seed, while the team in the opposite division with the highest conference point total will secure the No. 2 seed. The remaining two seeds, regardless of division, will be determined by conference points. Semifinal action will get underway on Thursday, Nov. 13, in Boyds, Md.
Georgetown, the 2024 BIG EAST championship winner, topped the East Division preseason poll with 65 points while earning 10 first-place votes. Providence followed suit with 56 points and the remaining two first-place votes. St John's (45), Connecticut (34), Seton Hall (30) and Villanova (16) rounded out the tabulations in the East Division. In the Midwest Division, Akron led the way with 65 points and 10 first-place votes. Just eight points apart and receiving two first-place votes, Creighton (57 points) was followed by Xavier (41), Marquette (34), DePaul (26) and Butler (23).
Akron's Mitch Budler (Omaha, Neb.) was voted BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Year, DePaul's Noeh Hernandez earned preseason Offensive Player of the Year honors and Seton Hall's Agustin Resch garnered the preseason Defensive Player of the Year accolades.
A total of 12 student-athletes were named to the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team, including Akron redshirt senior goalkeeper Mitch Budler (Lincoln, Neb.), who was a unanimois selection.
All-BIG EAST honors and preseason polls were decided by a vote of the league's head coaches, who were not permitted to vote for their own team or players. The 2025 season gets underway on Thursday, Aug. 21. Conference action begins Friday, Sept. 19.
Over an eight-match conference season, the team with the highest overall conference points will secure the No. 1 seed, while the team in the opposite division with the highest conference point total will secure the No. 2 seed. The remaining two seeds, regardless of division, will be determined by conference points. Semifinal action will get underway on Thursday, Nov. 13, in Boyds, Md.
Georgetown, the 2024 BIG EAST championship winner, topped the East Division preseason poll with 65 points while earning 10 first-place votes. Providence followed suit with 56 points and the remaining two first-place votes. St John's (45), Connecticut (34), Seton Hall (30) and Villanova (16) rounded out the tabulations in the East Division. In the Midwest Division, Akron led the way with 65 points and 10 first-place votes. Just eight points apart and receiving two first-place votes, Creighton (57 points) was followed by Xavier (41), Marquette (34), DePaul (26) and Butler (23).
Akron's Mitch Budler (Omaha, Neb.) was voted BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Year, DePaul's Noeh Hernandez earned preseason Offensive Player of the Year honors and Seton Hall's Agustin Resch garnered the preseason Defensive Player of the Year accolades.
A total of 12 student-athletes were named to the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team, including Akron redshirt senior goalkeeper Mitch Budler (Lincoln, Neb.), who was a unanimois selection.
All-BIG EAST honors and preseason polls were decided by a vote of the league's head coaches, who were not permitted to vote for their own team or players. The 2025 season gets underway on Thursday, Aug. 21. Conference action begins Friday, Sept. 19.
Players Mentioned
GK
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