College Sports

The University of Texas at Tyler men's soccer team has been picked to finish the 2008 American Southwest Conference season in second place, according to the annual preseason poll released by the league on Tuesday.

The Patriots received 345 points and nine of a possible 28 first-place votes in a poll of the league's head coaches and sports information directors.

Edging out UT Tyler was defending ASC Champion Texas-Dallas. The Comets, who eliminated the Patriots for the ASC Tournament last season, received 361 points and 13 first-place votes.

Coming in third was the 2007 ASC regular season champion, Ozarks, with 332 points. Rounding out what would be the field for this year's ASC Tournament was Mississippi College, Hardin-Simmons and Mary Hardin-Baylor in fourth through sixth places, respectively.

Closing out the top ten was Texas Lutheran in seventh, East Texas Baptist in eighth, Schreiner in ninth and LeTourneau in tenth.

McMurry, Howard Payne, Concordia (Tex.) and Louisiana College finished out the poll in eleventh through fourteenth place respectively.

Taking the two individual preseason honors were UT Dallas' Kevin White on offense and Ozarks' Brian Sarber on defense.

White, the reigning ASC Offensive Player of the Year, led the ASC in points last season with 18 goals and eight assists for 44 points.

Sarber, the 2007 ASC Defensive Player of the Year, posted seven shutouts in goal last season and had a save percentage of .869, both tops in the league.

The Patriots unofficially kicked off their 2008 season on Monday night in an exhibition with Division I Centenary (La.). UT Tyler fell in double overtime, 1-0.

The Patriots will start their season officially with a doubleheader on Friday and Saturday in Georgetown, Texas. UT Tyler will take on host Southwestern (Tex.) on Friday at 5 p.m., followed by 2007 National Runner-Up Trinity (Tex.) on Saturday at 3 p.m.