The Siena Heights men's soccer team was ranked eighth on the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference preseason coaches' poll as announced by the league.

Last year's WHAC regular-season champ, Madonna, tops the poll while the WHAC Tournament champs, Indiana Tech, is No. 2.

The Saints placed eighth in the conference last year with a 6-10-1 overall record and 4-6-1 mark in the WHAC. They fell in the WHAC quarterfinals to Madonna, 5-0.

Gaizka Zandio, SHU's top goalscorer with three last year, comes back along with a pair of players who appeared in all 17 games in 2022: Lewis Crombie and Matheus Marrote. Crombie had two goals and two assists while Marrote added one goal.

Goalkeeper Ricardo Moreno also returns. He led goalies in games and minutes last season, finishing with a 4-4-1 record, 1.38 goals-against average and .737 save percentage.

The Saints will open their season on the road at Huntington on Saturday, Aug. 26, at 3 p.m. That contest will begin a stretch of six consecutive road games before SHU plays its first home game against Spring Arbor on Wednesday, Sept. 20 at 7 p.m.

WHAC preseason poll

1. Madonna 139 (nine first-place votes)
2. Indiana Tech 135 (three first-place votes)
3. Northwestern Ohio 122
4. Aquinas 104
5. Lawrence Tech 93
6. Lourdes 91
7. Michigan-Dearborn 72
8. Siena Heights 53
9. Rochester 44
10. Cornerstone 43
11. Cleary 25
12. Concordia 15