Men's Soccer | 8/23/2016 11:00:00 AM

NEW ORLEANS – Georgia Southern men's soccer junior midfielder Thor Sveinbjornsson has been named to the 2016 Sun Belt Preseason All-Conference Team as the conference office announced the preseason honors and coaches poll Tuesday morning.

The Eagles were chosen to finish fourth in the league behind newcomer Coastal Carolina (first), Hartwick (second) and Georgia State (third). Appalachian State was picked fifth and Howard was chosen sixth to round out the 2016 preseason coaches poll.

Sveinbjornsson, the 2014 Sun Belt Freshman of the Year and 2014 All-Sun Belt Conference First-Team selection, is earning the distinction for the second straight year as he was also named a 2015 Sun Belt Preseason All-Conference selection. As a sophomore in 2015, Sveinbjornsson appeared in 15 of the Eagles' 16 matches, making 13 starts. He recorded one assist on the season and took 17 shots with six being on frame. The year prior, he scored two goals, including the game-winner against Appalachian State on October 25, 2014.

Georgia Southern enters 2016 with a new head coach for the first time in a decade as John Murphy takes over the helm of the program. Murphy and the Eagles face a tough schedule in 2016, including three teams on the National Soccer Coaches of America Association (NSCAA) preseason coaches poll. Those teams include Clemson (third), Coastal Carolina (21^st) and South Carolina (24^th).  The Eagles play all three on the road along with nine other road tilts.

The 2016 season will begin on Friday, August 26 when Georgia Southern travels to Houston, Texas to participate in the Houston Baptist Tournament. GS will play Houston Baptist and the University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley before traveling to the state of Florida for another two road matches.

The first regular-season home match will be on Friday, September 9 when GS takes on James Madison in a 4 p.m. match.


2016 Sun Belt Preseason All-Conference Team
Stephen Chapman (Appalachian State, Senior, Forward)
Frantzdy Pierrot (Coastal Carolina, Junior, Forward)
Rashid Alarape (Georgia State, Junior, Forward)
Louis Dargent (Coastal Carolina, Junior, Midfielder)
Thor Sveinbjornsson (Georgia Southern, Junior, Midfielder)
Jack Donaldson (Hartwick, Senior, Midfielder)
Jamie O'Grady (Hartwick, Senior, Midfielder)
Elis Bjornsson (Coastal Carolina, Senior, Defender)
Einar Einarsson (Coastal Carolina, Senior, Defender)
Kit Tregear (Hartwick, Senior, Defender)
Lenny Wilson (Hartwick, Sophomore, Goalkeeper)

2016 Preseason Co-Offensive Players of the Year
Jamie O'Grady (Hartwick, Senior, Midfielder)
Frantzdy Pierrot (Coastal Carolina, Junior, Forward)

2016 Preseason Defensive Player of the Year
Kit Tregear (Hartwick, Senior, Defender)

2016 Sun Belt Conference Men's Soccer Preseason Poll (First-Place Votes in Parentheses)
1.       Coastal Carolina – 35 points (5)
2.       Hartwick – 31 points (1)
3.       Georgia State – 23 points
4.       Georgia Southern – 17 points
5.       Appalachian State – 14 points
6.       Howard – 6 points


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