GS Men's Soccer Picked Third In SBC Poll; Two Eagles Earn Preseason Honors
8/14/2018 12:15:00 PM | Men's Soccer
Javier Carbonell and Aldair Cortes earn preseason All-Conference honors
STATESBORO, Ga. - Georgia Southern men's soccer has been picked to finish third in a preseason poll of the league's coaches, while two Eagles - senior forward Javier Carbonell and sophomore defender Aldair Cortes - were named to the Preseason All-Conference Team with today's preseason release from the Sun Belt Conference.
The Eagles received one first-place vote and 17 points total, placing third among the five teams in the league. Coastal Carolina is the pick to repeat as Sun Belt Conference champions, receiving the other four first-place votes and 24 points total, while Georgia State was picked second, with 18 points. Appalachian State (9 points) and Howard (7 points) round out the poll as they were picked fourth and fifth, respectively.
Individually, two Eagles were named to the 11-person Preseason All-Conference Team. Senior Javier Carbonell was named as one of three preseason All-Conference forwards, while sophomore Aldair Cortes was named as one of three preseason All-Conference defenders. Both players were All-Conference honorees a year ago.
Carbonell was the Sun Belt Conference's Newcomer of the Year in 2017, leading the Sun Belt Conference in total assists (9) while ranking among the Top 10 nationally in assists per match (0.53). A first-team All-Conference honoree, Carbonell also tallied four goals for a team-leading 17 points. The Madrid, Spain, native was a two-time Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Week honoree and also ranked second in the league in total shots (52) and shots per match (3.06).
Cortes, meanwhile, was the Sun Belt Conference's Freshman of the Year in 2017, starting all 18 matches and tallying three goals - including two game-winners. A native of Cairo, Ga., Cortes was a second-team All-Conference honoree and also earned the league's Defensive Player of the Week honor on October 3.
"The best thing about a preseason poll is that it means the season is right around the corner," Georgia Southern Head Coach John Murphy said. "I don't think you can get too caught up in polls. Obviously, it's nice to have Javier and Aldair highlighted, but soccer is a team sport and any success we're going to have this season is going to come collectively. We look forward to playing in an ever more competitive Sun Belt Conference and our very exciting non-league schedule as well."
Click here to view the complete 2018 Sun Belt Conference Men's Soccer Preseason Release.
Georgia Southern finished 9-8-1 in 2017, advancing to the Sun Belt Conference tournament semifinals and earning a No. 10 Southeast Region ranking from the United Soccer Coaches. Carbonell and Cortes highlight the 13 returners from last season's squad.
