NEW YORK - The Butler men's soccer team was tabbed to finish second in the Midwest Division in the 2023 BIG EAST Preseason Coaches' Poll, as announced by the conference office on Tuesday, August 15. Sophomore Palmer Ault was selected as the 2023 Preseason Offensive Player of the Year and also represents the Bulldogs on the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team.

A member of the 2022 All-BIG EAST First Team and United Soccer Coaches All-East Region First Team, the unanimous BIG EAST Freshman of the Year Ault will once again look to lead the Bulldogs offensive attack in 2023. Starting all 19 matches as a freshman, Ault led the Bulldogs with 26 points, 10 goals and six assists in his first season in Indianapolis. The sophomore forward ranked among the top-10 in multiple BIG EAST categories in 2022, including game-winning goals (1st), goals (2nd), points (3rd), assists (6th), shot accuracy (8th) and shots per game (10th). In the BIG EAST Tournament quarterfinal against Providence, Ault advanced the Bulldogs to the semifinals with a two-goal performance.

In addition to Ault's honor, Georgetown's Kenny Nielsen garnered the preseason Defensive Player of the Year award and Georgetown's Ryan Schewe earned the preseason accolade of Goalkeeper of the Year. A total of 11 student-athletes were named to the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team, including Ault, Nielsen and Schewe. Georgetown leads the way with four individuals on the list, followed by Creighton and Providence with two each. Ault was unanimously voted to the team.

After adding Akron as an affiliate BIG EAST member in November, men's soccer expands the league to 12 teams divided into two divisions. In addition, the league's conference tournament will expand to eight teams for the first time since realignment. This season, No. 8 Creighton was selected by the league's men's soccer coaches to finish as the top team in the Midwest Division, while No. 17 Georgetown was unanimously selected to win the East Division.

In the Midwest Division, 2022 BIG EAST Champion Creighton led the way with 63 points and eight first-place votes. Just two points apart and both receiving two-first place votes, Butler (50 points) edged Akron (48 points) to rank second in the poll. Following Creighton, Butler and Akron, Xavier checks in at fourth with 39 points. Rounding out the rankings, Marquette has been picked fifth with 29 points, while DePaul ranks sixth with 17 points.

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 2023 season gets underway on Thursday, Aug. 24. Conference action begins Friday, Sept. 15.
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BIG EAST Preseason Men's Soccer Coaches' Poll
East Division
(first-place votes)
1. Georgetown (11)         66
2. Providence (1)              56
3. St. John's                        40
4. Seton Hall                      36
5. Connecticut                   24
5. Villanova                        24
Midwest Division
(first-place votes)
1. Creighton (8)                 63
2. Butler (2)                       50
3. Akron (2)                        48
4. DePaul                            39
5. Seton Hall                      29
6. DePaul                            17
 
Preseason BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Year
Palmer Ault, So., F, Butler
 
Preseason BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year
Kenny Nielsen, Sr., D, Georgetown
 
Preseason BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Year
Ryan Schewe, Sr., GK, Georgetown
 
Preseason All-BIG EAST Team
Ryan Schewe, Sr., GK, Georgetown
Kenny Nielsen, Sr., D, Georgetown
Kieran Sargeant, Jr., D, Georgetown
Makel Rasheed, Sr., D, Xavier
Jackson Castro, Jr., M, Creighton
Giorgio Probo, Jr., M, Creighton
Luis Garcia, Grad., M, Providence
Dyson Clapier, So., F, Akron
Palmer Ault, So., F, Butler *
Marlon Tabora, Sr., F, Georgetown
Gevork Diarbian, Sr., F, Providence
*unanimous selection