NAPERVILLE, Ill. - With the upcoming men's soccer season approaching, the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) has released the preseason coaches poll, with the Firebirds sitting in fourth place with a total of 43 points. 

The Firebirds sit behind North Park, who secured the top ranking with 61 points, followed by North Central (Ill.) with 59 points, and Wheaton (Ill.) who rounded out the top three with 47 points. 

After ending the season with a CCIW semi-final conference tournament appearance, Carthage is poised to maintain this momentum going into the '23 season. 

"I think the poll accurately represents our performance last year. The CCIW is a strong conference with two NCAA tournament teams, so we know every game will be a battle," Carthage men's soccer head coach Paul Leese said. 

In his first year as head coach Leese steered the Firebirds to an overall record of 8-7-5, ending the season with a record of 4-1-3 in CCIW play. 

"Our goal this season is to improve our league position and build a team that our fans can be excited to watch play."

The Firebirds will begin the season on the road by taking on Macalester on Friday, September 1 at 3:30 p.m. in St. Paul, Minn. Shortly after, the Firebirds will host Concordia (Wis.) on Sunday, September 3 at 7 p.m. at Art Keller Field.