Men’s Soccer lands six Preseason All-SAC selections, stands sixth in poll

ROCK HILL, S.C. – The Catawba Indians were picked to finish sixth in the South Atlantic Conference Preseason Men's Soccer Poll on Tuesday morning. The program also racked up a league-best six Preseason All-SAC representatives highlighted by First Team honoree Salano Birch.

Limestone, the defending SAC champion, was named the favorite as the No. 6 Saints picked up eight first-place votes, narrowly leading 20th-ranked Wingate. Lenoir-Rhyne and Lincoln Memorial were forecasted to take the third and fourth slots, respectively. Coker swiped fifth place while Catawba notched sixth ahead of Anderson and Carson-Newman by just a three-point margin. Tusculum received a first-place vote but wound up ninth while Mars Hill, Newberry, and Emory & Henry rounded out the coaches' poll.

Birch has consistently produced since joining the squad in 2021, booting five goals with an assist each season as the Montego Bay, Jamaica product hopes for a breakout senior year.

After finishing first on the team and third in the SAC with six assists as a newcomer, Juan Pablo Nicoletti was elected to the Second Team. Including his stint at Bethel College, the Uruguayan forward has 19 career goals entering 2024.

Sebastia Cerda-Tous joined Nicoletti on the Second Team following a 15-point campaign that netted his second consecutive All-Conference honor. With 27 points on 12 goals and three helpers, Cerda-Tous is Catawba's active career leader in scoring through just two seasons.

Fifth-year goalkeeper Zak Stiffler also scored a spot on the Second Team as he looks to cement his place in school history. The veteran corralled 63 saves en route to eight wins in 2023 and currently stands on the top 10 list for career goals against average (1.44) and minutes (3,380).

Bautista Vecchi-Ramello earned a placement on the Preseason All-SAC Third Team ahead of his return to the lineup following a one-year hiatus. As a freshman in 2022, Vecchi-Ramello paced the squad with 18 points and finished as a top-five scorer in the SAC, taking home Second Team All-SAC laurels.

Peter Majer completes Catawba's representation on the list with a Third Team pick after an impressive 54-game career at conference foe Lincoln Memorial that featured six strikes and eight assists.

Catawba opens its 2024 campaign on Thursday, Sep. 5 against Montevallo at Frock Field. Conference action begins on Saturday, Sep. 14 when Carson-Newman comes to Salisbury. Both contests are scheduled to kick off at 7:30 p.m.