After a historic run to the College Cup only three months ago, the Pitt men’s soccer team is grabbing more attention at the outset of the 2021 season, picked in a poll of ACC coaches as the preseason favorite to win the conference championship.

Pitt (16-4, 9-1 ACC last season) received seven votes as the overall champion. Clemson and North Carolina got three and two votes, respectively. The Panthers received nine votes to win the Coastal Division.

Previously, the Panthers were ranked No. 3 in the nation in the United Soccer Coaches preseason poll, the highest such ranking in school history.

Among the firsts achieved by the Panthers last season was winning the Coastal Division championship and earning trips to the ACC Championship Final and the College Cup, soccer’s version of the Final Four.

Also, junior midfielder Valentin Noel was named to the ACC Watch List. As a sophomore, Noel, a native of The Niort, France, was named a United Soccer Coaches and CollegeSoccerNews First Team All-America, ACC Offensive Player of the Year and a finalist for the prestigious MAC Hermann Trophy. He finished second in the country in goals (14) and third in points (30).

Sixth-year coach Jay Vidovich will lead his team into its final exhibition game Saturday at Maryland. The regular season opens at 8 p.m. Aug. 26 at home against Duquesne. It will be televised by the ACC Network.

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