NAPERVILLE – North Park collected five first-place votes from College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) men’s soccer head coaches to earn the top spot in Wednesday’s preseason CCIW poll. Reigning league champ North Central was second.
 
2023 Preseason CCIW Men's Soccer Coaches' Poll

1. North Park (5)	61
2. North Central (4)	59
3. Wheaton	47
4. Carthage	43
5. Carroll	33
6. Elmhurst	30
7. Illinois Wesleyan	27
T8. Augustana	12
T8. Millikin	12

NPU collected 61 total points to claim the top spot in the poll for the fifth consecutive campaign. The Vikings advanced to the CCIW Tournament final and earned an at-large berth to the NCAA Tournament last season. NPU was ranked #22 nationally in the preseason United Soccer Coaches poll released earlier this month.
 
North Central earned the remaining four first-place votes for 59 points. The Cardinals swept the CCIW regular-season and tournament titles for the first time in program history last fall before marching to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. NCC was ranked #20 in the preseason USC rankings.
 
Wheaton, which last season qualified for the CCIW Tournament semifinals for the third time in the previous four seasons, landed third in Wednesday’s announcement. The Thunder were the recipients of 47 points. Fellow 2022 CCIW semifinalist Carthage checked in with 43 points for fourth place in the poll.
 
Carroll (33 points) and Elmhurst (30 points) were chosen fifth and sixth, respectively. The Pioneers’ fifth-place choice marked their highest selection in the preseason CCIW poll in program history.
 
Illinois Wesleyan (27 points) claimed the seventh spot, followed by Augustana and Millikin in an eighth-place deadlock with 12 points apiece. 
 
All nine CCIW teams will be in action when the season officially begins on Friday, Sept. 1. League play begins on the afternoon of Saturday, Sept. 23.