LIVINGSTON, Ala.-The University of West Alabama Men's Soccer team has been predicted for a second place finish for the Gulf South Conference preseason poll. 

The GSC has divided the conference into two groups, group A and group B. The Tigers are competing in group A along with Union, Christian Brothers, Delta State, and Mississippi College. Group B consists of Auburn Montgomery, Alabama Huntsville, Lee, Montevallo, and Shorter.

MEN'S SOCCER PRESEASON POLL - GROUP A

School                                         Total Points
1. Mississippi College (4)                  16
2. West Alabama    (1)                      12
3. Christian Brothers                         10
4. Union                                             7
5. Delta State                                    5

The head coaches voted in the preseason poll for their own groups. Teams received four points for a first place vote, three for a second place vote, etc. The head coaches were not allowed to vote for their own teams. 

Midfielder Rakim Ali and forward Kyle McLeod are listed as the Tigers top returns, while midfielder Reda Ikarrain and defender Tom Lartigue are listed by the league as top newcomers.

From Tuskegee, Alabama, Ali has made 47 career apparences for the Tigers and has started 38 of those games. McLeod from Montrose, Scotland has made 52 career apparences for the Tigers and has started in 36 games.

Ikarrain is a sophomore from Casablanca, Morocco that transferred from Academie Regionale d'Education et de Formation. Lartigue is a sophomore from Toulouse, France that transferred from Toulouse-Jean Jaurès.

West Alabama opens up the 2021 spring season this Saturday, Feb. 13 against Lee at 4:00 p.m. This match will be played at a neutral site in Huntsville, Alabama and is scheduled as a non-conference game.

In 2019, UWA went 4-8-4 overall and 2-5-4 in GSC play. Last season Lee defeated West Florida and won the GSC Championship with a record of 12-4-5 overall and 5-3-3 in GSC play. 

To stay connected with the UWA men's soccer team, follow @UWAmenssoccer on Instagram. General athletic news, along with game recaps and box scores, can be found at uwaathletics.com. Additional updates and information are available @UWAAthletics on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.