BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - It comes as no surprise that defending 2024 regular-season champion University of West Florida is the top pick by the men coaches in the 2025 Gulf South Conference Soccer Preseason Poll. Auburn University Montgomery, the defending 2024 tournament champion, placed second while Lee University was voted No.5 by the 11 other conference coaches.

The Argonauts received (8) first-place votes and 117 total points. The Warhawks garnered (2) firsts and 106 points, edging out Christian Brothers University (2) first place and 105 points.

Mississippi College (81 points) was fourth and the Flames finished with (71 points) and in the fifth slot. The University of West Alabama, Delta State University, Trevecca Nazarene University,University of Montevallo (tied for eighth), The University of Alabama in Huntsville, Spring Hill College and Union University rounded out the voting.

Said Lee head coach Derek Potteiger, "The preseason predictions to me, and most coaches, mean very little. College sports are all about peaking at the right time, and so we cannot concern ourselves with the opinions of others – good or bad. We just have to keep our focus on getting better every day with the ultimate goal of being our best by the end of October. Beyond that, we understand every team in the GSC is capable of beating any other team and so whether we are playing the preseason No.1 team or the preseason No.12, we better be ready to compete and execute."

It was surprising that the coaches did not vote for a single Argo player to the All-GSC Preseason Team. Mississippi College had four listed. Auburn Montgomery and Christian Brother three each while Lee joined West Florida as having individuals left off the 15 men squad.

Ehmann will be missed
Coach Potteiger points out that Marc Ehmann "Was a mainstay for us for the last several seasons and so it is always noticeable when you lose a player of that quality." A three-year starter and captain of the 2024 team, Ehmann was labeled All-GSC and All-South Region.

"I thought the guys did a great job of filling that void, even during this past spring," the coach noted. "Sometimes losing a player like Marc turns into a good thing as other players recognize they have to step up, and we have had guys do that."

Key Players Returning
Without singling out any names, coach Potteiger pointed out that he had a big class of returning players and most of his starters return from last season as well. "What has become very apparent with this group is that they were all aware of how poorly 2024 played out, and none of them want a repeat," he stressed. The final record stood at 4-7-6. The Flames were only outscored 19-17 over the entire 17 games and lost to West Florida 0-1 in their final game (GSC tournament).
"They have been so hungry to redeem that season and redefine what the Lee Men's Soccer product is supposed to look like," Potteiger said. "As a result, it has been rewarding to watch them grow and I am cautiously optimistic about the season ahead of us. We will need some individual players to step up and create some big moments for us. That is needed for any winning team, but I think we have players that can do that for us."

The No Overtime Rule
The Lee coach thinks most college coaches favor the no overtime rule. "In soccer, there are games that you need to get a point for the draw and often the golden goal rule took away that achievement," he allowed. "Beyond that, the potential extra minutes of play became too much, especially playing Friday night and then immediately on Sunday afternoon as well. I do not think college soccer will ever go back to the golden goal rules in the regular season."

Key Recruits or Transfers
The staff found it extremely frustrating when it came to putting the ball in the back of the net last season. Five defeats came by a 0-1 margin. Two ended in a 1-1 tie and two more finished at 0-0. Said the coach, "We struggled scoring goals last season, and it became my regular refrain that we played pretty well but just could not finish when we needed. So of course, this year we spent time improving ourselves in front of goal. We had some fantastic improvement with guys already on the squad but also went out and tried to bring in some players that can help us in that regard. It will be interesting to find out who can help us in that department immediately."

Strongpoints of this Group
"When you have as many older returners as we do, you expect the group to understand what it takes to win in the GSC," Potteiger explained. "We expect this group to be committed to one another by trying to do that on a regular basis. I do hope we are organized, that we compete at an elite level and play for one another in a way that makes us tough opponents to play."

He added, "We know we need to score this year, but we always start with our defending. When you defend well, you are always in every game; but we do know we need to execute in the offensive box. That has been the pursuit since the day the season ended last year, and we will keep working on it with every training session." 

What Will New Assistants Bring?
Coach Potteiger about his new assistant: "Codi (Crippen) has been fantastic already. He knows this area. He knows college soccer, and he knows the process it takes to manage a complete season. Codi has stepped in seamlessly and I am looking forward to fighting through a season with him.

"I have great additional assistants as well in Adam (Christensen) and Ricardo (Jerez). Adam's ability to analyze games and teach through the data is really impressive. The guys know he brings a unique skill set in that way. Ricardo must be one of the top goalkeeper coaches in the entire region and the results are impressive during his one year with us. I am looking forward to the season and collaborating specifically with this staff."

Make Things Right This Season
The coach concluded, "We all had to live through last season and as a whole it was not an enjoyable experience. Our goal is to make things right this season. That happens through every action, every detail and every moment that is under our control. We can say all sorts of things that we hope will happen this year, but we need to live out our goals and expectations every day as the next moment, the next opportunity to get better is the only thing that really matters."