By Alex Boggis, UT Martin Assistant Sports Information Director
BRENTWOOD, Tenn. – The defending Ohio Valley Conference regular season champion University of Tennessee at Martin soccer team was picked to finish second in the annual preseason poll as voted on by the league’s head coaches and sports information director. In additional to the team honors, senior defender Maria Castaldo was tabbed as one of nine OVC Soccer Players to Watch.
OVC Tournament champion SIUE was picked to win the OVC after grabbing 11 first-place votes and 123 points while UT Martin – which won a share of its fifth regular-season title last season – earned seven first-place votes and 119 points to claim the runner-up position. Tennessee Tech picked up 96 points for a third-place predicted finish while Little Rock, one of three new members in the OVC this season, is picked to finish fourth with 72 points. Southeast Missouri earned 71 points for fifth place followed by Morehead State (58), Eastern Illinois (51), Southern Indiana (42) and Lindenwood (16) to round out the poll.
UT Martin won a share of its fifth regular-season title last season after going 6-2 in the OVC and 11-6-1 overall. The Skyhawks earned the top seed in the OVC Tournament and fell to SIUE in the championship match. Three-time OVC Coach of the Year Phil McNamara enters his 13th season as the head coach and boasts a roster which features seven returning starters, seven additional returners and welcomes eight newcomers.
Hailing from Orland Park, Ill., Castaldo is a three-year starter who has excelled since stepping on the pitch at UT Martin. She is a two-time All-OVC first team honoree in 2019 and 2020-21 while also adding an All-Newcomer selection as a freshman. During her career she has started 46 contests while tallying two assists and tabulating 4,275 minutes played. As a key anchor to the defensive unit, she has helped the Skyhawks post 12 shutouts over the past three seasons.
This season marks the 25th season of OVC soccer and the league welcomes three new teams in Lindenwood, Little Rock and Southern Indiana.
The soccer regular season will get underway on August 18 with the OVC Championship taking place at campus sites on October 28 & 30 and Nov. 4 & 6.
UT Martin will officially open its title defense on Sunday, Aug. 21 when playing host to Southeastern Conference foe Kentucky at Skyhawk Field. First touch is slated for 2 p.m.
Graphic courtesy of UT Martin Sports Information