The Valparaiso University men’s soccer team has been predicted to finish in a tie for fourth place in the Horizon League in 2011, as chosen by the league’s nine head coaches and announced by the League office today.

Each of the coaches ranked the teams one through eight, omitting their own squad from the voting.  Teams received eight points for a first-place vote down to one point for an eighth-place vote.

Valpo finished in a three-way tie in the polling with Green Bay and UIC for the fourth spot, as all three squads garnered 33 points.  Butler topped the poll with 60 points, including five first-place mentions, while Cleveland State picked up three first-place votes en route to 53 points.  Milwaukee tallied the remaining first-place nod and totaled 40 points.  Following the three-way tie for the fourth spot, Loyola and Detroit share the seventh spot with 31 points apiece, while Wright State (10 pts.) rounds out the poll.

Valparaiso plays an exhibition match against Oakland on Saturday, Aug. 20 at 7 p.m. on Brown Field before opening the regular season at home six days later, taking on Calumet College on Friday, Aug. 26 at 7:30 p.m.