The Mavericks celebrate their 2023 Summit League Tournament Championship in Tulsa, Oklahoma
Omaha Men's Soccer Picked Second in Summit League Preseason Poll
Aug 20, 2024 | General, Men's Soccer
Maverick seniors Klein, Sallah among league players to watch
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. - The Omaha men's soccer team is picked to finish second in the Summit League Preseason Poll and two seniors who led the Mavericks to the NCAA tournament in 2023, Theo Klein and Nathanael Sallah, were named Players to Watch.
Coming off the third NCAA DI postseason berth in the school's history, the Mavericks are one of two teams to receive first place votes in the annual poll of the five league coaches. Denver finished with 16 total points and four first place votes while Omaha totaled 12 points with one first place tally. No other schools earned first place votes.
Donovan Dowling's Mavericks return 14 players from the team that topped Kansas City 2-0 in the Summit League Tournament championship match. They lost 1-0 at Missouri State in the opening round of the NCAA tournament.Â
Klein, a senior from Strasbourg, France, has quickly moved his way up in the Omaha record book. His team-leading eight goals in 2023 moved him into a tie for third in career goals for the Mavericks while his mastery of the penalty kick is unprecedented for Omaha, with six goals in seven PK tries last season.
Sallah, a senior from Hamburg, Germany, came up big when needed the most, named Most Valuable Player in the 2023 Summit League Tournament. For the campaign he posted a 6-5-2 record and ied the all-time season record with six shutouts, finishing the year with 57 saves, a .792 save percentage and a 1.31 GAA. AÂ Summit League Honorable Mention selection, Sallah was a two-time honoree as Summit League Defensive Peak Performer of the Week.Â
Omaha's 2024 campaign officially gets underway this Thursday at 6 p.m. in Rochester, Michigan against the Oakland University Golden Grizzlies.
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Coming off the third NCAA DI postseason berth in the school's history, the Mavericks are one of two teams to receive first place votes in the annual poll of the five league coaches. Denver finished with 16 total points and four first place votes while Omaha totaled 12 points with one first place tally. No other schools earned first place votes.
Donovan Dowling's Mavericks return 14 players from the team that topped Kansas City 2-0 in the Summit League Tournament championship match. They lost 1-0 at Missouri State in the opening round of the NCAA tournament.Â
Klein, a senior from Strasbourg, France, has quickly moved his way up in the Omaha record book. His team-leading eight goals in 2023 moved him into a tie for third in career goals for the Mavericks while his mastery of the penalty kick is unprecedented for Omaha, with six goals in seven PK tries last season.
Sallah, a senior from Hamburg, Germany, came up big when needed the most, named Most Valuable Player in the 2023 Summit League Tournament. For the campaign he posted a 6-5-2 record and ied the all-time season record with six shutouts, finishing the year with 57 saves, a .792 save percentage and a 1.31 GAA. AÂ Summit League Honorable Mention selection, Sallah was a two-time honoree as Summit League Defensive Peak Performer of the Week.Â
Omaha's 2024 campaign officially gets underway this Thursday at 6 p.m. in Rochester, Michigan against the Oakland University Golden Grizzlies.
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| 2024 Summit League Men's Soccer Preseason Coaches' Poll | ||
| School | Points (1st) | 2023 Record (SL) |
| Denver | 16 (4) | 12-3-5 (7-0-1, 22 pts) |
| Omaha | 12 (1) | 8-8-4 (3-3-2, 11 pts |
| Oral Roberts | 11 | 10-4-3 (5-1-2, 17 pts) |
| Kansas City | 7 | 4-8-6 (2-3-3, 9 pts) |
| St. Thomas | 4 | 3-10-3 (1-5-2, 7 pts) |
Players to Watch
Note: Players to Watch nominated by league's head coaches
Denver
Sam Bassett, Sr., MF
Ronan Wynne, Sr., D
Omaha
Theo Klein, Sr., F
Nathanael Sallah, Sr., GK
Oral Roberts
Luis Flores, Sr., F
Schinieder Mimy, Sr., DÂ
Kansas City
Miguel Fernandez, So., MF
Julien Le Bourdoulous, Sr., MF
St. Thomas
Gunnar Busch, Jr., MF
Sydney Kerr, Gr., MF
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Players Mentioned
F
/ Men's Soccer
GK
/ Men's SoccerTuesday, September 01
Wednesday, August 26
Friday, August 21
Tuesday, April 21
