Midwestern State is predicted to repeat as the Lone Star Conference men’s soccer champion according to the 2024 preseason poll, it was announced on Tuesday (Aug. 27). MSU’s Mere Escobar and Juan Galindo also claimed preseason player of the year honors along with St. Mary’s Johnny Thurbin.
 
The preseason poll and preseason players of the year are voted on by LSC head coaches, sports information directors and media members.
 
MSU totaled 362 points and collected all but one of the 33 possible first-place votes. Head coach Michael Meachum’s Mustangs went 20-1-1 overall and 9-0 in league play last season, winning the LSC regular season and tournament titles. MSU reached the third round of the NCAA Division II Men’s Soccer Championship and finished the year ranked in the top 10 in the nation. MSU has won a record 11 LSC regular season titles (also 2021, 2005-2009, 2001-2003 and 1999) and four conference tourney crowns (also 2022, 2021 and 2019).
 
West Texas A&M was picked as the conference runner-up with 303 points. The Buffs went 7-6-5 overall and 4-3-2 in league play last season. WT swept the LSC regular season and tournament titles in 2020 and also won the regular season four other times (2009, 2007, 2003 and 2000).
 
St. Mary’s was predicted to finish in third place with 275 points and landed the other first-place vote. The Rattlers, who went 8-5-6 overall and 2-2-5 in league play last year, won the LSC title in 2022 and 2019.
 
DBU, which reached the LSC tournament title match last year, was the fourth-place pick with 266 points. Texas A&M International was selected for a fifth-place finish with 211 points, followed by Lubbock Christian (179 points), Oklahoma Christian (174 points), Eastern New Mexico (136 points), UT Tyler (124 points), St. Edward’s (113 points) and new league member Sul Ross State (35 points).
 
Escobar was named Preseason Offensive Player of the Year. The senior forward from Austin, Texas, led the league with 17 goals, six game-winning goals and 13 assists in 2023. He was named the D2CCA Ron Lenz NCAA Division II Player of the Year, earned all-American honors and was voted the LSC’s player and forward of the year.
 
Galindo was named Preseason Defensive Player of the Year. The senior defender from Dripping Springs, Texas, led a unit that allowed just 13 goals and recorded a league-best 12 shutouts.
 
Thurbin was named Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year. The junior from Lingfield, Surrey, England, made 19 saves and recorded two shutouts in five matches.
 
Additionally, 29 players – 11 offensive, 11 defensive, and seven goalkeepers – were selected for the LSC Men’s Soccer Preseason Players to Watch list. The student-athletes were nominated by their member institution.
 
The LSC men’s soccer season begins on Sept. 5. To see the schedule, click here.
 
The six-team LSC Men’s Soccer Championship will be held Nov. 9 (quarterfinals), Nov. 15 (semifinals) and Nov. 17 (final). The top two seeds receive a first-round bye. The quarterfinals will be held on campus, while the semifinals and title match will be hosted by the No. 1 seed.
 
All LSC soccer matches can be viewed live on FloSports.
 
 
2024 LSC MEN’S SOCCER PRESEASON POLL, AWARDS, PLAYERS TO WATCH
 
Preseason Poll

Rank	School	1st	Total
1	Midwestern State	32	362
2	West Texas A&M		303
3	St. Mary’s	1	275
4	DBU		266
5	Texas A&M International		211
6	Lubbock Christian		179
7	Oklahoma Christian		174
8	Eastern New Mexico		136
9	UT Tyler		124
10	St. Edward’s		113
11	Sul Ross State		35

 
Preseason Offensive Player of the Year
Mere Escobar, F, Sr., Midwestern State
 
Preseason Defensive Player of the Year
Juan Galindo, D, Sr., Midwestern State
 
Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year
Johnny Thurbin, GK, Jr., St. Mary’s

Offensive Players to Watch

Name	School	Class	Pos.	Major	Hometown
Peyton Voelker	DBU	Sr.	F	Business Administration	Timnath, Colo.
Nick Huenig	Eastern New Mexico	Sr.	F	Business Administration	Lichtenberg, Germany
Nako Amare	Lubbock Christian	Jr.	F	Info. Systems and Tech.	Botswana
Mere Escobar	Midwestern State	Sr.	F	Business Management	Austin, Texas
Isaias Silva	Oklahoma Christian	Sr.	F	Criminal Justice	Mustang, Okla.
Jommar Reyes	St. Edward’s	Sr.	MF	MBA	San Antonio, Texas
Gael Gallegos	St. Mary's	So.	F	Management	Laredo, Texas
Lewis Coates	Sul Ross State	Jr.	MF	Kinesiology	England
Felipe Garcia	Texas A&M International	Jr.	F	Kinesiology	Dallas, Texas
Julian Smith	UT Tyler	Gr.	F	Health Administration	Indianapolis, Ind.
Matteo Landais	West Texas A&M	Jr.	MF	Sociology	Vitre, France

Defensive Players to Watch

Name	School	Class	Pos.	Major	Hometown
Hunter Dierlam	DBU	Sr.	MF	Communications	Sacramento, Calif.
Kristopher McDonald	Eastern New Mexico	Jr.	D	Undecided	Spanish Town, Jamaica
Alejo Garcia	Lubbock Christian	Sr.	D	Exercise Science	Suances Canabria, Spain
Juan Galindo	Midwestern State	Sr.	D	Accounting	Dripping Springs, Texas
Jorge Blanc	Oklahoma Christian	So.	D	International Business	Santiago, Dominican Republic
Irvin Abarca	St. Edward’s	Sr.	D	Business Administration	Del Valle, Texas
Andrick Ferrer	St. Mary's	Jr.	D	Management	Buffalo, N.Y.
Martin Kjelstad Forø	Sul Ross State	Fr.	D	Business Administration	Norway
Saul Fernandez	Texas A&M International	Sr.	D	Kinesiology	Gijon, Spain
Joseph Musungaie	UT Tyler	Jr.	D	Construction Mngt.	Johannesburg, South Africa
Theo Bennetts	West Texas A&M	Sr.	D	Marketing	Chichester, England

Goalkeepers to Watch

Name	School	Class	Major	Hometown
Catalin Nastuta	Eastern New Mexico	Sr.	Computer Science	Silleda, Spain
Connor Pettigrew	Lubbock Christian	Sr.	Accounting	Frisco, Texas
Pepe Hinterschuster	Oklahoma Christian	Fr.	Business Finance	Neustrelitz, Germany
Johnny Thurbin	St. Mary's	Jr.	Business	Lingfield, Surrey, England
Isaac Poole	Sul Ross State	Sr.	Kinesiology	Boise, Idaho
Alan Johnson	UT Tyler	Gr.	Business Administration	Indianapolis, Ind.
Zach Kos	West Texas A&M	So.	Sports and Exercise Science	Austin, Texas