One day after the program’s first national preseason ranking by Goal.com, the No. 14 FGCU men’s soccer team received more preseason recognition Wednesday being selected the favorite to defend its Atlantic Sun regular season championship in 2011.

In voting by the nine league coaches, the Eagles garnered five first-place votes and topped the preseason poll with 77 points, one point better than East Tennessee State (76) which received the remaining four first-place votes.

In their first year of postseason eligibility following the four-year reclassification period, the Eagles also received five votes as the favorite in the 2011 conference tournament.

“It’s nice to have the program and our players recognized by our A-Sun colleagues,” said fifth-year Eagles coach Bob Butehorn. “The A-Sun is a quality soccer conference which all of us at FGCU intend to represent well in the upcoming year.”

Four FGCU student-athletes landed spots on the All-Conference team led by senior goalkeeper Adam Glick, who was named the frontrunner to claim Defensive Player of the Year honors. This year marks the first time the A-Sun has presented a preseason Defensive Player of the Year.

Junior defenseman Deion Jones joins Glick as two of the league’s four unanimous selections on the All-Conference squad, while senior midfielder Josey Portillo and sophomore forward Ryan Price round out the four FGCU players named to the team.