After capturing the Conference Carolinas Tournament title and securing a fourth trip to the NCAA Tournament last season, Francis Marion University was selected as the preseason favorite in the 2025 Conference Carolinas Men's Soccer Preseason Coaches' Poll that was released on Monday morning (Aug. 25).

The Patriots received six of a possible 14 first-place votes and tallied 183 points after lifting their first Conference Carolinas Tournament crown in 2024. The league runner-up Chowan University garnered four first-place nods with 180 points. Young Harris College was slotted third in the preseason poll with 174 points and received the final five first-place votes.

Converse University (167) ranked fourth, followed by Emmanuel University (124), Barton College (122), Lees-McRae College (113), University of Mount Olive (112), Belmont Abbey College (94), North Greenville University (83), Southern Wesleyan University (69), King University (68), Erskine College (37), Ferrum College (25), and Shorter University (24).

Seventh-year Francis Marion head coach Luis Rincon and FMU enter the 2025 campaign receiving votes in the United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division II Top 25 preseason poll. The Patriots welcome back six lettermen, including five starters, from last season's 10-5-7 squad. In 2024, Francis Marion was picked fourth in the league preseason poll before capturing the East Division title and defeating Chowan 1-0 in the Conference Carolinas Championship match.

Leading the returnees is a pair of All-Region selections in graduate student midfielder Mario Buelga and senior defender David Guevara. Buelga, a native of Gijon, Spain, tallied five goals and four assists for the Patriots in 21 matches. He also garnered first-team all-conference honors while earning all-region status from D2CCA and United Soccer Coaches. Guevara returns as the senior leader along the backline after starting 21 games in 2024 and aiding his side to six shutout performances. He received All-Conference Third-Team honors and was voted to the United Soccer Coaches All-Southeast Region Team.

Graduate student Antonio Garda brings additional experience to the midfield after registering six assists in 21 games played with 14 starts.

Senior Ian Milla returns as a goalkeeper for the FMU after delivering a 5-2-1 record with a 0.93 goals-against average and 20 saves in eight starts in 2024.

FMU opens its 2025 season hosting Montevallo on Thursday, Sept. 4, with the match time set for 7 p.m. on Hartzler Field. Conference play begins next week as the Patriots welcome Chowan on Saturday, Sept. 13, in a rematch of the 2024 Conference Carolinas Tournament Championship. Francis Marion will compete in 17 scheduled games, including 10 games on its home pitch.

The 2025 Conference Carolinas Men's Soccer Championship is scheduled to start with preliminary rounds on November 5 and 8 before the semifinals and final will be competed at Truist Soccer Complex at Bryan Park in Browns Summit, North Carolina, on November 13 and 15.