The Martin Luther College men's soccer team has been selected to finish eighth this season. The Knights went 5-9 in UMAC play a year ago and 6-12 overall.  First year co-coaches Nicolas Schmoller and Tim Grundmeier return eight starters from last year's squad, but their roster includes seventeen incoming first-year players who look to add to the team's depth.  Lucas Martin and Xander Heiman both return for Martin Luther after being selected to the UMAC All-Conference Second Team. Martin has seventeen career goals, thirteen career assists, and was fourth in goals scored in UMAC play in 2021. Heiman has eleven career goals and was third in game winning goals in UMAC play last season. The Knights also return senior defender Caleb Hengst, a four-year starter, who was All-UMAC Honorable Mention in 2020.

Finishing ahead of the Knights in the preseason poll were: UW Superior, seeking a fifth straight championship; Bethany Lutheran, last year's regular season co-champ; Northland, Northwestern, UM-Morris, Crown, and North Central.  

The Knights open their season at Maranatha Baptist University in Watertown, WI, on Saturday, September 3, at 4 p.m and then return home on Monday, September 5, to host Viterbo College in a 2 p.m. match.

View entire UMAC preseason soccer poll here.