Macon, Ga. ­ Mercer is once again the favorite to capture the Atlantic Sun Men’s Soccer Championship as the Bears are the leading vote-getter in the 2001 preseason poll as voted on by league head coaches and released by the conference office on Monday.

Mercer, who received five of the eight first place votes (66 points overall), was chosen the league favorite for the second straight season. The Bears return all 11 starters from last season’s team that finished 9-8-2 overall after earning the top-seed in the conference tournament before being upset 1-0 in the tournament’s championship match by Georgia State.

The Georgia State Panthers finished second in the A-Sun Preseason Poll, receiving the other three first place votes while tallying 62 points overall. The Panthers return seven starters from last season’s squad that finished 12-9 overall while winning the conference tournament championship.

Campbell was chosen to finish third with 39 points, just edging Florida Atlantic who finished fourth with 34 points. Stetson placed fifth with 32 points and UCF was selected sixth overall with 26 points. Jacksonville was voted seventh (22 points) while new Atlantic Sun member Belmont (13 points) rounds out the eight team league.

The top four finishers in the regular season will advance to the 2001 Atlantic Sun Men’s Soccer Championship which will be held on November 16-17th in Macon with the winner earning the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA Championships.