WASHINGTON – The Georgetown University men's soccer team was picked first in the BIG EAST Conference Preseason Coaches Poll on Wednesday as the Hoyas were awarded 98 points and eight first place votes. Additionally three players earned preseason honors.  Goalkeeper Giannis Nikopolidis was selected as the BIG EAST Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year, while captains Sean Zawadzki and Dante Polvara joined Nikopolidis on the Preseason All-BIG EAST squad.

Giannis Nikopolidis
Goalkeeper
Athens, Greece / Nea Genia Zirdi

• Nikopolidis was a 2020 First Team All-American and First Team All-East Region selection.
• He was selected the 2020 BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Year for the second-consecutive season and also earned a spot on the BIG EAST First Team.
• Nikopolidis started 12 games with six shutouts in 1,341 minutes in goal.
• He had 26 saves and a 0.61 goals-against average for the 2020 season.
• As a junior, he had a record of 8-2-1 overall.
• Nikopolidis was named the BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Week on 3/15/21 and 4/12/21 as well as earning one nod to the weekly honor roll.
• Nikopolidis is currently ranked fourth on the program's all-time shutout list.
• This is his second preseason honor.

Sean Zawadzki
Midfielder
Olmsted Falls, Ohio / Olmsted Falls

• Zawadzki was named First Team United Soccer Coaches All-East Region and Second Team All-BIG EAST last season.
• The midfielder started all 13 games he appeared in this past spring.
• Zawadzki moved into the backline against St. John's following the departure of All-American Rio Hope-Gund.
• This is his second-career Preseason All-BIG EAST selection.
• He has appeared in 56 career games with 48 starts tallying three goals and two assists.
• Zawadzki was a 2020 captain for the Blue & Gray and was selected again this year.

Dante Polvara
Midfielder
Pleasantville, N.Y. / Brunswick

• Selected as a 2020 United Soccer Coaches First Team All-American, the midfielder was a First Team All-East Region award winner.
• Polvara was a MAC Hermann Trophy semifinalist, the 2020 BIG EAST Midfielder of the Year as well as a First Team All-BIG EAST selection.
• Additionally, he earned team MVP honors in 2020.
• He started all 14 games for the Blue & Gray and led the team in scoring with eight goals and two assists for 18 points.
• Two of his goals were game winners against Seton Hall and at St. John's.
• He was named the BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week on 3/1/21 and also earned two nods to the weekly honor roll this season.
• Polvara has appeared in 38 career games with 21 starts. He has 12 goals, including two game winners, and four assists to his credit for 28 points.
• This is his first-career preseason honor.
• He was selected as a 2021 team captain.

Preseason Poll

• Following Georgetown was Seton Hall with 93 points and the remaining first-place votes. Creighton checked in at third in the preseason conference coaches' poll with 74 points, followed by Providence with 67. Rounding out the top five was Marquette with 64 points.
• The second half of the poll included St. John's with 60 points, Butler in seventh with 55 points, UConn and Xavier tied with 29 points, DePaul with 24 points and Villanova with 12.
• Earlier this month, the Hoyas were selected at No. 5 in the United Soccer Coaches Preseason Poll.

Upcoming Games

• GU will open the season on August 26 at Shaw Field as the squad hosts UC Irvine at 4 p.m.