WASHINGTON - The Georgetown University men's soccer team was picked first in the BIG EAST Conference East Division Preseason Coaches Poll on Monday as the Hoyas were awarded 66 points and 11 first place votes. Additionally, three players earned preseason honors.  Senior captain Maximus Jennings was named the Preseason BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year, and graduate student Marlon Tabora as well as junior Zach Zengue joined Jennings on the Preseason All-BIG EAST squad.
 
Maximus Jennings
Preseason BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year
Preseason All-BIG EAST
Montclair, N.J. / The Hotchkiss School

• Jennings was drafted by Real Salt Lake with the 18th pick in the third round and 76th overall in the 2024 MLS SuperDraft.
• Last season, he started all 19 games for the Hoyas on the backline.
• Jennings scored five goals with one assist for 11 points on the season to rank fifth on the squad.
• On defense, he was on a backline that posted eight shutouts on the season.
• The defender was named the BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Week on 10/9 and earned three nods to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll (9/5, 10/2, 10/30).
• This is his first preseason honor.

Marlon Tabora
Preseason All-BIG EAST (unanimous)
Rockville, Md. / Winston Churchill

• The 2023 BIG EAST Midfielder of the Year and a First Team All-BIG EAST honoree.
• He was a Second Team All-BIG EAST selection as a junior.
• Tabora appeared in 18 games last season with nine starts to his credit.
• He ranked tied for second on the team in scoring with four goals and a team-high eight assists for 16 points on the year as well as two game winners.
• He scored two goals in the win over UConn and tallied multiple assists twice for the season.
• The senior was a two-time BIG EAST Honor Roll selection on 10/2 and 10/9 last year.
• This is his second-career preseason honor on the Hilltop. 

Zach Zengue
Preseason All-BIG EAST
North Oaks, Minn. / Shattuck St. Mary's

• Selected by the Columbus Crew in the second round with the 29th pick and 58th overall.
• He was a Third Team All-BIG EAST honoree in 2023.
• Zengue started all 19 games for the Blue & Gray and ranked tied for second on the team in scoring with five goals and six assists for 16 points on the year.
• He managed two goals against Xavier and tallied an impressive three assists in the victory over UNC Wilmington.
• Zengue earned a spot on the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll on 10/23.
• This is his first-career preseason award.

Preseason Poll

• Following Georgetown was Providence with 55 points and the remaining first-place vote. St. John's checked in at third in the preseason conference coaches' poll with 42 points, followed by UConn with 38. Rounding out the East Division was Seton Hall and Villanova with 28 and 17 points, respectively.
• Akron led the Midwest Division with 62 points and seven first-place votes. Xavier came in second with 56 points as well as four first-place votes, while Creighton rounded out the top three with 50 points and one first-place vote.
• Earlier this month, the Hoyas were selected at No. 16 in the United Soccer Coaches Preseason Poll.

Upcoming Games

• GU will open the season on the road as the Hoyas face Pitt on August 22 and then travel to Maryland for the local matchup on August 25.
• The Maryland kickoff has been changed to 7:30 p.m.