After ending a 26 year championship drought last season, Knox College has been picked to repeat as Midwest Conference men's soccer champion in the Midwest Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll. 

The Prairie Fire received 81 total points and three first-place votes in the poll. St. Norbert University and Carroll University also received three first place votes, foreshadowing a tight race to the championship.

New head soccer coach Tyler Sheikh comes to Knox after leading Illinois College to its first MWC Tournament since 1993. He says the poll ranking is not an automatic signifier of success, but is evidence that Knox is ready for the challenges ahead.

"We are a definite force in the region, but this is the first time in a long time that Knox soccer is the target for other programs," Sheikh said.

Knox has nine starters returning this season, including the 2014 Midwest Conference Offensive and Defensive Players of the year Nathaniel Logie and Charles Edemba. Logie scored a conference-high 13 goals last year while Edemba was an anchor of a defense that only gave up one goal per game. Overall, the Prairie Fire are a young team, with 19 underclassmen and 11 new faces to the program.

"They are a focused group," Sheikh said. "How they cope with the pressure and perform in the big moments, which they did with aplomb last season, will determine if this season comes up short or if we take aim at the NCAA tournament."

The Prairie Fire begin their season against Blackburn College on September 1, followed by the home opener against Concordia University Chicago on September 5.