Akio Also Honored; UTRGV Picked to Finish Second
Texas Border Business
EDINBURG – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) men’s soccer team learned on Wednesday that senior forward Kyle Edwards is the WAC Preseason Player of the Year and a Preseason All-WAC selection along with senior forward William Akio, as voted on by the WAC 12 head coaches.
Additionally, UTRGV finished second in the WAC Preseason Coaches’ Poll while earning two first place votes.
Edwards led the team last season in goals (14), points (33), shots (64), and shots on goal (29). Edwards’ 14 goals were the second most in a single season in Division I program history as he also finished first in the WAC in points and second in the WAC in goals scored on his way to All-WAC First Team honors.
Edwards was recently named to the MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List. He is one of 36 players on the watch list and the only WAC representative.
Akio led the team with 10 assists last season, which is tied for the most in a single season in Division I program history, while also adding five goals and 20 points. Akio earned All-WAC Second Team after finishing second in the WAC in assists and game-winning goals (4), sixth in points and seventh in points per game (1.05).
UTRGV earned 104 points in the poll, finishing eight points behind Seattle U, which was picked as the favorite in the poll with 112 points and five first place votes.
Air Force and Grand Canyon tied for third in the poll with 88 points with UNLV coming in fifth with 87 points. San Jose State garnered 77 points to come in sixth followed by Utah Valley in seventh with 75 points.
California Baptist earned 49 points to come in eighth in the poll followed by CSU Bakersfield in ninth with 37 points. Houston Baptist and Kansas City finished tied for 10th with 27 points each and Incarnate Word came in 12thwith 20 points.
UTRGV opens the season on September 1 in a neutral site match against Wofford at 7 p.m. in Houston.
2019 Pre-Season Men’s Soccer Coaches Poll
| Rank | Team (First Place Votes) | Points |
| 1. | Seattle U (5) | 112 |
| 2. | UTRGV (2) | 104 |
| T3. | Air Force (3) | 88 |
| T3. | Grand Canyon | 88 |
| 5. | UNLV | 87 |
| 6. | San Jose State (1) | 77 |
| 7. | Utah Valley | 75 |
| 8. | California Baptist | 49 |
| 9. | CSU Bakersfield | 37 |
| T10. | Houston Baptist | 27 |
| T10. | Kansas City | 27 |
| 12. | UIW | 20 |
2019 Preseason All-WAC Team
William Akio, Sr., F, UTRGV
Kyle Edwards, Sr., F, UTRGV
Marco Gonzalez, Jr., F, UNLV
Declan McGlynn, So., F, Seattle U
Max Allen, Jr., MF, San Jose State
Julian Avila-Good, Sr., MF, Seattle U
Timo Mehlich, Sr., MF, UNLV
Tyler Allen, Sr., D, UNLV
Nick Blessing, Sr., D, Air Force
Thomas Mickoski, Sr., D, Seattle U
George Tasouris, So., GK, Grand Canyon
Preseason Offensive Player of the Year
Kyle Edwards, UTRGV
Preseason Defensive Player of the Year
George Tasouris, GCU
 men’s soccer team learned on Wednesday that senior forward Kyle Edwards is the WAC Preseason Player of the Year and a Preseason All-WAC selection along with senior forward William Akio, as voted on by the WAC 12 head coaches.){kind=link}