Four Yellow Jackets on HCAC Preseason Players to Watch List

GREENWOOD, IND. -- Four Defiance College Yellow Jacket soccer players have earned their way onto the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference Players to Watch List. 

Senior forward Nick Kleptz (Troy) comes off of a junior season where he earned second-team All-HCAC honors. Kleptz's team-high seven goals vaulted him to the top of DC's all-time goal-scoring list with 20 career tallies as he enters his senior campaign.

Junior keeper Clay Musgrave (Upper Sandusky) makes the list after earning honorable mention All-HCAC honors in 2016. Musgrave started 18 games last year, with his 121 saves ranking first in the HCAC in that category.

Midfieler Sean Daley (Lima/Central Catholic) makes the list during his senior sesaon after being a two-time Tom Bohlsen Academic All-HCAC selection, while senior defender Andrew Brown (Englewood/Northmont) used his first season at DC to anchor a defense that averaged just 2.31 goals allowed per game.

The Yellow Jackets were picked to place ninth in the HCAC Preseason Coaches' Poll, as they garnered 31 points, putting them seven points ahead of Bluffton.

Transylvania was picked to win the HCAC title, ranking just three points ahead of Rose-Hulman. Hanover, Mount St. Joseph, and Manchester round out the top five.

Defiance will kick off the 2017 season with the annual Purple and Gold Classic at Winsper-Knobel Field. DC opens their schedule with a matchup against Cincinnati-Clermont on Friday, Sept. 1 at 5 p.m., before beginning HCAC play with a home match on Saturday, Sept. 30 against Franklin (Ind.).