Westfield, Mass.— The Vikings of Salem State University are the pre-season pick to win the 2013 Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference Men’s Soccer championship in a vote of the league’s coaches.

Salem State, which claimed the conference regular season title last fall, captured four first place votes for 58 points and top last year’s tournament champion Westfield State’s total of 53 points that included three first place votes. In last season's conference tournament, Westfield State upset top-seeded Salem State to earn a trip to the NCAA tournament.

Landing in third is Framingham State with 49 points, while Bridgewater State and Worcester State follow in fourth and fifth place with 43 and 30 points, respectively. In a tie of sixth with 19 points apiece are Massachusetts Maritime and Fitchburg State. Rounding out the poll is MCLA with 17 points.

The 2013 men's soccer season gets underway the last weekend in August with five of the conference teams in action.