Detroit draws top spot in League men's soccer poll
Aug. 16, 2006
Complete Release in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
INDIANAPOLIS -- Last fall, the University of Detroit Mercy men's soccer team ended the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's four-year run as Horizon League regular-season champion. UDM could end another Panther streak in 2006, according to the results of the League's preseason poll released Wednesday (August 16).
The Titans took the top spot in the canvass of the League's eight head coaches, as three sideline bosses forecasted the Titans as League champions in 2006. UDM collected a total of 44 points, while UW-Milwaukee---winners of the last four League Championship tournaments---finished second with 43 points and three first-place nods. The University of Illinois at Chicago drew the final two first-place votes among its 41-point total.
The middle of the pack was just as close, with the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay standing fourth with 25 points, just ahead of Wright State University (23), Butler University (21) and Loyola University Chicago (20). Cleveland State University rounded out the poll with seven points.
Detroit finished atop the League standings for the first time since 1995, posting a 6-1-0 loop mark as part of its 12-6-2 overall ledger last fall. The Titans look to avenge a 1-0 loss to UWM in the 2005 League title match but must replace five starters including the League's Player of the Year in Andrew Ornoch (ten goals, five assists). UDM coach Morris Lupenec will rely heavily on a defensive effort led by the League Defensive Player of the Year in senior backliner Jason Massoglia (eight goals) and the Goalkeeper of the Year, junior Sasha Boskovic (1.06 goals-against average, seven shutouts). Senior midfielder Vahid Assadpour added four goals and a League-best ten assists last season.
UW-Milwaukee's 14-4-5 record featured a 2-0 victory over Bradley University in the opening round of the 2005 NCAA Championship before the Panthers were eliminated in penalty kicks by eventual national runner-up New Mexico. The Panthers (4-2-1 in the League) allowed only four goals in loop play and sophomore Grant Fernstrum returns after leading the nation with a 0.47 GAA a year ago. New Panther coach Jon Coleman has nine starters returning, including First-Team All-League honoree Steve Bode (five goals) plus senior defender Craig Mallace (four goals and ten assists) and senior forward Steve Sperl (six goals plus four helpers).
UIC toppled a pair of top-25 teams on the way to a 10-5-2 mark last fall, posting the nation's sixth-best turnaround. The Flames matched UW-Milwaukee with a 4-2-1 loop ledger and feature an explosive attack with three First-Team All-League choices back for 2006. Senior forward Tonci Skroce hit the net eight times and added three assists a year ago, while junior midfielder Pavle Dundjer was third in the League with 22 points (seven goals and eight assists). Junior midfielder Cesar Zambrano rounded out the All-League trio with four goals and four helpers.
UW-Green Bay (9-10-0, 3-4-0) has the League's top returning scorer in senior forward Joshua Okoampa, who posted a circuit-best ten goals along with two assists to earn First-Team All-League recognition in 2005. Sophomore forward Tosaint Ricketts (four goals plus one assist) and junior midfielder Glenn Herzog (two goals along with three assists) provide scoring support, while sophomore Adam Stikl and junior Josh Loyd battle for the top spot in goal.
Wright State (10-10-0, 4-3-0) endured a roller-coaster season in 2005, recording two four-match winning streaks around a four-match skid at mid-year. Senior midfielder Tony Labudovski paces the WSU attack, registering nine goals and two assists for a 20-point total which was fifth-best in the League a year ago, while sophomore forward Josh Grossman added five markers and three assists.
Butler won nine of its first 11 matches last season---including 1-0 triumphs at Ohio State and at Bradley---but was beset by injuries at mid-season. The Bulldogs' depleted roster led to an eight-match losing streak which left BU at 9-10-0 overall (2-5-0 in the League). Sophomore forward Eduardo Garcia (four goals and two assists) joins senior forward John DeVae (three goals and two helpers) to pace the BU attack in front of senior goalkeeper Frank Peabody, who posted six shutouts and a 0.73 GAA in 11 appearances despite missing three weeks with a mid-season elbow injury.
Loyola (7-9-2, 4-3-0) returns its top three scorers from last year's team, led by the League Newcomer of the Year in midfielder Keum Sung Kim. His 17 points (six goals and five assists) as a freshman were ninth on the League scoring charts a year ago and earned First-Team All-League recognition. Senior forward Matt Marek and senior midfielder Javier Lopez each added four goals for the Ramblers.
Ali Kazemaini returns to the Cleveland State campus where he earned All-America honors as a player in 1983. His latest task is to resurrect a Viking program which finished 0-17-1 overall (0-7-0 in the League) and was outscored 65-17 last season. The new CSU leader will look to sophomore forward Nenad Stojkovic (five goals and one assist) and sophomore defender Steve Trapp (two goals plus four assists) to take larger roles in 2006.
The season opens Friday, August 25, with seven of the eight teams in action. Cleveland State hosts UW-Green Bay to begin League play on Saturday, September 9.
The top four seeds earn home-field advantage for the quarterfinals of the Horizon League Championship on Saturday, October 28, with the highest-seeded team remaining earning the right to host the remainder of the tournament. Semifinals are slated for Friday, November 3, and the League's automatic berth in the 2006 NCAA Championship goes to the winner of Sunday's (November 5) title match. If the same institution hosts both the men's and women's soccer semifinals and championships, however, the men's tournament would move to Thursday and Saturday, November 2 and 4.
2006 Horizon League Preseason Men's Soccer Poll 1. Detroit (three first-place votes) -- 44 points2. UW-Milwaukee (3) -- 43 points3. UIC (2) -- 41 points4. UW-Green Bay -- 25 points5. Wright State -- 23 points6. Butler -- 21 points7. Loyola -- 20 points8. Cleveland State -- 7 points
NOTE: The League's eight head coaches vote in this poll. Teams received seven points for a first-place vote, six points for a second-place vote, etc. The head coaches were not allowed to vote for their own squads.
2005 Horizon League StandingsSchool -- League * Overall (Championship Result)1. Detroit -- 6-1-0 * 12-6-2 (runner-up)2. UW-Milwaukee -- 4-2-1 * 14-4-5 (won championship)2. UIC -- 4-2-1 * 10-5-2 (lost in quarterfinals)4. Wright State -- 4-3-0 * 10-10-0 (lost in semifinals)4. Loyola -- 4-3-0 * 7-9-2 (lost in quarterfinals)6. UW-Green Bay -- 3-4-0 * 9-10-0 (lost in semifinals)7. Butler -- 2-5-0 * 9-10-0 (lost in quarterfinals)8. Cleveland State -- 0-7-0 * 0-17-1 (lost in quarterfinals)
