Men's Soccer News
Expectations high for Centre men's soccer team in 2007
Following a season in which the Centre College men's soccer team won 10 or more games for the fifth consecutive season, expectations are high once again as the Colonels return 11 seniors to a team that just missed qualifying for the NCAA Division III Tournament in 2006.
Head coach Jeb Burch returns 25 letter winners, including eight starters from last year's squad, which went 12-4 overall and 6-3 in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC).
The Colonels, however, will have to replace two of top three point scorers from a year ago. Derek Roberts, a third team all-SCAC selection and David Horne, a 1st team all-SCAC selection and 1st team all-region pick, graduated after tallying 16 points apiece in 2006.
Although Horne will not return as a player in 2007, he will still play a major role in the Colonels upcoming season. The Louisville, Ky. native returns as Burch's top assistant coach after spending the summer playing professionally with the USL D2 Cincinnati, Kings.
Centre will once again rely on its defense to control matches this season. For the second straight year Centre allowed the least goals (14) by any SCAC team and was second in the league in goals against average (0.88).
Senior Chris Creger (Mt. Pleasant, S.C.) returns for his fourth season in goal for Centre. Creger started all 16 matches in 2006 and allowed only 13 goals all season while recording seven shutouts. For his efforts, he was named to the all-SCAC third team last season.
Another top defensive player returning in 2007 is junior Adam Boyer (Louisville, Ky.) Boyer was selected to the all-region third team last year after helping the Colonels continue to rank near the top of the conference in team defense.
Offensively, Centre will be led by senior Nick Judah (Louisville, Ky.) and junior Chris Baumann (Louisville, Ky.). Judah was a second team all-SCAC selection and a second team all-region pick in 2006 after leading the Colonels with 11 goals and 23 total points. Baumann returns as the team's top play maker after posting six assists and being named to the all-region third team last year.
With a wealth of experience returning, the Colonels will look to leave no doubt as to whether they belong in the NCAA Tournament in 2007. Centre will open its season Friday, Aug. 31, when it hosts Ohio Northern University. The Colonels have won its season-opening match six straight years, but will have their work cut out for them against the Polar Bears, who will enter the contest ranked #21 in the country. Start time is set for 7:30 p.m. in Danville, Ky.
|
