Tiffin Selected As Preseason Favorite in 2011 GLIAC Men’s Soccer Coaches’ Poll

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BAY CITY, Mich. -- The head men’s soccer coaches of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) chose Tiffin University to win the 2011 GLIAC men’s soccer title in preseason balloting.

    In an extremely close vote, the Dragons earned a total of 32 points and three first-place votes, narrowly edging out Ohio Dominican University, which tallied two first-place votes and 31 points.  Tiffin, after finishing third in 2010 GLIAC regular-season play, fell to second-seeded Ohio Dominican in the GLIAC Tournament semi-finals.

    Ashland University, the 2010 GLIAC regular season and tournament champion, finished third in the poll with 28 points and two first-place votes, just four points behind first place Tiffin.

    Northwood University finished fourth in the voting with 22 points.  The Timberwolves ended the 2010 campaign with a 4-5-3 league record and a #4 seed in the conference tournament.

    Saginaw Valley State University is fifth in the poll tallying 16 points.  The Cardinals finished tied for fourth with Northwood in league play and missed out on the GLIAC Tournament due to the conference tiebreaker. 

    Lake Erie College is sixth in the preseason poll with 10 points as the Storm look to improve on their 0-12-0 season from 2010.

    Findlay rounds out the poll in seventh place with eight points and a sixth place finish in 2010.

    GLIAC men’s soccer teams open play on Thursday, Sept. 1 with conference play beginning Friday, Sept. 9.  The 2011 Men’s Soccer Tournament semifinals will be held on Thursday, Nov. 3, while the Tournament final will be held on Saturday, Nov. 5. All three matches are to be held on the campus of the No. 1 seed.

    For more information about GLIAC soccer please visit the GLIAC soccer web page at:  www.gliac.org.

-- The following are previews of all seven GLIAC Men's Soccer teams for the 2011 season --

Ashland University
Head Coach:  Jon Freeman
(Second season, 13-5-3)
2011 Preseason Coaches' Poll Rank:  3rd
 

OVERVIEW:  The AU men’s soccer team won its third straight regular season GLIAC title last year, and for the first time in its history, won the GLIAC Tournament. The Eagles advanced to the NCAA postseason for the third straight year, but fell to Missouri S&T, 3-1. AU is under the direction of second-year head coach Jon Freeman. The Eagles finished last season with a 13-5-3 record and an 8-1-2 mark in the GLIAC.

    The Eagles return a solid back line and a several players up top that should make for a formidable group. AU’s defense surrendered just 24 goals all last season led by goalkeeper Justin Nolan. The junior stopped 64 shots last season and had a 1.16 goals against average – the fifth-best mark in school history. Also returning is 6-foot-4 junior sweeper Jamie Dollar, who helped stabilize the back line in all 21 games last season. He also scored two goals, including one in the Eagles’ lone goal against Missouri S&T in the NCAA playoffs. Former GLIAC Freshman of the Year Mitch Deyhle and senior Bryan McCausland will also enforce the AU defense.

    Offensively, the Eagles will be led by a pair of seniors, Kenny Hewitt – who will captain the Eagles for the second straight year – and Andrew Iden, who will be counted on to generate much of the attack. times. Iden scored four goals a season ago and has 10 in his career.

University of Findlay
Head Coach:  Andy Smyth
(23rd season, 174-187-33)
2011 Preseason Coaches' Poll Rank:  7th 

OVERVIEW:  The University of Findlay men’s soccer team is coming off of a 4-10-3 season and will look to improve in 2011 under the guidance of head coach Andy Smyth, who has amassed a 174-187-33 in 22 years at the helm of the program.

    Senior Corey Keister is the leading goal scorer who is returning as he found the net twice last season while sophomore Alex Oliver returns and is hoping to build on his inaugural season which netted him GLIAC Freshman of the Year honors.

Lake Erie College
Head Coach:  Davie Carmichael
(First season)
2011 Preseason Coaches' Poll Rank:  6th

OVERVIEW:  Lake Erie enters its first season under the leadership of new head coach Davie Carmichael. Carmichael spent the past two years as the programs graduate assistant coach.   Carmichael has revamped the team which finished 1-16-1 overall and 0-12 in the GLIAC a season ago.  The 2011 squad will be dominated by newcomers as there are 24 newcomers joining nine returning members.
      
    The Storm had two players named first team All-GLIAC in 2010 and both will be back with the team in some capacity.  Marco Gaudio, who scored eight of the team’s 14 goals in 2010, is serving the team in a new capacity this season as a student-assistant coach.  Meanwhile, junior goalkeeper Ricky Carriera is back in goal for the Storm after leading the GLIAC and all of Division II in saves (168) and saves per game (9.33) in 2010.  Carreira made twice as many saves as the second place goalie in the GLIAC while his .774 save percentage ranked second in the conference.  The leading returning scorer for Lake Erie is sophomore midfielder Nathan Bias.  As a freshman, Bias netted a pair of goals and was a great force on both ends of the field.

Northwood University
Head Coach:  Doug Carter
(12th season, 69-80-16)
2011 Preseason Coaches' Poll Rank:  4th

OVERVIEW:  The Northwood University men’s soccer program is looking to improve on its 2010 season, which saw the Timberwolves go 7-7-4 overall (4-5-3 in the GLIAC).  NU returns a large core of last year’s team for head coach Doug Carter, who is now in his 12th season as the head coach of the men’s program at Northwood.  Carter has a career men’s record of 69-80-16.  This will be Carter’s first season as exclusively the men’s head coach for the Timberwolves.

    Northwood’s returning players 21 of their 24 goals from the 2010 season. Leading the way for the Timberwolves will be senior Keith Lough.  He was named First Team All-Midwest Region as well as First Team All-GLIAC a year ago.  Lough led the team in goals (seven) and points (16) a year ago.  Also returning for the offensive attack are Mitchell Brent and Chen Tzfania, who combined for eight goals a year ago.  The back line will be led by returners Rorei McKenzie, Matt Miller and Kyle Schoenmaker.  Northwood also features a senior keeper in four-year starter Matt Renouf.  He has posted 13 victories and four shutouts for the Timberwolves.

Ohio Dominican University
Head Coach:  Willy Merrick
(Fourth season, 30-18-7)
2011 Preseason Coaches' Poll Rank:  2nd

OVERVIEW:  Ohio Dominican, the GLIAC regular season and tournament runner-up from a season ago, look to avoid the sophomore slump as the Panthers gear up for their second year at the Division II level. Fourth-year head coach and GLIAC Coach of the Year Willy Merrick ran his career record with ODU to 30-18-7 after guiding the Panthers to a 13-5-2 overall record, including 9-2-1 mark in conference play and an impressive 8-2-1 road record, highlighted by a 2-1 overtime victory at No. 4 Charleston (W. Va.)

    Offensively, ODU returns four of their top five point getters from last year, including senior forward Felix Darko, a 2010 First Team All-GLIAC and NSCAA/Performance Subaru All-Midwest Region honoree. Darko paced the Panthers in goals (8), assists (6), points (22), shots on goal (24) and game-winning goals (4), finishing tied for third in the conference in both goals and points. Other key returners include junior midfielders Justin Wheeler (3 goals, 3 assists, 45 shots, 22 SOG) and Andrew Edler (3 goals, 3 assists, 32 shots, 13 SOG), as well as sophomore defender/midfielder Duncan Campbell (4 goals, 2 assists, .556 SOG%, 2 GW).   

    Overall, the Panthers return six starters and 14 letterwinners from 2010 and welcome in nine newcomers, including transfers Colby Catlett, a midfielder/forward from Cincinnati and Jakob Szabo, a midfielder out of the U.S. Military Academy.

Saginaw Valley State University
Head Coach:  Cale Wassermann
(Second season, 9-6-3)
2011 Preseason Coaches' Poll Rank:  5th

OVERVIEW:  Saginaw Valley finished with a record of 9-6-3 overall and 4-5-3 in the league standings, but will need to capitalize on their energetic youth after graduating two All-GLIAC selections last season. The Cardinals return talented underclassmen from last season, led by junior defender Zach Myers and sophomore forward Noah Sawyer who let the squad in assists and shots. In addition, the Cardinals return lone senior midfielder Andrew Burgeson. SVSU returns one senior and eight juniors this season for second-year head coach Cale Wassermann. Saginaw Valley looks to improve upon its fourth-place finish in last fall’s race for the GLIAC title.

Tiffin University
Head Coach:  Rudy Brownell
(Fifth season, 49-22-3)
2011 Preseason Coaches' Poll Rank:  1st

OVERVIEW:  Tiffin University will be looking for its third GLIAC Tournament Championship in the last four years.  The Dragons are coached by Rudy Brownell who is in his 16th year as a member of the coaching staff, fifth as head.  TU is 49-22-3 under Brownell and return 12 letterwinners, including seven starters.

    Back for his final season is All-America forward Ashton Campbell.  He scored 15 goals with six assists for 36 points and was named GLIAC Offensive Player of the Year for the second time in his career.  An offensive compliment is all-region midfielder Michael O’Neill.  He led the GLIAC with 10 assists, which was seventh best in the country.

    In 2010, Tiffin posted six shutouts while surrendering just 20 goals on the season.  Christopher Hoerle and Nick Kutch return after starting all 18 games.  Kutch was named one of the tri-captains while Hoerle earned all-region honors.