Messiah College and Manhattanville College have been selected by the leagues head coaches to win their respective conferences, in the preseason poll.
Messiah Favored in Commonwealth Conference Men’s Soccer Preseason Poll
Annville, PA – After winning its seventh NCAA Division III National Championship in the last 10 years, Messiah has once again topped the Commonwealth Conference men’s soccer pre-season poll as the unanimous favorite, earning 49 points and 7 first-place votes. Head coaches are not allowed to vote for their own teams.
The Falcons claimed their third consecutive Commonwealth crown in 2009; defeating Arcadia University by a 4-1 score in the Commonwealth Championship tilt in part of a 15-game winning streak that closed the season.
Messiah returns four of seven all-conference players from last year’s squad, including 2009 Commonwealth Player of the Year and rising senior Geoff Pezon (league-leading 48 points and 18 assists) and Commonwealth Rookie of the Year Josh Wood (conference-best 19 goals). Pezon’s POY honor marked the 15th consecutive season that a Messiah player captured the award.
Fellow all-league performers Nick Thompson (18 goals) and junior Derek Black (five goals, five assists) provide support, while the Falcons will be looking to build on their perfect 7-0 mark in Commonwealth play last season. Head coach Brad McCarty enters his second year at the helm, and 10th overall with the program. McCarty served as former head coach Dave Brandt’s top assistant for eight years, a part of all but one of the Falcons’ golden trophies.
The Falcons open the season hosting Hobart on September 3. The Commonwealth Conference
Tournament begins November 2 with semifinal games on campus at the higher seeds, followed by the
championship game on November 6.
These are the results of the coaches’ poll:
2010 Commonwealth Conference Men’s Soccer Preseason Poll
1. Messiah 49 pts. (7)
2. Elizabethtown 38 pts. (1)
3. Arcadia 37 pts.
4. Lebanon Valley 32 pts.
5. Lycoming 25 pts.
6. Widener 23 pts.
7t. Albright 10 pts.
7t. Alvernia 10 pts.
(#) denotes first place votes
Manhattanville Favored in Freedom Conference Men’s Soccer Preseason Poll
Annville, PA – After securing their first-ever Freedom Conference regular season #1 seed, Manhattanville was selected as the top-team in the 2010 men’s soccer preseason poll as announced by the conference office. Head coaches are not allowed to vote for their own teams.
The Valiants finished last season with a 13-5-1 overall record under Freedom Conference Coach of the Year Didier Orellana, and were unbeaten in all seven conference games (6-0-1). The team returns all five All-Conference honorees from last year, including the 2009 Freedom Player of the Year and NSCAA All-Region member, junior Keston George, as well as fellow All-Region back junior Emil Sjoberg. Senior goalie Jason Torres also returns after tying the program’s single-season shutout record with 11. His eight-game shutout streak also ranks as the eighth-longest in Division III men's history, as Torres blanked his opposition for 803:34 half way through the season.
The Valiants open the season at Richard Stockton on September 1. The Freedom Conference Tournament begins November 2 with semifinal games on campus at the higher seeds, followed by the championship game on November 6.
These are the results of the coaches’ poll:
2010 Freedom Conference Men’s Soccer Preseason Poll
1. Manhattanville 46 pts. (5)
2. Misericordia 41 pts. (2)
3t. DeSales 30 pts.
3t. King’s 30 pts. (1)
5. Wilkes 29 pts.
6. Eastern 28 pts.
7. FDU-Florham 13 pts.
8. Delaware Valley 7 pts.
(#) denotes fist place votes