Roanoke, Hampden-Sydney Complete Top Three
SALEM, Va. --- Each of the top three teams in
the 2008 ODAC Men's Soccer Preseason Poll received multiple first
place votes from the league's coaches. Virginia Wesleyan
College topped the annual survey with 112 total poll points and
five top selections. Roanoke College, the 2007 ODAC
Tournament champion, garnered 106 points and three high marks while
Hampden-Sydney College sits in third with 101 points and the
remaining trio of first place votes.
Virginia Wesleyan sat atop the 2007 ODAC standings going into the
conference's postseason tournament, but the Marlins exited the
event early at the hands of eventual tourney champion, fourth seed
Roanoke. The Maroons topped Washington and Lee University,
2-0, in the conference championship to pave its way to the NCAA
tournament. The Marlins also earned a trip to the Division
III postseason by virtue of an at-large bid. The two squads
flipped fortunes in NCAA play with Roanoke falling in its first
round matchup with Greensboro, 2-1. Virginia Wesleyan knocked
off Muhlenberg, 3-2, in its opening round contest, and followed
that with a 0-0 draw against Salisbury. The Marlins advanced
to the Round of 16 by winning the penalty kick shootout, 4-2.
The University of Redlands stopped VWC the next weekend, defeating
the Marlins, 3-1.
Virginia Wesleyan (17-4-1 overall, 7-2-0 ODAC in 2007) put three
Marlins on the All-ODAC teams with first team standout and Player
of the Year, Brandon Massie, the lone returner. The junior
striker led the ODAC in all three major offensive categories,
notching 45 points on 18 goals and nine assists. Eight of his
tallies decided the outcome for a Marlins victory. Along with
Massie, VWC welcomes back four of its top six scorers.
Sophomore midfielder Adam Beck was third on the team with 15 points
(5 goals, 5 asst.) while junior Clay Price and sophomore Harrison
Myrdal each notched 10 points.
Roanoke (12-8-1, 6-3-0) was second only to Virginia Wesleyan in
goals scored a season ago (56-to-45). The Maroons must
replace the production of three-time All-ODAC first team choice,
2007 leading scorer and former league top player, Eric
Eversole. To do that, Roanoke welcomes back four double-digit
point scorers in seniors Shaman Douglass (7 goals, 1 asst.) and
Michael Rouhana (3 goals, 6 asst.) and juniors Kayvon Sarmadi (6
goals) and Taylor Johnston (3 goals, 4 asst.). The Maroons
back third is controlled by defensive midfielder Nate Wilson, a
first team selection last season.
Hampden-Sydney (11-6-3, 6-1-2) jumped three spots from the
preseason predictions to earn the second seed going into the 2007
ODAC tournament. Reigning ODAC Coach of the Year, Josh Laux,
welcomes back several standouts including last year's top rookie,
goalkeeper John Robert Plyler. The Charlotte, N.C., native
boasted a 0.96 goals against average in his first season in front
of the Tigers' net. H-SC also returns its top two scorers
from last season in first team midfielder Jason Butler (5 goals, 7
asst.) and second team forward Jason Powell (7 goals, 3 asst.)
The 2008 campaign kicks off on Friday, August 29. The ODAC
Championship is set for Saturday, November 8 at a site to be
determined by the season's outcome.
Listed below is the 2008 ODAC Men's Soccer Preseason Poll.
For more information on men's soccer, visit the ODAC on the
Internet at www.odaconline.com or any of the
school websites.
2008 ODAC Men's Soccer Preseason Poll
(#) Denotes first place votes
1. Virginia Wesleyan |
112 (5) |
2. Roanoke |
106 (3) |
3. Hampden-Sydney |
101 (3) |
4. Lynchburg |
87 |
5. Washington and Lee |
86 |
6. Randolph-Macon |
61 |
7. Eastern Mennonite |
54 |
8. Guilford |
48 |
9. Randolph |
27 |
10. Bridgewater |
25 |
11. Emory & Henry |
19 |