THE 2010 UE MEN'S SOCCER YEARBOOK IS NOW ONLINE AT:
www.gopurpleaces.com/sports/2010/8/16/MSOC_0816105748.aspx
Could this be the year for the University of Evansville men's soccer team to win its first Missouri Valley Conference regular season championship? MVC coaches think so.
Six of the eight coaches chose the Purple Aces to win the 2010 title, making Evansville the solid favorite. UE won the 1996 MVC Tournament championship but has never won an MVC regular season title in its 16 years as a league member. The Aces finished second in 1995 and 1996, and third in 1997, 2007 and 2009.
Under fifth year coach
Mike Jacobs, Evansville has produced four consecutive winning seasons for the first time since 1989 through 1992. Last year's team finished 12-8-1 and reached the finals of the State Farm MVC Tournament. The 12 victories were the most since the 1996 team finished 18-5 and went on to play in the NCAA Tournament.
"We respect the process of the pre-season polls, and appreciate the recognition of peers from the other conference schools," Jacobs said. "Saying that, it will mean a lot more to us if we can sit atop the Missouri Valley Conference at the end of the season as well as in pre-season."
This year's squad is led by three of the top seniors in recent history--midfielder
Robby Lynch, and forwards
Tom Irvin and
Mike Luttrull. Lynch was chosen as UE's Most Valuable Player in 2009, made the all-MVC first team, the all-Midwest Region second team, and earned the William V. Slyker Award as UE's most outstanding male athlete of 2009-10. Irvin was Evansville's top scorer with six goals and eight assists for 20 points, and earned all-MVC second team and all-Midwest Region third team honors. Luttrull was also a second team all-MVC selection, and was chosen as an Academic All-American. Luttrull goes into 2010 with 20 career goals, Irvin has 14 and Lynch 13. Starting forward
Tad Kreamalmeyer, a junior, also returns after tying Irvin and Luttrull for the team lead in goals last season with six.
The entire defense returns intact, led by third team all-Midwest Region central defender
Justin Sass. He and Lynch will serve as team captains this season. The rest of the back four include
Aaron Henkle,
Blake Schneider and
Jarrett Robbins. The goalkeeper is junior
Phil Boerger, who played all but 45 minutes in 2009 and allowed only 1.10 goals per game. UE's 25 goals allowed were the second fewest since 1992.
The Aces' 24-man squad began pre-season training today. They play an exhibition match Friday at Saint Louis University, then host Cincinnati in a friendly on Monday at McCutchan Stadium at 5:00.
MVC MEN'S SOCCER PRE-SEASON COACHES' POLL (1st place votes in parentheses)
1. Evansville (6)...60
2. Missouri State (2)...52
3. Creighton...49
4. Drake...41
5. Bradley...28
6. SIU Edwardsville...24
7. Eastern Illinois...20
8. Central Arkansas...14
PRE-SEASON ALL-MVC TEAM
Tom Irvin, Evansville, F, Sr., 6-3, Collinsville, Ill. (St. Louis U High)
Robby Lynch, Evansville, M, Sr., 6-0, Carmel, Ind. (Carmel)
Mike Luttrull, Evansville, F, Sr., 5-8, Indianapolis, Ind. (Avon)
Dion Acoff, Creighton, F/M, So., 5-9,Upland, Calif. (Damien)
Kyle Deremer, Creighton, D, Sr., 6-0, Omaha, Neb. (Saint Mary’s/Millard North)
Ethan Finlay, Creighton, F/M, Jr., 5-9, Marshfield, Wis. (Marshfield)
Bryan Gaul, Bradley, F/M, Jr., 6-3, Naperville, Ill. (Neuqua Valley)
Matt Kuhn, Drake, M, Sr., 5-11, Raytown, Mo. (Raytown South)
Alex Harrison, Eastern Illinois, F, Sr., 6-3, Newcastle, England (Gosforth)
Paul Paradise, Missouri State, F, Sr., 6-0, Pittsburgh, Pa. (West Virginia/Plum)
Alex Riggs, Missouri State, GK, Sr., 6-4, St. Peters, Mo. (Fort Zumwalt South)
