FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CATAWBA COLLEGE SPORTS INFORMATION
Thursday, August 16, 2012
MEN'S SOCCER VOTED SEVENTH IN SAC PRESEASON POLLROCK HILL, SC -- Tusculum has been selected by the SAC men’s soccer coaches as the preseason favorite to win the 2012 league title, edging both Mars Hill and Anderson. The Catawba Indians were picked seventh and had three players on the preseason All-SAC team. Catawba and Wingate tied for No. 7 in the preseason poll after finishing sixth and eighth in last year’s conference standings, respectively. Catawba had three players selected to the preseason All-SAC First Team, including forward Carson Smith, who finished second in the league in assists in 2011. Joining Smith was midfielder Corey Faughnan, who like Smith had seven goals and seven assists last year, and defender Domhnall Minogue. Tusculum, which received two first-place votes, finished second in the SAC standings last year after going 6-1-2 in the league. The Pioneers’ roster features four members of the 2012 preseason All-SAC Team, including a pair of first-team defenders, Matias Rubio and Fredrik Muren. The duo helped TC allow the third-fewest goals per match in the SAC last season. Just one point behind Tusculum in the preseason poll at No. 2 was Mars Hill, which garnered four first-place votes. After advancing to the second round of the NCAA Soccer Championship in 2011, the Lions have been ranked No. 17 in the preseason NSCAA national poll, and lead the SAC with six selections to the preseason All-Conference Team. Among MHC’s All-SAC selections are first-team forwards Stephen Bivens and Felipe Ferraro, midfielder Alex Mullen and goalkeeper Zac Scott. Scott had the best goals against average of any SAC keeper last season, allowing just 0.65 goals per match. One point behind Mars Hill in the poll was defending SAC regular season and tournament champion Anderson at No. 3. The Trojans, who went a perfect 9-0 in the conference in 2011 and were selected to the NCAA Tournament, received three first-place votes in the preseason poll. AU’s 2012 roster will feature four members of the preseason All-SAC Team, including first-team picks Shu Ogawa (midfielder) and Lukas Hesse (goalkeeper). Lincoln Memorial was fourth in the preseason poll and received one first-place vote. LMU placed four student-athletes on the preseason All-SAC Team – three on the First Team and one on the Second Team – led by the conference’s 2011 Freshman of the Year, forward Mario Pinto. Pinto finished second in the conference last season in both goals and points. 2011 Food Lion SAC Championship runner-up Lenoir-Rhyne was voted No. 5 in the preseason poll, followed by No. 6 Carson-Newman. Three Eagles players were named to the preseason All-SAC Second Team. Completing the poll were No. 9 Newberry and No. 10 Brevard. Two Newberry student-athletes earned spots on the preseason All-SAC Second Team.
SAC Men’s Soccer Preseason All-Conference Team
1. Tusculum, 69 (2)
2. Mars Hill, 68 (4)
3. Anderson, 67 (3)
4. Lincoln Memorial, 62 (1)
5. Lenoir-Rhyne, 44
6. Carson-Newman, 40
7. Catawba, 37
Wingate, 37
9. Newberry, 16
10. Brevard, 10
2012 SAC Preseason Men’s Soccer Team
All-SAC First Team
Forward
Mario Pinto, Lincoln Memorial
Stephen Bivens, Mars Hill
Felipe Ferraro, Mars Hill
Carson Smith, Catawba Midfielder
Shu Ogawa, Anderson
Chris Nash, Lincoln Memorial
Corey Faughnan, Catawba
Alex Mullen, Mars Hill Defender
Callum Home, Lincoln Memorial
Matias Rubio, Tusculum
Domhnall Minogue, Catawba
Fredrik Muren, Tusculum Goalkeeper*
Lukas Hesse, Anderson
Zac Scott, Mars Hill
* Two-way tie for first-team goalkeeper; no second team distinction. All-SAC Second Team
Forward
Leonardo Germiniani, Lincoln Memorial
Tapiwa Munetsi, Anderson
Emmanuel Aboaye, Carson-Newman
Kofi Kufuor, Newberry Midfielder
Roberto Pimentel, Tusculum
Stephen McNeill, Tusculum
Taylor Jolley, Carson-Newman
Adrian Ochoa, Newberry Defender
Evan Preston-Kelly, Carson-Newman
Zak Moss, Anderson
Greg Munn, Mars Hill
Cody Langley, Mars Hill |