WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. ? Defending conference champion Monmouth has been selected as the preseason favorite to capture the 2007 Northeast Conference men's soccer championship, according to a poll of league head coaches. The Hawks received seven first place votes to beat out Fairleigh Dickinson, which was picked second and earned three first place votes. Robert Morris took the third spot in the poll, followed by Sacred Heart in fourth and Long Island in fifth. Central Connecticut State and Saint Francis (Pa.) tied for sixth, with Mount St. Mary's, St. Francis (N.Y.) and Quinnipiac rounding out the poll. The NEC will be looking to build upon a strong 2006 season when three teams - Monmouth, Fairleigh Dickinson and Central Connecticut State - earned national rankings at various points in the NSCAA/adidas poll.
“It is wonderful to receive this recognition from your peers,” stated head coach Robert McCourt. “It is a tribute to our players and their commitment to the program. We are fully aware that each NEC match is a battle and we will need to be at our best every match if we are going to be one of the top NEC teams in 2007.”
Monmouth (14-4-3, 7-0-2 NEC) enjoyed a magic carpet ride in 2006 en-route to its second straight NEC regular season crown and first tourament title since 1990. The Hawks posted seven straight shutouts to close out a 13-match unbeaten streak, culminating in a 1-0 win over Saint Francis (Pa.) for the NEC championship that sent the program to the NCAA College Cup for the first time in school history.
Led by two-time NEC Coach of the Year and 2006 NSCAA North Atlantic Region Coach of the Year Robert McCourt, the Hawks are 14-0-5 in their last 19 conference regular season games. Last year, the Hawks ranked as high as #15 in the NSCAA/adidas poll, and sat atop the North Atlantic region poll the last three weeks of the season.
Despite the loss of NEC Player of the Year and third-team All-America Steven Holloway and NEC Defensive Player of the Year Hugh MacDonald, there is no shortage of talent returning for the Hawks. Senior midfielder Tom Gray (Middletown, N.J./Middletown South) was one of 29 players recently named to the 2007 Hermann Trophy Watch List, annually awarded to the top player in the country. A first team All-NEC pick last season, Gray led the NEC with 14 assists and ranked second in the country with .67 assists per game. He also tied for second in the league with 22 points. Senior forward Damon Wilson (Swedesboro, N.J./St. Andrews (Del.)), who scored the lone goal with eight minutes to play in the NEC title win over Saint Francis (Pa.), should be a frequent target of Gray's pinpoint passes. Wilson finished second on the Hawks with five goals and ranked third with 13 points a year ago. Anchoring the defense will be senior goaltender Daniel Schenkel (Campo Verde, Brazil/Virginia Intermont), who allowed just three goals in nine league matches and 10 overall, posted an NEC-best 13 shutouts and ranked fourth in the nation with a 0.46 goals against average.
The Hawks return seven starters from last season's championship squad, including two-year starter and defensive stalwart Angelo Amato (Livingston, N.J./Montclair Kimberly Academy), and welcomes a crop of newcomers that was ranked the 36th best recruiting class in the nation by College Soccer News. Included in this season's incoming class are two NSCAA/adidas All-Americans in Bryan Meredith (Scotch Plains, N.J./Scotch Plains-Fanwood) and Ryan Kinne (Naugatuck, Conn./Naugatuck), the Connecticut Player of the Year. In addition, both Meredith and Kinne were named to the College Soccer News Top 100 Freshmen in 2007.
Monmouth opens its 2007 campaign at the Carolina Nike Classic, as the Hawks face No. 16 North Carolina and No. 3 Wake Forest on August 31 and September 2, respectively, in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
2007 Northeast Conference Men's Soccer
Preseason Coaches Poll (first place votes in parentheses)
1. Monmouth (7)
2. Fairleigh Dickinson (3)
3. Robert Morris
4. Sacred Heart
5. Long Island
6. Central Connecticut State
7. Saint Francis (Pa.)
8. Mount St. Mary's
9. St. Francis (N.Y.)
10. Quinnipiac
