Official Midwest Conference Preview

http://www.midwestconference.org/MS_PP_09.pdf

Carroll is the pre-season favorite with 6 1st place votes, St Norbert is 2nd with 4 1st place votes.

One correction Noah Davis is not returning at GK for St. Norbert.

RIPON, WIS. --

The 2009 Midwest Conference coaches have spoken,
choosing Carroll University to repeat as MWC champions this season.
2008 Coach of the Year Rick Mobley will direct a roster of MWC notables
who led the league in nearly every statistical category en route to
their first MWC Championship title last season. This season, the Pioneer
roster will be headlined by senior midfielder Craig Carlson, the 2008
Player of the Year, and three other All-MWC picks; senior midfielder
Marc Hieptas, senior forward Andy Prentice and junior defender
Justin Ziegler.

Only one point separated Carroll from St. Norbert in the 2009 Preseason
Coaches Poll. Carroll received six of the ten first-place votes, with the
remaining four going to second place St. Norbert. The Green Knights
return the most All-MWC selections in 2009 with six. Forward Adam
Sanchez is back for his senior campaign after leading the league in
points per game a year ago. Grinnell was an outright third place selection
in this year’s poll followed by Lawrence in fourth. Grinnell will use the
versatility of senior midfileder Alex Exarhos to their advantage as they
push for a MWC title while Lawrence will have two-time All-MWC senior
defender Nico Walker to provide power and leadership on defense.

Three new coaches enter the season with teams poised to compete for
a top five finish. Beloit finished fifth in the poll ahead of first-year head
coach Chris Bergmann’s Lake Forest squad. However, the Buccaneers
and Foresters were only separated by five points. Illinois College
finished as a clear cut seventh, while Monmouth and new head coach
Lance Gordon’s Ripon Red Hawks were seperated by one point as they
finished eighth and ninth, respectively, in the poll.

In his first season of collegiate coaching, Jeff Bernhardt will inherit
a Prairie Fire team that is predicted to finish tenth. However, will use a
Knox roster with a plethora of youth and talent to his advantage as he
looks to bring his past coaching successes to the MWC.

--2009 MWC Men’s Soccer Preseason Coaches Poll--
Rnk Team (1st place votes)
1. Carroll (6)
2. St. Norbert (4)
3. Grinnell
4. Lawrence
5. Beloit
6. Lake Forest
7. Illinois College
8. Monmouth
9. Ripon
10. Knox
Season Previews:

1. Carroll Pioneers 2008 Record: 18-4-0 (9-0-0 MWC)Returning All-MWC 1st Team: 3 2nd Team: 2
Carroll Head coach Rick Mobley won his third-straight and fourth
overall Coach of the Year award after his team swept the league en route
to capturing their first Conference Championship and second ever MWC
Tournament title a year ago. This season, the Pioneers will look to garner
more hardware as favorites in the 2009 Preseason Coaches Poll. The
team returns senior midfielder Craig Carlson, who headed a unit that
led the league in nearly every statistical category including: shots (16.86
spg), points (8.86 ppg), goals (3.05 gpg), assists (2.77 apg), goals against
average (0.94), shutouts (0.45 spg), and corner kicks (6.32 cpg). The 2008
Player of the Year and two-time All-Conference selection finished with
eight goals, seven assists, 23 points, and 39 shots while also going 2-for-2
in penalty kicks. Four other All-MWC picks highlight the Pioneer roster.
1st team selections of midfielder March Hieptas and goalkeeper Stas
Miaskowski are back for their senior season, while 2nd team picks in senior
forward Andy Prentice and junior defender Justin Ziegler provide
Carroll with the talent and experience to defend their 2008 MWC title.

2. St. Norbert Green Knights 2008 Record: 13-6-0 (8-1-0 MWC)Returning All-MWC 1st Team: 1 2nd Team: 5
Despite being young in 2008, the Green Knights finished 8-1-0 in the
MWC, good enough for second place. With a year of solid experience
under their belt, another title and a new tournament streak are not out
of the question for St. Norbert. 1st Team All-WMC forward Adam
Sanchez (16 goals, 3 assists) is back for his senior campaign, while
five 2nd Team All-MWC picks also highlight a decorated roster. Senior
midfielders Donny Baloun (3 goals, 3 assists) and Greg Schmidt and
senior defender Ryan Doucette will look to assist Sanchez as the Green
Knights challenge for the 2009 title. Also adding to the experience and
depth of St. Norbert will be junior defender Aaron Benson and junior
midfielder Eric Natwick (5 goals). Senior goalkeeper Joe Schwartz and
sophomore goalkeeper Noah Davis also return to the field after splitting
time between the posts a year ago.

3. Grinnell Pioneers 2008 Record: 12-6-1 (6-2-1 MWC)Returning All-MWC 1st Team: 2 2nd Team: 1
After finishing third in the MWC and falling just short of a tournament
title last season, Grinnell returns a veteran roster poised to finish in the top
tier, again, in 2009. The Pioneers will be without their leading scorer and
1st Team All-MWC pick Andrew Walsh, who graduated, but return senior
midfielder and 1st team selection Alex Exarhos (2 goals), who will look
to lead the attack. Grinnell’s strength will be in the backfield as All-MWC
defenders JP Prouty (3 goals) and Andrew Mullins return to aid whoever
head coach Brian Jaworski puts between the posts, a job that sophomore
goalkeeper Greg Fox (.857 saves percentage) and junior goalkeeper Ben
Schemper (41 saves, 3 shutouts) shared last season.

4. Lawrence Vikings 2008 Record: 6-12-1 (5-3-1 MWC)
Returning All-MWC 1st Team: 1 2nd Team: ---
Lawrence will be without four senior starters from last year’s squad that
qualified for the 2008 MWC Tournament, but return a talented group of
individuals in every position on the field to help them earn a second consecutive
tournament birth in 2009. Two-time All-MWC senior defender
Nico Walker provides power and leadership on defense, while sophomore
forward Stephen Exarhos (3 goals, 2 assists) will help spark and
provide the offensive threat. The Vikings return sophomore goalkeeper
Andrew Finley, who split time in net a year ago. Midfielder T.J. Frett
(2 goals) also returns for his senior year and adds depth and experience
to the Viking roster.

5. Beloit Buccaneers 2008 Record: 7-8-2 (4-4-1 MWC)
Returning All-MWC 1st Team: 1 2nd Team: ---
Tim Schmiechen’s club just missed qualifying for the 2008 MWC
Tournament after finishing fifth in the league with a record of 4-4-1.
The Buccaneer’s return their top two scorers from a year ago in junior
forward Silas Connelly (7 goals, 5 assists, 19 points) and 1st Team All-
MWC pick senior midfielder Bo Wilkins (5 goals, 6 assists, 16 points)
to help the team make a run for a top four seed in this year’s tournament.
Despite the loss of 2nd Team All-MWC defender Ben Chrischilles
to graduation, Beloit will still have a solid defensive unit as senior
goalkeeper Nathan Lipps (1.62 goals against average, 2 shutouts) will
look to finish his career between the posts behind a line of junior and
sophomore defenders who gained valuable experience a year ago.

6. Lake Forest Foresters 2008 Record: 4-13-1 (3-5- 1 MWC)
Returning All-MWC 1st Team: --- 2nd Team: 1
With 12 sophomores on his roster, first-year head coach Chris Bergmann’s
Lake Forest squad is young, but talented. Sophomore goalkeeper
Trever Pontillo (2.06 gaa) earned 2nd Team All-MWC honors as a
freshman and will most likely return to his post in net, but could split
time with junior goalkeeper Tom Biesiada. The Foresters also return a
pair of sophomore forwards who made huge contributions to the team as
freshmen. Robbie Weis (5 goals, 2 assists) lead the team in scoring and
Nelson Dorvlo (4 goals) was second in scoring a year ago. Sophomore
midfielder Andrew Glass (2 goals, 3 assists) was the team’s assist leader
in 2008 and will look to contribute to the scoring abilities of Weis and
Dorvlo again in 2009, while junior midfielder Kahiye Hassan should
see significant playing time again this season.

7. Illinois College Blueboys 2008 Record: 7-11-0 (3-6-0 MWC)
Returning All-MWC 1st Team: --- 2nd Team: 1
After posting their best season record in seven years, the Illinois College
men’s soccer program is looking to do even more in 2009. The
Blueboy’s are returning all but three players from last season’s team that
finished just two games away from the MWC Tournament. Leading the
way for the Blueboys will be senior forward Travis Wilson (3 goals,
1 assist), three-time All-MWC senior defender Cameron Stuart (2
goals) and junior goalkeeper Kevin Beermann (.648 saves percentage).
Sophomore midfielder Corey Marin (5 goals, 1 assist) returns to the
field after leading the Blueboys in goals a year ago, while leading point
scorer, junior midfielder Matt Oller (4 goals, 8 assists), is back as well.
Senior defender Chris Schulte will also aid the Blueboys defensive
unit. Head coach Shane Taylor will rely on the experience, leadership
and consistent play that these key returners bring to the team as they
push for a tournament birth.
For up-to-date news, scores, standings and stats on all 20 MWC sports visit...
www.MidwestConference.org

8. Monmouth Fighting Scots 2008 Record: 3-12-3 (1-5-3 MWC)
Returning All-MWC 1st Team: --- 2nd Team: 2
George Perry enters his fourth year at Monmouth after losing just two
seniors from last season to graduation. The Fighting Scots expect good
things from no fewer than four seniors, including 2nd Team All-MWC
goalkeeper Owen Robinson (.747 saves percentage) who has been a
steady presence between the pipes, ranking third in school history with
246 career saves. Senior midfielder/defenders Danny Davis and Brian
Jackson along with classmate and midfielder Pat Blazer (1 goal, 1
assist) form the nucleus of a team that showed flashes of supremacy in
2008. 2nd Team All-MWC junior defender Joe Howell (3 goals, 2 assists)
returns as the team’s leading scoring and will look to contribute on
both ends of the field again this season. Perry preaches defense and solid
fundamentals as the keys to success as the Scots begin 2009 with a concrete
foundation. Monmouth brings in a large recruiting class that could
provide the added spark for the Scots to move up the Midwest Conference
standings this season.

9. Ripon Red Hawks 2008 Record: 3-14-1 (1-7-1 MWC)
Returning All-MWC 1st Team: --- 2nd Team: ---
Coach Lance Gordon is in his first season as head coach of the Red
Hawks and inherits a team that doesn’t have a single senior on this year’s
roster, but their youth is a positive as many sophomores and juniors have
already seen significant playing time. Three of those experienced youth
include sophomore forward Marco Rhein (5 goals), sophomore defender
Addison Ransom (1 goal, 1 assist) and junior forward Kevin Cedarholm
(1 goal, 1 assist). Gordon’s coaching style tends to promote offensive
play, which should help Ripon’s top returning goal scorer, Rhein,
become even more successful. Sophomore goalkeeper Bob Bradbury is
the leading candidate to start at goalkeeper after missing all of last season
due to injury, while sophomore defender Jayson Krause should also see
significant playing time after appearing in all 18 games a year ago.

10. Knox Prairie Fire 2008 Record: 5-12-0 (1-8-0 MWC)
Returning All-MWC 1st Team: --- 2nd Team: ---
In his first-year at Knox, head coach Jeff Bernhardt and the Prairie Fire
will return a talented bunch of players. With a roster that is balanced
amongst sophomores who contributed immediately as freshman and
seniors playing in their final season, Knox is poised for success in 2009.
Bernhardt will depend on senior forward Lawrence Povoas (7 goals, 1
assist), the team’s leading scorer from a year ago and senior midfielder
Jeff Wozencraft (4 goals, 1 assist) to lead the offensive attack. The Knox
defense starts with sophomore defender Marcos Moreno, who played
in every game for the Prairie Fire last season. Senior goalkeeper Max
Miller is the only goalkeeper on the roster after the graduation of Cary
Archer and could see some time in net this season.

Hummm No mention of Vanden Avond for St Norbert....

soccerkid wrote:Hummm No mention of Vanden Avond for St Norbert....

Very strange to say the least.

Looks pretty accurate.

Nice to see Illinois College turning the corner a bit. They generally lose any stud players they come across because they realize they are living in Jacksonville Illinois.

3. Grinnell Pioneers 2008 Record: 12-6-1 (6-2-1 MWC)Returning All-MWC 1st Team: 2 2nd Team: 1
After finishing third in the MWC and falling just short of a tournament
title last season...

Just short? Wasn't that more or less a blow out? I mean, it all counts I suppose but the only time the game was close was when the first whistle blew...ten minutes later...it was over.