The trip to California will be the only action outside the state of Arizona until the postseason. There are now 11 teams in the Arizona Community College Athletics Conference, so all 20 games on Yavapai's regular-season schedule are conference matches.
The Roughriders, who won the last two NJCAA Division I titles and hold a 33-game unbeaten streak in regular-season and postseason play, lost seven players to Division I programs but have brought in players from seven different states. The freshmen include Nomads product Rodolfo Godinez, a 2009 U.S. Soccer Development Academy Starting XI selection in the under-17/18 age group.
Yavapai '08 players on the move:
Dirk Petersen, UC Irvine
Justin Meram, Michigan
Jeff Bendawald, Ohio State
Evan McNiel, UC Santa Barbara
Chris Hunter, UC Santa Barbara
Sam Hayden, UC Santa Barbara
Ivan Dizdar, Seattle
* Saint Louis University, who have won or shared a record 10 men's national championships, is celebrating its 50th anniversary of men's soccer, and fans have the chance to select a "Billiken Half-Century Team."
Fans may select 22 players and two coaches. If you think that's a lot of selections, consider the choices. Former Billikens include two National Soccer Hall of Famers, three Hermann Trophy winners and 20 U.S. internationals, plus Vedad Ibisevic, who plays for Bosnia, and Dipsy Selolwane, who represents Botswana.
The 24-member roster will be recognized Oct. 3, along with the more than 450 Billiken soccer alumni at that night's game against Clemson at Robert R. Hermann Stadium.
Fans can vote here.
* Wednesday's preseason highlights:
-- Matt Schmitt set up freshman Latif Alashe and Mauro Fuzetti for goals to give Michigan, ranked No. 21 in the Soccer America Preseason Top 25, a 2-1 win over Xavier.
-- J.J. Greer and Andreas Guentner scored first-half goals to give Memphis a 2-0 win over Saint Louis.
-- Defender Patrick Hopkins' goal in the 79th minute gave DePaul a 1-1 tie at Northern Illinois.
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