Soccer America continues its countdown the 2006 college season, which starts Friday for men and women, with a look at rest of the 2006 NCAA Division I men's conferences.
(Yesterday's
conference previews:
ACC-Conference USA.)
HORIZON Defending Champion: Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Preseason Poll: 1. Detroit, 2. Wisconsin-Milwaukee (No. 24 in Soccer America Preseason
Top 25), 3. UIC.
Players to Watch: Wisconsin-Milwaukee keeper
Grant Fernstrum had 10 shutouts and led the nation
with a 0.47 goals-against average as a freshman. Detroit midfielder
Vahid Assadpour had a Horizon-high 10 assists in 2005. UIC forward
Tonci Skroce scored three golden goals a year ago.
Composite Horizon Schedule
IVY LEAGUE Defending Champions: Brown, Dartmouth Yale.
Preseason
Poll: None.
Players to Watch: Harvard's
Charles Altcheck (11
goals) was named 2005 Ivy League Player of the Year as a junior. Yale's
Alex Munns and Brown defender
Matt Britner were
the only unanimous selections to the All-Ivy first team in 2005. Other first teamers returning are Brown forward
Andrew Daniels and midfielder
Ben Brackett, Dartmouth goalkeeper
Rowan Anders (eight shutouts) and defender
Lucas
Richardson and
Jake Miller, a key Yale defender.
Composite Ivy League
Schedule MAAC Defending Champion: Marist.
Preseason
Poll: 1. Fairfield, 2. Loyola (Md), 3. Marist.
Players to Watch: Marist's
Keith Detelj (11 goals in
2005) has twice been named the MAAC Tournament MVP. Four Fairfield players were named to the preseason all-conference team: defenders
Mike Troy and
Tom Skara and midfielders
Sam Bailey and sophomore
Kerr McLeod, the 2005 MAAC
Rookie of the Year.
Gabe Ortega and
Rade Kokovic were Loyola's selections to the preseason team.
Composite MAAC Schedule MID-AMERICAN Defending Champion: Akron.
Preseason Poll: 1. Akron (No. 7 in Soccer America Preseason Top 25), 2. Northern Illinois,
3. Buffalo.
Players to Watch: Preseason All-American
Sinisa Ubiparipovic is one of four all-conference picks
returning for Akron. MAC first-team selection
Justin McGrane is one of eight returning starters for Northern Illinois.
Andrae
Clarke scored 29 points (nine goals, 11 assists) last season for Buffalo.
Composite
Mid-American Schedule MID-CONTINENT Defending Champion: Western Illinois.
Preseason Poll: 1. Oakland, 2. Western Illinois, 3. IUPIU, 3. Oral Roberts.
Players to Watch: Oakland returns three of its top
four scorers, including senior
Jim Denk and sophomore
Wade Allan. Western Illinois midfielder
Nick Bohnenkamp was the 2005 conference tournament MVP. IUPUI's
Vangel Nacovski is a two-time first team all-conference selection. Oral Roberts'
Carlos Pinto, the 2005 Newcomer of the Year, scored 18 point as a freshman.
Composite Mid-Continent Schedule MISSOURI VALLEY Defending Champion: Creighton.
Preseason Poll: 1.
Creighton (No. 13 in Soccer America Preseason Top 25), 2. Missouri State, 3. Bradley.
Players to Watch: Ryan
Anderson, the co-Offensive Missouri Valley MVP last year and a Soccer America Preseason All-American, leads the Missouri State after scoring 15 goals in 2005. Creighton's
Michael Kraus was named the Offensive MVP, while junior
Matt Allen was tabbed the Defensive MVP at the preseason
Westfield Insurance Cup. Bluejay
Byron Dacy was the the 2005 MVC Freshman of the Year.
Zach Bell scored 18 points
for Bradley in 2005.
Composite Missouri Valley Schedule MPSF Defending Champion: New Mexico.
Preseason Poll: 1. New Mexico, 2. Sacramento State, 2. San Jose State.
Players to Watch: Andrew Boyens, New Mexico's Soccer America Preseason All-American selection, spent the offseason traveling with New Zealand's national team.
Utodi
Madu, a 2005 All-MPSF pick, anchors Sac State's backline.
Composite MPSF Schedule NORTHEAST Defending Champion: Robert Morris.
Preseason Poll: 1. Monmouth, 2. Fairleigh Dickinson, 3. Central Connecticut.
Players to Watch:
Central Connecticut's
Alex Harrison has twice been named NEC Player of the Year. He scored 13 goals in 2005. Monmouth is led by 2005 NEC Defensive
Player of the Year
Hugh MacDonald and
Tom Gray, who ranked second in the NEC with seven assists in 2005. FDU's
Alejandro Bedoya (19 points) was one of the most exciting freshmen in the country last season. Robert Morris returns its top four scorers,
including Canadian
Jacek Przednowek (14 goals). Junior midfielder
Ryan Zabinski joined Przednowek on the
all-conference first team last season. A pair of Englishmen -- defender
Anthony Anzevui and goalie
Matthew Jones -- will
lead Sacred Heart.
Composite Northeast Schedule PAC-10 Defending Champion: UCLA.
Preseason Poll: 1. UCLA (No. 5 in Soccer America Preseason Top 25), 2. California (No. 20), 3. Washington.
Players to Watch:
Sal Izzo was one of three UCLA players to spend the offseason with the U.S. U-20 national team. Senior
Eric Reed
will be a steadying influence in goal for the Bruins. Cal midfielder
Nick Hatzke returns from a 2005 redshirt season due to injury. Also back are midfielder
Andrew Jacobson (seven assists in 2005) and defender
Steve Purdy. Washington's quest to return to postseason play
will begin with senior defender
Ty Harden and junior forwards
Ely Allen and
Kevin
Forrest. Oregon State senior
Robbie Findley ranks fourth all-time at OSU with 22 goals. Goalkeeping will be the strength at San Diego State, where
All-American
Tally Hall returns for his senior year.
PATRIOT Defending Champion: Lafayette.
Preseason Poll: 1. Lafayette, 2. American, 3. Lehigh.
Players to Watch: Lafayette's
Scott Hawkins,
Luke Sullivan and
Thomas Harju earned first-team all-Patriot accolades last season.
Phillip Purdy, the 2005 Patriot Rookie of the Year, returns at American along with
Sal Caccavale. Back for Lehigh is first-team all-league
pick
John O'Reilly.
SOUTHERN Defending Champion: San Francisco.
Preseason Poll: 1. UNC Greensboro (No. 12 in
Soccer America Preseason Top 25), 2. Davidson, 3. Elon.
Players to Watch: UNC Greensboro's
Randi Patterson,
the 2005 Southern Player of the Year, and
Scott Jones were selected to the Soccer America Preseason All-American Team. UNCG players
Henning Jonasson and
David Worthen also made the Southern preseason all-conference team. Elon had three players selected to the preseason team,
led by
KiKi Willis, the 2005 Freshman of the Year. Furman's defender
Jon Leathers and midfielder
Dominic Cianciarulo were all-conference selections in 2005. Midfielder
Cass Baltz will lead Davidson.
Composite Southern Schedule WCC Defending Champion: San Francisco.
Preseason Poll: 1. San Francisco (No. 17 in Soccer America Preseason Top 25), 2. Santa Clara, 3. San Diego.
Players to Watch: Aaron Chandler, the 2004 WCC Player of the Year, and 2005 WCC Defensive Player of the Year
Rob Valentino will lead USF.
Forward
Keith DeVey was Santa Clara's top scorer a year ago with six goals and four assists. San Diego retains first-team All-WCC selection
Kevin Meissner. Loyola Marymount will field one of the WCC's top midfields with the return of All-WCC choice
Junior Ybarra. Sophomore midfielder
Carlos Diaz set the Saint Mary's single-season record with 11 assists in 2005.
Composite WCC Schedule Tomorrow: Women's conference previews.