Moon Township, Pa. ? The Robert Morris University men's soccer team, under the guidance of 12th-year head coach Bill Denniston, was selected to finish sixth in the Northeast Conference this season according to a poll of the league's coaches. The Colonials finished the 2007 season with a 7-7-4 overall record and a 2-4-3 mark in conference play.
The 2008 NEC Men's Soccer Preseason Coaches Poll has Monmouth as the top vote-getter and four different teams receiving first-place votes. The Hawks received five first-place votes followed by Central Connecticut State, picked second, with three first-place votes. Sacred Heart was picked to finish third followed by Quinnipiac and Saint Francis (Pa.) who both received first-place tallies. RMU was picked sixth with Long Island, Fairleigh Dickinson, Mount St. Mary's and St. Francis (N.Y.) filling out the remainder of the rankings.
Robert Morris returns 10 letterwinners and four starters from its 2007 squad. A young 2008 squad will feature 12 newcomers vying for seven of the open starting positions. Sophomore Neil Shaffer (Aliquippa, Pa. / Beaver) is the top returning scorer, tallying 11 points on four goals and three assists in his freshman campaign. Senior Tyler Stanley (Kalispell, Mont. / Columbia Falls) ? who had four assists and six points in 2007 ? and juniors Sean Riley (Kalispell, Mont. / Flathead) and Kyle McIvor (Diego Martin, Trinidad / Queen's Royal College) will provide experience in the Colonials midfield.
In goal, senior Matt Felice (Mississauga, Ontario / Phillip Pocock) looks to cap what has already been an outstanding career. Felice averaged 7.0 saves per game last season, second in the NCAA. In the RMU career records, he is second in wins (26), shutouts (11) and save percentage (.810), tied for second in goals against average (1.32) and third in saves (319) and matches played (54). Among single-season marks, he holds two of the top nine marks for wins (10 in 2005, 9 in 2006), is third in saves (126 in 2007) and save percentage (.840 in 2007), has two of the top seven shutout marks (5 in 2006, 4 in 2007) and is fifth in goals against average (1.25 in 2007).
Robert Morris opens the 2008 regular season on Friday, August 29, when it hosts Rider as part of the RMU Invitational presented by America's Best Value Inn, Tyler Mountain Water, Hometown Pizza and 11ManGang Equipment.
2008 Northeast Conference Men's Soccer Preseason Coaches Poll
(First-place votes in parentheses)
1. Monmouth (5)
2. Central Connecticut State (3)
3. Sacred Heart
4. Quinnipiac (1)
5. Saint Francis (Pa.) (1)
6. Robert Morris
7. Long Island
8. Fairleigh Dickinson
9. Mount St. Mary's
10. St. Francis (N.Y.)
