Men's Soccer
August 18, 2006
LE MOYNE MEN'S SOCCER RANKED 21ST IN PRESEASON NSCAA/ADIDAS NCAA DIVISION II NATIONAL RANKINGS
SYRACUSE, N.Y. - After capturing the program's first Northeast-10 Conference Championship and the first NCAA berth since 1977 last season, the Le Moyne men's soccer team opens the 2006 season ranked 21st in the NSCAA/adidas NCAA Division II rankings. The Dolphins (14-6-2 in 2005) open the 2006 season on August 25 at Wilmington.
Le Moyne capped its winningest string of men's soccer with a championship season in 2005. The Dolphins finished each of the last five seasons with double-digit wins, the longest such streak in program history and won a program-record 31 games over the past two seasons.
Le Moyne surged into its first national tournament appearance in nearly three decades with its first-ever Northeast-10 Conference Championship. To capture the crown, Le Moyne hit the road to upset top seed and eventual national finalist Franklin Pierce 1-0. Those same Ravens ended Le Moyne's season at 14-6-2 in the NCAA tournament's opening round. In a season of great accomplishment, the Dolphins posted 11 shutouts, five Dolphins were named all-conference and current junior Eric Macias (Silver Spring, Md./Wheaton) was named second team All-America.
Macias heads a list of 12 letterwinners and seven starters returning for the 2006 season. From the midfield, he totaled a team-high 26 points on 10 goals and six assists. Senior Rob Moskwa (Syracuse, N.Y./West Genesee) scored eight goals, including the game-winning goals in the conference semifinals and championship game. Third team all-region selection Ryan Cunningham (Baldwinsville, N.Y./Baldwinsville), who scored six goals last season, should also provide scoring punch for the Dolphins.
Junior all-region selection Mark Lukowiecki (Edinburgh, Scotland/Queensferry) returns to key the Le Moyne defense. A starter in all 22 games last season, he helped Le Moyne to 11 shutouts and a team goals against average of 1.01. The Dolphins will have to replace record-setting goalkeeper Tim Mann, who posted a program-record 0.94 GAA in four seasons.
Le Moyne's 2006 schedule includes three opponents ranked in the preseason poll. The Dolphins host No. 24 Southern Connecticut in their Northeast-10 Conference opener on Aug. 30, host No. 2 Franklin Pierce in another key league game on Oct. 3 and travel downstate for a non-league game at No. 11 Dominican on Oct. 10.
NSCAA/adidas NCAA
Division II Preseason Poll
1. Fort Lewis (22-0-1); 2. Franklin Pierce (16-6-5); 3.
Lynn (16-3-0); 4. SIU-Edwardsville (16-3-3); 5. Cal State Dominguez
Hills (16-5-3); 6. Carson-Newman (18-2-2); 7. Dowling (13-1-5); 8.
Clayton St. (13-4-4); 9. Seattle Pacific (15-3-3); 10. St. Leo
(15-2); 11. Dominican (18-2); 12. Colorado School of Mines
(13-7-4); 13. Rockhurst (15-5-1); 14. Lander (11-5-4); 15. Catawba
(15-5-2); 16. N.Y Tech (13-4-4); 17. Sonoma St. (12-9-2); 18.
Montevallo (16-5-2); 19. Incarnate Word (14-4-3); 20. Wisconsin,
Parkside (13-4-1); 21. LE MOYNE (14-6-2); 22.
North Carolina-Pembroke (12-3-5); 23. Tusculum (11-7-1); 24.
Southern Connecticut (10-4-4); 25. Rollins (10-5-0).
