August 19, 2008
LE MOYNE MEN'S SOCCER SELECTED FOURTH IN NORTHEAST-10 CONFERENCE PRESEASON POLL
South Easton, Mass. - The Le Moyne College men's soccer team has been selected to finish fourth in the Northeast-10 Conference standings, as voted on by the league's 14 head coaches. Franklin Pierce University, the defending national champion, was picked to win its fourth consecutive regular season title and received 13 of the possible 14 first-place votes for 195 total points, as announced by the conference on Tuesday, Aug. 19.
The Dolphins, who advanced to the New England Regional for the
second time in three seasons last year, garnered 141 points to
place fourth in the poll. UMass-Lowell garnered the final
first-place to finish second with 180 points. Defending conference
tournament champion Southern Connecticut State was tabbed third
after receiving 170 points. Merrimack, which knocked Le Moyne out
of last season's conference tournament, rounds out the top-five
with 139 points.
Southern New Hampshire and American International followed with 131 and 101 points, respectively, to finish sixth and seventh. Saint Michael's edged past conference newcomer New Haven for eighth place with 86 points, while the Chargers garnered 85. Assumption picked up 68 points to place 10th in the poll. Saint Anselm (65), Bentley (60), Stonehill (27) and Saint Rose (22) were selected to round out the standings.
Le Moyne returns 14 letterwinners, including seven starters, from last year's 14-4-2 squad. The Dolphins offense is led by all-conference selections Matt Pecheone and Angelo Reina. Reina, the conference's co-freshman of the year and a second-team forward, led the team with nine goals and three assists for 21 points. Pecheone, a third-team selection, tallied five goals and one assist for 11 points as a junior. Reina was also named to the NSCAA All-New England first team, while Pecheone earned a spot on the second team. Le Moyne's defense is led by second-team all-conference selection Brandon Morse and junior goalkeeper Steve White. Morse, the squad's MVP last season, tallied three goals and two assists from his defensive position as a junior. White, who registered the second-most single-season wins (14) in the program's history, started all 20 games between the pipes last season. White recorded 90 saves, seven shutouts and posted a 1.17 goals against average.
The Dolphins open the season on Thursday, Aug. 28 at Wilmington at 12 p.m. as part of the Wilmington Tournament. The Northeast-10 tournament quarterfinals will begin on Sunday, Nov. 2. The semifinals will take place on Wednesday, Nov. 5, with the finals being played on Saturday, Nov. 8.
-agate-
1. Franklin Pierce (13) 195, 2. UMass Lowell (1) 180, 3.
Southern Connecticut 170, 4. Le Moyne 141, 5.
Merrimack 139, 6. Southern New Hampshire 131, 7. American
International 101, 8. Saint Michael's 86, 9. New Haven 85, 10.
Assumption 68, 11. Saint Anselm 65, 12. Bentley 60, 13. Stonehill
27, 14. Saint Rose 22.
(First Place Votes In Parentheses)
