Five BIG EAST Men’s Soccer Teams Ranked in NSCAA Preseason Poll
- Four teams among the top 25-
KANSAS CITY, Kan. – Five BIG EAST men’s soccer teams have been ranked in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America poll, including four in the top 25. USF is the highest ranked BIG EAST team at No. 16, while St. John’s sits at No. 17. Louisville is slotted at No. 20 and Connecticut rounds out the group at No. 22. Notre Dame also received votes.
Steadied in net by BIG EAST Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year Jeff Attinella, the Bulls (14-4-3, 6-3-2 BIG EAST) have one of the top players in the country. Named to the NSCAA First Team in 2009, Attinella led the league with 101 saves in 21 games last season. He also posted a 0.83 goals-against average, along with seven shutouts. Attinella also was tabbed to the All-BIG EAST Preseason Team, along with red-shirt junior Bernardo Anor and senior Javed Mohammed.
Connecticut won the BIG EAST Blue Division regular-season crown last season with an 8-2-1 BIG EAST mark, 11-4-4 overall. This year the Huskies will look to junior All-BIG EAST Preseason selection Tony Cascio to help stay atop the league. He accumulated a team-leading 19 points in 2009, including seven goals.
Last year, St. John’s completed the year in second-place of the league’s Red Division at 6-1-4 in conference play and 9-3-9 overall. The return of senior and All-BIG EAST Preseason Team selection Sverre Wegge Gundhus should help the Red Storm contend for their conference-record ninth BIG EAST Championship tournament crown in 2010. Red-shirt senior and All-BIG EAST Preseason pick Tadeu Terra also should help anchor the offense.
Louisville will be led by BIG EAST Preseason Offensive Player of the Year Colin Rolfe. The junior was a unanimous selection to the All-BIG EAST First Team in 2009 as well as an NSCAA First Team All-America selection. Rolfe finished second in the conference both in goals with ten and points with 22. Rolfe also earns unanimous Preseason All-BIG EAST honors. The Cardinals are led by the 2009 BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year under the direction of head coach Ken Lolla.
NSCAA Rankings - Division I Preseason Poll
August 10, 2010
|
Rank
|
School
|
Final 2009 Ranking
|
Final 2009 Record
|
|
1
|
Akron
|
2
|
23 - 1 - 1
|
|
2
|
Virginia
|
1
|
19 - 3 - 3
|
|
3
|
Wake Forest
|
3
|
17 - 4 - 3
|
|
4
|
North Carolina
|
4
|
16 - 2 - 4
|
|
5
|
UCLA
|
5
|
12 - 4 - 4
|
|
6
|
Maryland
|
6
|
15 - 6 - 2
|
|
7
|
Tulsa
|
7
|
15 - 5 - 2
|
|
8
|
UC Santa Barbara
|
10
|
17 - 5 - 2
|
|
9
|
Northwestern
|
11
|
11 - 5 - 4
|
|
10
|
Harvard
|
9
|
14 - 4 - 1
|
|
11
|
Duke
|
12
|
14 - 7 - 0
|
|
12
|
Boston College
|
15
|
14 - 9 - 0
|
|
13
|
Stanford
|
14
|
12 - 6 - 2
|
|
14
|
Drake
|
8
|
16 - 7 - 2
|
|
15
|
Monmouth
|
13
|
18 - 2 - 2
|
|
16
|
South Florida
|
18
|
14 - 4 - 3
|
|
17
|
St. John's
|
21
|
9 - 3 - 9
|
|
18
|
Ohio State
|
19
|
12 - 5 - 4
|
|
19
|
Portland
|
17
|
12 - 6 - 5
|
|
20
|
Louisville
|
16
|
13 - 3 - 4
|
|
20
|
Indiana
|
20
|
12 - 10 - 1
|
|
22
|
Connecticut
|
24
|
11 - 4 - 4
|
|
23
|
UNC-Wilmington
|
22
|
14 - 3 - 5
|
|
24
|
Michigan State
|
RV
|
11 - 8 - 2
|
|
25
|
UC Irvine
|
25
|
15 - 7 - 0
|
Also receiving votes: North Carolina State, Notre Dame, Penn State, Charlotte, Wisconsin-Green Bay
