Massachusetts Daily Collegian

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A free and responsible press serving the UMass community since 1890

Massachusetts Daily Collegian

A free and responsible press serving the UMass community since 1890

Massachusetts Daily Collegian

Atlantic 10 conference play set to kick off

ALSO SEE: Column: UMass prepares for tough A-10 opponents

Atlantic 10 conference play begins this week, with all fourteen teams optimistic for successful seasons and conference supremacy.

Saint Louis looks to defend its crown, with the entire conference. With a conference title up for grabs, each team enters A-10 play with a clean slate, hoping the 2010 season will be one to remember.

Charlotte

One year removed from its berth in the NCAA tournament, the 49ers (5-4) look to improve upon its past success in the upcoming season.

Andres Cuero is the only senior for the 49ers, after losing a productive graduating class from last season. Cuero was tied for second in assists last season when he decided to focus more on setting up teammates than looking for his own offense.

The 49ers were picked to finish second in the conference in a preseason poll.

Dayton

The Flyers looks to continue its success in conference play after finishing with the top record of eight wins and one loss last season.

With 11 starters returning, the Flyers (4-4-1) are poised for another run at a conference championship.

Coming off their impressive handling of Canisius, the Flyers visit Rhode Island on Friday night to begin their A-10 play.

Goalkeeper Tyler Picard appears to be a playmaker for the Flyers, already recording 4 shutouts in the young 2010 season.

The Atlantic 10 coaches voted Dayton as the third best team in the conference.

Duquesne

The Dukes (5-3-1) are off to a hot start this season, with notable victories over Wright State, Robert Morris, Army, Saint Joseph’s and Belmont.

Duquesne proved it could play with the best, as it battled hard with nationally-ranked West Virginia, ending in a scoreless tie.

Posting a record of four wins, four losses and a tie in conference play last season, the Dukes look to improve upon last year’s mediocre mark.

Freshmen forward Simon Gomez leads Duquesne’s offense with five goals, emerging as the Dukes main offensive threat.

DU, which was the eighth-best team in the conference, welcome A-10 favorite Saint Louis Friday night as their first conference test.

Fordham

The Rams look to claim conference supremacy after their respectable six wins in A-10 play a year ago.

Behind goalkeeper Ryan Mear, the Rams (5-4) hope to join the top-tier of A-10 soccer programs.

Meara earned the honor of United Soccer Leagues Development League Goalkeeper of the Year, with a .66 goals-against average.

Voted as the fifth best team in the conference, Fordham appears to be heading in the right direction.

Wins over Lehigh, Columbia, Hofstra, Marist and Manhattan have the Rams ready to begin conference play against La Salle this Friday.

George Washington

The Colonials (2-7) have struggled to begin the 2010 season.

Embarrassing losses at the hands of Duke, Coastal Carolina and Navy (each by a score of 4-0) have George Washington searching for offensive and defensive production.

Sophomore Seth Rudolf looks to ignite the Colonials offense after being selected to the 2009 Atlantic 10 All-Rookie Team. Rudolf leads the team with four goals and 11 shots on goal.

The Colonials have used a trio of goalies, with junior Jake Davis (five starts) receiving the bulk of the playing time. Senior Eric Hauge (three starts) and sophomore Brendan Lafferty (one start) have contributed as well.

George Washington, voted as the ninth best team in the conference, begins A-10 play at Richmond.

La Salle

The Explorers are looking to erase last season’s shortcomings.

After only winning two matches in conference play last year, the Explorers (2-4-2) are looking for better results as they get set to host Fordham this Saturday.

The Explorers got off to a slow start, dropping four of their first six games of the season.

However, they appear to have caught their stride, riding a two-game winning streak that included wins over Saint Joseph’s and Temple.

The Atlantic 10 coaches voted La Salle as the No. 12 team in the conference, with only Xavier and Saint Joseph’s below them.

Rhode Island

Winless in their last four games, the Rams (2-4-1) look to get back on track as they begin conference play Saturday against powerhouse Dayton.

The Rams are lacking offensive production, having been shutout on five occasions this season.

URI’s major scoring threat is senior midfielder Greg Balicki, who only has one goal on 18 shots thus far.

This year’s Rams look to replicate the 2009 team that claimed six victories in conference play. The A-10 coaches favorably voted Rhode Island as the fourth best team in the conference.

Richmond

A seven-game losing streak has the Spiders (1-7-1) searching for answers.

With a 2.55 goals-against average, the Spiders aspire to focus more on the defensive zone, limiting the number of shots on Brock Tomlinson.

Richmond’s shortcomings are not solely on defense, as the Spiders have been limited to one goal or less in eight of their nine matches. Sophomore midfielder Houston Oldham leads Richmond with three goals on 13 shots.

A date with GW this Saturday marks the beginning of conference play and the end of a dreadful non-conference schedule.

The Spiders were voted to finish 10th in the A-10 standings.

St. Bonaventure

The Bonnies are riding a two-game winning streak into their opening conference test against Charlotte this Friday.

St. Bonaventure (5-4) look to prove the league’s coaches wrong, as they were voted to finish 11th in the Atlantic 10.

Senior Brett Allen leads the Bonnies offense with four goals on 13 shots.

Senior goalkeeper David Flynn comes off his impressive 2009 season when he totaled six shutouts. Flynn has allowed an average of 1.53 goals per contest, contributing to four of the team’s victories.

The Bonnies look to surpass last season’s mark of five conference wins and become a contender in the A-10.

Saint Joseph’s

The good news for the Hawks is they can only improve after last season’s winless showing.

The Hawks (1-7) snapped their 24-game losing streak with a 1-0 victory over Iona. Freshman Patrick McGlynn scored the lone goal, while fellow freshman Michael Moulton recorded his first career shutout.

Saint Joseph’s, picked by the A-10 coaches to finish last in the conference, kicks off conference play with a visit to Temple on Saturday afternoon.

Saint Louis

The Billikens face the challenge of repeating as conference champions, as they open A-10 play as the favorite to hoist the conference crown.

SLU (2-2-5) will get each opponent’s best effort, beginning with Duquesne on Friday night.

Totaling seven wins in conference play a year ago, the Billikins’ stiffest competition at a repeat is Charlotte and Dayton, both eager to prove their conference superiority.

SLU returns seven starters, including midfielder Mike Roach and goalkeeper Mark Pais.

Under the leadership of first year head coach Mike McGinty, the Billikins are ready for the challenges that lie ahead in A-10 play.

Temple

The Owls look to establish themselves as a contender in the

A-10 after winning four games in conference play last season.

However, losses to La Salle, Drexel and Siena have started the Owls (2-5-2) on the wrong foot.

Goalkeeper Bret Mollon returns to the net for Temple after his 1.04 goals-against average a year ago.

Senior midfielders Jared Harris and Max Kinderwater look to provide an offensive attack to propel the Owls to the top.

Temple, picked to finish seventh in the conference, open its regular-season schedule with struggling Saint Joseph’s on Saturday afternoon.

Xavier

The Musketeers round out the A-10 and are picked to finish 13th in the conference standings this season.

With only one win in conference play last year and returning eight starters, the Musketeers (2-2-3) are looking to gain respect for their program. XU matched its two-win season of 2009 with victories over Lipscomb and Alabama A&M.

The Musketeers look for first-year head coach Andy Fleming to bring a winning culture, just as he did previously at Northwestern.

Xavier faces its first conference test of the season on the road against Massachusetts.

Stephen Sellner can be reached at [email protected].

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  • R

    Rick S.Oct 6, 2010 at 1:49 am

    Well done.

    Reply
  • F

    Fred BunwirmerOct 5, 2010 at 2:13 pm

    It’s “Billikens” not “Billikins”.

    Reply