ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. --- Elizabethtown College has been picked to finish second in the annual Commonwealth Conference men's soccer preseason poll, as voted upon by the league's eight head coaches and released Monday.
The Blue Jays finished 14-4-1 overall in 2009 and in third place in the Commonwealth Conference with a 4-2-1 league mark, falling 1-0 to Arcadia University in the playoff semifinals. It was the 22nd time in the 27-year career of head coach
Skip Roderick that the Blue Jays won at least 14 games in a season.
Eight starters return from last season's squad, including a trio of National Soccer Coaches Association of American (NSCAA) third-team All-Region selections in forward
Taylor Helsel, midfielder
Cameron Gettel and defender
Tony Pacella.
Helsel is the top returning scorer from last year, having netted eight goals and five assists for 21 points, while
Javeim Blanchette is back after tallying seven goals and six assists for 20 points as a rookie.
Ross Withrow (five goals, seven assists) and
Geoff Cochrane (four goals, one assist) will supplement the offensive attack for the Blue Jays.
Joining Gettel and Pacella as defensive leaders will be
Zach Wendler, who appeared in just nine games last season due to injury, along with returning starter
Brian Gallagher.
Goalkeepers
Andy Barnes and
Eric Carr are back between the pipes for Elizabethtown, with Barnes going 8-0-0 with a 0.95 goals against average in nine starts and Carr compiling a 6-4-1 mark with three shutouts and a 1.00 goals against average in 10 starts.
Defending NCAA Division III champion Messiah College claimed the top spot in the poll with 49 points, followed by Elizabethtown (38 points), Arcadia (37 points), Lebanon Valley College (32 points), Lycoming College (25 points), Widener University (23 points) and Albright College and Alvernia University (10 points apiece).
Elizabethtown opens its 2010 schedule on Saturday, Sept. 4 against St. Mary's College of Maryland at Salisbury University's Elmer Lord Classic. The Blue Jays make their home debut Friday, Sept. 10 against Washington & Lee University in the Blue Jay Classic at Ira R. Herr Field, and kick off conference play Saturday, Oct. 2 against visiting Alvernia at 7:00 p.m.