Friday, September 3
Davidson, N.C.
7:15 p.m.
Davidson College
vs
Marist
Allen Page
Photo by: Tim Cowie - DavidsonPhotos.com
Davidson adidas Classic Begins Friday Evening
9/2/2010 12:28:45 PM | Men's Soccer
DAVIDSON, N.C. – The men's soccer season gets underway Friday and Sunday as the Wildcats host Marist, Bowling Green and Appalachian State at Alumni Stadium in the Davidson adidas Classic.
“We are really excited to kick off the season with our annual adidas Classic. SoCon colleague Appalachian State is a wonderful co-host as we welcome two out-of-region schools, Bowling Green from Ohio and Marist from New York,” said head coach Matt Spear.
Schedule
Friday
5 p.m. - Appalachian State vs. Bowling Green
7:15 p.m. – Marist vs. Davidson
Saturday
1 p.m. – Bowling Green vs. Davidson
3:15 p.m. – Appalachian State vs. Marist
Scouting the Wildcats: Davidson returns 10 of 11 starters from its 2009 squad that went 11-7 with wins over two nationally-ranked teams. Replacing the offensive production of Southern Conference Player of the Year Charlie Reiter will be difficult, but two-time All-SoCon selection and senior captain MF Alex Caskey and classmate F Yannick Pilgrim will look to fill the void. Caskey was selected to the 2010 preseason All-SoCon team, while Pilgrim finished third in the conference in scoring in 2009. Junior captain Greg Macnamara leads a defensive unit that returns all starters. Macnamara earned a place on the preseason All-SoCon team, while junior goalkeeper Chip Sanders is set to begin his second season as the starter.
“Our players have prepared well – from spring training to summer conditioning and through a vibrant preseason,” said Spear. “They are quickly gelling in to a tight, tough, and talented group. Now is the time to step up and to put it all in motion. Each day and each match is a chance to prove ourselves.”
The Wildcats had a strong preseason, earning a pair of wins. On Aug. 21, the 'Cats defeated NC State, a team receiving votes for the NSCAA Preseason Top 25 poll, 1-0, with junior Mark Millard notching the game winner. Senior Yannick Pilgrim, who ranked third in scoring in the SoCon last season, then scored twice to lead Davidson to a 3-1 win over Pfeiffer on Aug. 25.
Scouting the Red Foxes: This will be the first meeting between Davidson and Marist. Marist opened their 2010 season against Army Wednesday night, earning a 2-1 win behind goals from Stephan Brossard and Lucas Szabo. The Red Foxes are also returning senior goalkeeper Joe Pilla and All-MAAC and NSCAA Third-Team All-North Atlantic Region junior midfielder Krystian Witkowski. Marist finished the 2009 season with an 8-8-2 record.
“Marist started out with a good mid-week home win over Army, and I know that they have very high expectations for this season,” said Spear. “They have quality players throughout their line-up, especially in their attacking corps. We will need to be sharp and hungry for the full 90 minutes to win.”
Scouting the Falcons: Davidson and Bowling Green have only faced each other once before. In 1995, the Falcons prevailed 3-1. A member of the Mid-American Conference, Bowling Green went 3-12-3 in 2009. Eric Nichols, who was an assistant coach at Davidson in 2008, begins his second season as head coach. The Falcons are returning seven starters. Sophomore Byard Ebling is the top returning scorer.
"I am sure they will do better this year as Eric is an excellent coach, and he's making a lot of sweeping changes in the program's culture and recruiting," said Spear.
Scouting the Mountaineers: Davidson and Appalachian State will not face each other until Oct. 19 in Boone, N.C. The Mountaineers were picked to finish seventh in the Southern Conference this year after posting an 8-8-1 overall record and going 3-4 in the conference. Junior Sean Dreybus is a key returner on a young team with just two seniors.
Up Next: Campbell visits Alumni Stadium for a Tuesday night match. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. The 'Cats defeated the Camels, the defending Atlantic Sun regular season champions, 5-2 in the 2009 season finale. Davidson's next three games will be on the road: at UC Santa Barbara (Sept. 10), at UCLA (Sept. 12) and at Gardner-Webb (Sept. 18).
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