Seven seniors will look to have a major impact on the Wildcats' 2011 season.
Photo by: Tim Cowie - DavidsonPhotos.com
2011 Davidson Men's Soccer Outlook
9/1/2011 8:45:00 AM | Men's Soccer
DAVIDSON, N.C. - With another challenging non-conference slate and competitive Southern Conference schedule ahead, the Davidson men's soccer team is looking to produce an exciting season and a Southern Conference Championship.
Defensively, the 'Cats return all of the starters who helped earn six shutouts in 2010. Three-time All-SoCon midfielder Alex Caskey and speedy attacker Yannick Pilgrim have graduated, but several returners and newcomers are primed to step up and fill the voids.
Defense
Chip Sanders, one of three team captains, is set to have his best season yet as he enters his third season as the starting goalkeeper. The Wildcats' last line of defense, Sanders has posted a 1.31 goals against average in two seasons, which ranks him fourth all-time at Davidson. He posted six shutouts in 2010 and will look to improve that figure with the help of his teammates manning the backline. Sophomores Ben Gold and Max Henry will also be set to step in goal when called upon.
Senior Greg MacNamara, another tri-captain, will once again lead an experienced defensive unit. The 2010 All-SoCon selection and Lowe's Senior CLASS Award Candidate will be joined on the field by classmates Hunter Hayes, Allen Page and Dennis Shannon, while Ryan Malden and Coleman O'Neill will also seek more playing time in their sophomore campaigns. The Wildcats were strong defensively in 2010 with six shutouts, including three consecutive in SoCon matches, but will look to use their experience and talent to improve and be among the best in the SoCon.
Midfield
The Wildcats have big shoes to fill with the graduation of Alex Caskey, but savvy sophomore Alex Givens is set to join junior tri-captain Brian McGue as a center midfielder. Givens saw the most playing time of all the 2010 rookies, appearing in 20 games and drawing 14 starts. Both found their offensive touch late in the season, and McGue scored in Davidson's SoCon first-round upset win of College of Charleston. Upperclassmen Peter Paras and Garrett Bostwick will be largely responsible for manning the wings, while a host of talented underclassmen give the 'Cats depth across the midfield.
Forwards
Senior Thomas Zimmerman and junior Andrew DiLallo will be relied upon to give the 'Cats their scoring punch. Zimmerman saw more playing time late in 2010 after recovering from an early-season injury, and DiLallo was one of the most improved players during spring training. Sophomore Jake Keator also saw time during his freshman campaign in 2010, appearing 17 games. The 'Cats have also added some talented freshmen who may be counted on to contribute.
Newcomers
The Wildcats welcome seven freshmen to the team in 2011. D/MF #Kristian Garciaméndez-Rowold#, F Alex Feliciano and D/MF Luke Blades all cracked the College Soccer News Top 150 list. Three hail from North Carolina, with South Mecklenburg H.S. product MF Drew Brown being the closest. D/MF John Pace (Raleigh, N.C.) and F Gabe Rivera (Durham, N.C.) arrive at Davidson from the triangle area. Savvy D Max Riehemann is the third Columbus Crew Academy player competing for the Wildcats, joining McGue and Paras.
Schedule
The Wildcats will challenge six 2010 NCAA Tournament teams, including home matches against perennial powers Duke (Oct. 4) and North Carolina (Oct. 17) and Southern Conference rival College of Charleston (Nov. 1). On the road, they will face Denver, East Tennessee State and UNCG.
Davidson will also continue their annual series with Wake Forest with a trip to Winston-Salem on Sept. 28.
Davidson has enjoyed non-conference success the past two seasons. They earned a pair of 4-1 victories over No. 25 South Carolina and No. 6 Duke in 2009, and a 1-0 win over the ACC's Virginia Tech and a 2-2 draw at No. 13 UC Santa Barbara last season.
The home slate will begin with the Davidson adidas Classic Friday, Sept. 9 with Appalachian State and Gardner-Webb facing off prior to Davidson and Detroit Mercy. The tournament will conclude Sept. 11 with App and Detroit Mercy playing prior to Davidson and Gardner-Webb.
The Southern Conference tournament begins Nov. 5 with the league's top four seeds hosting games. Appalachian State will host the semifinals and finals in Boone, N.C. Nov. 11-13.
FY26 Men's Soccer Preseason Virtual Meeting
Friday, August 15
FY25 Men's Soccer Davidson United Conversation
Wednesday, June 04
2024 Davidson Men's Soccer Highlights
Tuesday, May 13
Davidson Men’s Soccer – March 2023 Virtual Alumni Gathering
Tuesday, March 14
