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RICHARDSON, Texas –– The University of Texas at Dallas has been predicted to successfully defend its American Southwest Conference men’s soccer championship, it was announced on Tuesday (Aug. 26) by the ASC office after a vote of the league’s head coaches and sports information directors. Taking preseason player of the year honors were UTD’s Kevin White and University of the Ozarks’ Brian Sarber.
Texas-Dallas, which went 14-4-3 overall (10-1-2 ASC) last season, totaled 361 points and 13 of the possible 28 first-place votes in the annual preseason poll. Head coach Jack Peel’s Comets scored 49 goals and posted five shutouts in 2007.
The University of Texas at Tyler was picked to finish second with 345 points and collected nine first-place votes. Ozarks, the defending ASC regular season champion, was predicted for a third-place finish with 332 points and three top-spot votes. Mississippi College (328 pts.) picked up two first-place votes and was fourth, followed by Hardin-Simmons University (275 pts.) and the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor (273 pts.) to round out what would be the league’s six teams to qualify for the ASC Championship Tournament. HSU received the last first-place vote.
Texas Lutheran University (187 pts.) was picked to finish seventh. East Texas Baptist University (175 pts.), Schreiner University (146 pts.) and LeTourneau University (141 pts.) rounded out the top 10 spots. McMurry University (131 pts.) was eleventh, followed by Howard Payne University (113 pts.), Concordia University Texas (74 pts.) and Louisiana College (59 pts.).
White (Sugar Land, TX / Dulles HS), a senior forward, was selected to repeat his title as ASC Offensive Player of the Year after leading the conference in points with 44 (18 goals, eight assists) and notching five game-winning goals.
Sarber (Allen, TX / AHS), a senior goalkeeper, was predicted to repeat as ASC Defensive Player of the Year. He led the league in shutouts (seven) and save percentage (.869) in 2007.
White and Sarber were each first team all-ASC selections last year.
The 2008 ASC season – the 13th in league history – begins as early as Aug. 29. The six-team ASC tournament is slated for November 7-9 at the site of the regular season champion and an automatic berth into the NCAA Division III Men’s Soccer Championship will be on the line.
2008 ASC PRESEASON MEN’S SOCCER POLL
[Voted on by ASC Head Coaches and Sports Information Directors]
|
|
Team (first place votes)
|
Points
|
2007 Record
|
|
1.
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Texas-Dallas (13)
|
361
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14-4-3, 10-1-2 ASC
|
|
2.
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Texas-Tyler (9)
|
345
|
12-6-1, 8-5-0 ASC
|
|
3.
|
Ozarks (3)
|
332
|
17-5-0, 11-2-0 ASC
|
|
4.
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Mississippi College (2)
|
328
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12-5-1, 10-2-1 ASC
|
|
5.
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Hardin-Simmons (1)
|
275
|
8-8-1, 8-4-1 ASC
|
|
6.
|
Mary Hardin-Baylor
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273
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11-7-1, 10-2-1 ASC
|
|
7.
|
Texas Lutheran
|
187
|
6-9-3, 6-5-2 ASC
|
|
8.
|
East Texas Baptist
|
175
|
8-8-2, 7-5-1 ASC
|
|
9.
|
Schreiner
|
146
|
3-12-1, 2-10-1 ASC
|
|
10.
|
LeTourneau
|
141
|
6-11-2, 3-9-1 ASC
|
|
11.
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McMurry
|
131
|
3-9-2, 2-9-2 ASC
|
|
12.
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Howard Payne
|
113
|
4-12-1, 3-9-1 ASC
|
|
13.
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Concordia Texas
|
74
|
3-11-0, 2-11-0 ASC
|
|
14.
|
Louisiana College
|
59
|
4-15-1, 2-10-1 ASC
|
2008 ASC PRESEASON MEN’S SOCCER PLAYERS OF THE YEAR
[Voted on by ASC Head Coaches and Sports Information Directors]
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Offensive
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Kevin White, F, Sr., Texas-Dallas
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|
Defensive
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Brian Sarber, GK, Sr., Ozarks
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