Post by elon_phan on Aug 27, 2009 21:39:00 GMT -5
Elon fall previews: Men's soccer team determined to keep lofty foothold
August 27, 2009 12:51 AM
By Adam Smith / Times-News
ELON — The paradigm shifted last year when the Elon University men’s soccer team climbed into rarefied air and reached a perch at the peak of the Southern Conference.
And as a new season approaches, the philosophy that lifted the Phoenix to new heights has remained in tact and ever present.
“We worked very, very hard to get there,” fifth-year coach Darren Powell said. “Now we want to stay there. And it’s going to take as much, if not more, hard work to achieve our goals.”
Elon retains a sturdy nucleus of eight starters and 22 players from last year’s team that reeled off an unbeaten run through the league and secured the program’s first regular-season championship in the Southern Conference.
Justin Wyatt, the league’s reigning Player of the Year, returns as the centerpiece of the Phoenix’s attack.
He led the conference with 13 goals and dished out seven assists last year while supplying game-changing production that undoubtedly makes the senior midfielder a marked man for this season.
“He’s probably going to have to deal with some rough stuff,” Powell said. “But I’ve got every confidence that Justin is the type of soccer player that can figure those things out for himself. He’s very, very clever as well with his movement.”
Erfan Imeni, a senior out of Williams High School in Burlington, has become a creative force in the midfield. He delivered five goals and four assists last season.
Stephen Dilger and Brad Franks, both juniors, and sophomore James Carroll have been capable contributors to Elon’s offense. Franks deposited two goals in Tuesday night’s 4-1 exhibition rout of Campbell.
Powell said the potential for exciting attacking options exists among the freshman trio of Archie Karpeh, Chris Thomas and Gabe Latigue. Karpeh scored off an assist from Latigue in this week’s exhibition victory.
Steven Kinney, twice a first-team all-league selection, anchors an experienced defense. He’s a senior who’s joined by junior Clint Collins, senior Orry Powers and junior Ben Lunka.
Goalkeeper Clint Irwin, a junior, recorded four shutouts in eight games last year while dealing with an injury.
“They’re used to playing with each other,” Powell said of Elon’s defense along the back end. “The more you play with each other, the more you understand each other, and those guys have been doing well.
“It’s collective soccer for us. We defend together and we attack together.”
And, certainly, they hurt together when last year’s regular-season title wasn’t followed by a conference tournament championship. College of Charleston bounced the Phoenix in the semifinals.
“It was very disappointing to the whole group of guys,” said Powell, who earned his second league Coach of the Year award in four seasons. “You’ve always got to keep moving forward. This year we’ve set our goals on retaining the Southern Conference championship and also winning the postseason conference championship.”
Women’s soccer
Coming off its first non-losing season since 1999 and a seventh-place finish in the league, Elon aims for continued progress under second-year coach Chris Neal.
Leading goal producer Molly Calpin, who scored six times last year, returns for her senior season. Alix Heinicke, a senior, and Brittany Hallberg, a junior, also are proven contributors. They chipped in a combined four goals last season.
Neal said Hallberg and junior Alanna Winsper, the team’s Most Valuable Player last year, reported in top shape for preseason training.
Hallberg has struggled to come back from injuries and compartment syndrome — an acute medical issue that follows injury, surgery or repetitive and extensive muscle use.
Neal is integrating 13 newcomers this season and several stood out in last week’s 3-2 exhibition victory at UNC Wilmington.
Courtney Seltman, a freshman, punched in the game-winning goal with 30 seconds remaining. Another freshman, Shannon Foley, scored on a header set up by a free kick from classmate Liz Palmer.
Sydney Little, a senior, is back at goalkeeper. She started 16 of the 17 games she appeared in last season and registered three shutouts.
Sophomore defender Andrea Keller is one of two Phoenix players — and the only returnee — who started all 19 games last year. Lauren Griffith, a senior, supplies additional experience to the defense.
Volleyball
A mix of experience and firepower is in place at Elon. And that combination has the Phoenix picked to finish second in the North Division of the Southern Conference.
Top producers in a variety of statistical categories return from last year’s team, which went 19-16 (8-10 in the league) and posted the most victories since Elon stepped up to the Division I level in 1999.
Caroline Lemke and Traci Stewart, both sophomores, led the Phoenix in kills and blocks last season and earned spots on the conference’s all-freshman team.
In fact, with senior Mandy Wilson, junior Sarah Schermerhorn and junior Lauren Copenhagen back in the fold, Elon has retained its five leading suppliers of kills and blocks from last year.
Coach Mary Tendler, who’s entering her seventh season at the helm, said her team has compiled depth at every position.
Elon also can rely on senior Emily Regan and sophomore Megan McMahon. That duo delivered 89.7 percent of the team’s assists last season.
Cross country
Coach Christine Engel’s second year brings a pair of firsts.
The Phoenix plays host to two meets, including the Southern Conference championship, marking the first season Elon has been in charge of holding a cross country event since moving up to Division I.
The Elon men’s team is coming off a 19th-place performance at last year’s NCAA regional, the program’s best finish ever there and a 15-spot improvement from 2007. The Phoenix, which came in sixth at the league championship, posted of the top 10 times in school history.
Matt Richardson, a junior, and Will Schefer, a sophomore, turned in school-record times last year. Justin Gianni, a junior, finished 26th at the conference meet to check in seven places behind Richardson.
On the women’s side, junior Emily Fournier and sophomore Melanie Reyer earned all-league honors last season. Fournier finished seventh at the league championship. She ran four of Elon’s top times last year.
The Phoenix came in sixth at last season’s conference meet and 27th at the NCAA regional. Catherine Rossi, a junior, and Caitlin Beeler, a senior, should provide support for the lineup.
August 27, 2009 12:51 AM
By Adam Smith / Times-News
ELON — The paradigm shifted last year when the Elon University men’s soccer team climbed into rarefied air and reached a perch at the peak of the Southern Conference.
And as a new season approaches, the philosophy that lifted the Phoenix to new heights has remained in tact and ever present.
“We worked very, very hard to get there,” fifth-year coach Darren Powell said. “Now we want to stay there. And it’s going to take as much, if not more, hard work to achieve our goals.”
Elon retains a sturdy nucleus of eight starters and 22 players from last year’s team that reeled off an unbeaten run through the league and secured the program’s first regular-season championship in the Southern Conference.
Justin Wyatt, the league’s reigning Player of the Year, returns as the centerpiece of the Phoenix’s attack.
He led the conference with 13 goals and dished out seven assists last year while supplying game-changing production that undoubtedly makes the senior midfielder a marked man for this season.
“He’s probably going to have to deal with some rough stuff,” Powell said. “But I’ve got every confidence that Justin is the type of soccer player that can figure those things out for himself. He’s very, very clever as well with his movement.”
Erfan Imeni, a senior out of Williams High School in Burlington, has become a creative force in the midfield. He delivered five goals and four assists last season.
Stephen Dilger and Brad Franks, both juniors, and sophomore James Carroll have been capable contributors to Elon’s offense. Franks deposited two goals in Tuesday night’s 4-1 exhibition rout of Campbell.
Powell said the potential for exciting attacking options exists among the freshman trio of Archie Karpeh, Chris Thomas and Gabe Latigue. Karpeh scored off an assist from Latigue in this week’s exhibition victory.
Steven Kinney, twice a first-team all-league selection, anchors an experienced defense. He’s a senior who’s joined by junior Clint Collins, senior Orry Powers and junior Ben Lunka.
Goalkeeper Clint Irwin, a junior, recorded four shutouts in eight games last year while dealing with an injury.
“They’re used to playing with each other,” Powell said of Elon’s defense along the back end. “The more you play with each other, the more you understand each other, and those guys have been doing well.
“It’s collective soccer for us. We defend together and we attack together.”
And, certainly, they hurt together when last year’s regular-season title wasn’t followed by a conference tournament championship. College of Charleston bounced the Phoenix in the semifinals.
“It was very disappointing to the whole group of guys,” said Powell, who earned his second league Coach of the Year award in four seasons. “You’ve always got to keep moving forward. This year we’ve set our goals on retaining the Southern Conference championship and also winning the postseason conference championship.”
Women’s soccer
Coming off its first non-losing season since 1999 and a seventh-place finish in the league, Elon aims for continued progress under second-year coach Chris Neal.
Leading goal producer Molly Calpin, who scored six times last year, returns for her senior season. Alix Heinicke, a senior, and Brittany Hallberg, a junior, also are proven contributors. They chipped in a combined four goals last season.
Neal said Hallberg and junior Alanna Winsper, the team’s Most Valuable Player last year, reported in top shape for preseason training.
Hallberg has struggled to come back from injuries and compartment syndrome — an acute medical issue that follows injury, surgery or repetitive and extensive muscle use.
Neal is integrating 13 newcomers this season and several stood out in last week’s 3-2 exhibition victory at UNC Wilmington.
Courtney Seltman, a freshman, punched in the game-winning goal with 30 seconds remaining. Another freshman, Shannon Foley, scored on a header set up by a free kick from classmate Liz Palmer.
Sydney Little, a senior, is back at goalkeeper. She started 16 of the 17 games she appeared in last season and registered three shutouts.
Sophomore defender Andrea Keller is one of two Phoenix players — and the only returnee — who started all 19 games last year. Lauren Griffith, a senior, supplies additional experience to the defense.
Volleyball
A mix of experience and firepower is in place at Elon. And that combination has the Phoenix picked to finish second in the North Division of the Southern Conference.
Top producers in a variety of statistical categories return from last year’s team, which went 19-16 (8-10 in the league) and posted the most victories since Elon stepped up to the Division I level in 1999.
Caroline Lemke and Traci Stewart, both sophomores, led the Phoenix in kills and blocks last season and earned spots on the conference’s all-freshman team.
In fact, with senior Mandy Wilson, junior Sarah Schermerhorn and junior Lauren Copenhagen back in the fold, Elon has retained its five leading suppliers of kills and blocks from last year.
Coach Mary Tendler, who’s entering her seventh season at the helm, said her team has compiled depth at every position.
Elon also can rely on senior Emily Regan and sophomore Megan McMahon. That duo delivered 89.7 percent of the team’s assists last season.
Cross country
Coach Christine Engel’s second year brings a pair of firsts.
The Phoenix plays host to two meets, including the Southern Conference championship, marking the first season Elon has been in charge of holding a cross country event since moving up to Division I.
The Elon men’s team is coming off a 19th-place performance at last year’s NCAA regional, the program’s best finish ever there and a 15-spot improvement from 2007. The Phoenix, which came in sixth at the league championship, posted of the top 10 times in school history.
Matt Richardson, a junior, and Will Schefer, a sophomore, turned in school-record times last year. Justin Gianni, a junior, finished 26th at the conference meet to check in seven places behind Richardson.
On the women’s side, junior Emily Fournier and sophomore Melanie Reyer earned all-league honors last season. Fournier finished seventh at the league championship. She ran four of Elon’s top times last year.
The Phoenix came in sixth at last season’s conference meet and 27th at the NCAA regional. Catherine Rossi, a junior, and Caitlin Beeler, a senior, should provide support for the lineup.