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BIG EAST Preseason Poll Ranks Rutger's Mens Soccer Fourth in Red Division

August 10, 2006

PISCATAWAY, NJ – The Rutgers men’s soccer team has been ranked fourth in the Red Division of the BIG EAST’s 2006 preseason poll, the conference office announced today. The University of Connecticut, coming off back-to-back league championship titles, has been picked as the preseason favorite to win the BIG EAST title. USF, the 2005 Red Division regular-season champion, was picked to finish second overall and first in the Red Division.

USF received nine first-place votes and a total of 106 points from league coaches, while St. John’s was ranked second in the division with seven first-place votes and 104 points. Cincinnati received 77 points to finish with a third-place ranking, and Rutgers finished just behind with 76 points. Louisville, Villanova, Syracuse, and DePaul followed Rutgers in the rankings.

In the Blue Division, Connecticut earned 11 first-place votes and 109 points. Notre Dame, which received five first-place votes and 103 total points, was picked to finish second in the division. Seton Hall, Providence, West Virginia, Georgetown, Marquette, and Pittsburgh rounded out the division’s rankings.

In 2005, Connecticut posted a 16-3-2 record and earned its ninth straight NCAA Championship berth. USF compiled a record of 13-6-2 and reached the second round of the 2005 NCAA Tournament. Rutgers finished the 2005 season with an 8-8-3 record and fell to West Virginia in the first round of the BIG EAST Tournament.

The 2006 BIG EAST Men's Soccer Championship will feature the top 12 of the league’s 16 teams. The top six teams in each division, seeded by conference point total, qualify for the Conference Championship. The top two teams in each division earn a first-round bye to the quarterfinals. The first round and quarterfinal matches will be held on the campuses of the higher seeded teams. First-round matches will be held on Oct. 25 or 26, with the quarterfinals following on Oct. 28 or 29. Rutgers University will serve as host for the semifinal (Nov. 3) and the championship matches (Nov. 5). Selection and seeding are based on regular-season conference records. The champion receives the league's automatic bid to the 48-team NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Championship.

2006 BIG EAST Men's Soccer Preseason Poll

Blue Division

Points2005 BIG EAST 2005 Overall 2005 BIG EAST Finish

Connecticut (11) 109 7-3-1 16-3-2 1st

Notre Dame (5) 103 6-4-1 12-8-3 Tied 3rd

Seton Hall 79 6-3-2 13-4-3 2nd

Providence 58 3-3-4 7-4-9 6th

West Virginia 54 6-4-1 14-7-2 Tied 3rd

Georgetown 49 6-5-0 10-9-1 5th

Marquette 37 1-8-1 5-11-1 8th

Pittsburgh 23 2-9-0 3-12-1 7th

Red Division

Points 2005 BIG EAST 2005 Overall 2005 BIG EAST Finish

USF (9) 106 9-2-0 13-6-2 1st

St. John's (7) 104 6-2-3 11-6-5 2nd

Cincinnati 77 6-3-2 10-7-2 3rd

Rutgers 76 5-4-2 8-8-3 5th

Louisville 56 2-7-2 5-11-2 7th

Villanova 39 6-4-1 7-7-4 4th

Syracuse 36 3-7-1 7-8-4 6th

DePaul 16 2-8-1 4-11-2 8th

(-) - Indicates first place votes

2006 Preseason All-BIG EAST Team

BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Year

Omar Cummings, Sr., F, Cincinnati

BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year

Julius James, Jr., D, Connecticut

BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Year

Jason Landers, Jr., GK, St. John's

All-BIG EAST Preseason Team

Omar Cummings, Sr., F, Cincinnati

Greg Dalby, Sr., M, Notre Dame

Ian Etherington, Sr., M, Notre Dame

Eliseo Giusfredi, So., F, Seton Hall

David Guzman, Jr., M, Louisville

Rodrigo Hidalgo, Jr., F/M, USF

Julius James*, Jr., D, Connecticut

Gordon Kljestan, Sr., D/M, Seton Hall

Jason Landers, Jr., GK, St. John's

Yohance Marshall, So., D, USF

Jordan Seabrook, So., F, USF

O'Brian White, So., F, Connecticut

Andrew Wright, Jr., M, West Virginia

* - unanimous selection; ^ - Due to a tie in voting, two extra members have been added to the team