University of Connecticut Athletics
UConn Picked First In BIG EAST Preseason Poll In Blue Division
8/4/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
PROVIDENCE – The University of Connecticut men’s soccer team has been picked as the preseason favorite in the BIG EAST Conference Blue Division in the league’s 2005 preseason poll as voted on by the league’s head coaches. St. John’s was chosen to garner the Red Division championship. Connecticut and St. John’s have been selected to win the regular season championship in all but one season dating back to at least the 1993 season.
Connecticut, which captured last year’s BIG EAST Championship crown, earned nine first place votes in this year’s preseason poll. The Huskies placed two players on the preseason team -- sophomore defender Julius James (Maloney Gardens, Trinidad) and senior midfielder Mpho Moloi (Soweto, South Africa).. Both were named to the All-BIG EAST Second Team a year ago. They were the mainstays to a defensive minded team that allowed only 0.83 goals per game, including eight shutouts. UConn ended the 2004 campaign with a record of 12-8-3 overall, 5-4-1 in the conference, having advanced to the second round of the NCAA Championship.
UConn opens the exhibition season on Friday and Sunday, Aug. 19 and 21 when it travels to the Westfield Cup in Akron, Ohio. The Huskies take on Maryland in the first round on Aug. 19 and then will play against either SMU or Akron in the championship or consolation game on Aug. 21. The final exhibition tuneup will be at Joseph J. Morrone Stadium on Saturday, Aug. 27 against Duke at 7:00 p.m.
The Huskies open the regular season on Friday, Sept. 2, in the first round of the UConn Adidas Soccer Classic against St. Peter’s at 7:00 p.m. Brown and Hartwick meet in the first game at 4:30 p.m. The finals of the event are on Sunday, Sept. 4. The BIG EAST opener for UConn is at Cincinnati on Friday, Sept. 16.
BIG EAST play begins on September 12 when all 16 schools will compete against conference opponents. Five schools will be playing in the BIG EAST for the first time this season. South Florida, along with Cincinnati, DePaul, Louisville and Marquette help combine to make the BIG EAST the largest Division I men’s soccer conference in the nation. A round robin rotational 11-game schedule within two divisions of eight makeup conference play. Each team plays seven opponents within its division and four opponents from the other division.
The 2005 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 games will be held on the campus of the higher seeded team. First-round games will be held on Nov. 2-3, with the quarterfinals following on Nov. 5-6. The University of Connecticut will serve as host for the semifinals (Nov. 11) and the championship game (Nov. 13). Selection and seeding are based on regular season conference records.
2005 BIG EAST Conference Men’s Soccer Preseason Poll
Blue Division Points '04 Overall Record BIG EAST Rec. Reg. Sea. Fin.
1. Connecticut (9) 113 12-8-3 5-4-1 T5th
2. Notre Dame (7) 112 13-3-3 8-1-1 1st
3. Seton Hall 91 12-7-3 5-5-0 8th
4. Georgetown 73 11-8-2 5-4-1 T5th
5. West Virginia 60 12-7-1 5-4-1 T5th
6. Marquette 52 6-11-1 -- --
7. Pittsburgh 39 6-8-3 3-6-1 9th
8. Providence 28 0-16-0 0-10-0 12th
Red Division
1. St. John’s (15) 120 12-6-4 6-1-3 2nd
2. Rutgers 95 6-8-4 2-5-3 11th
3. USF (1) 90 10-5-2 -- --
4. Villanova 71 7-5-6 5-3-2 4th
5. Cincinnati 61 7-10-2 -- --
6. Syracuse 59 5-12-0 3-7-0 10th
7. Louisville 50 5-10-4 -- --
8. DePaul 22 3-14-3 -- --
Preseason Offensive Player of the Year
Ricky Schramm, Jr., Georgetown
Sacha Kljestan, Jr., Seton Hall
Preseason Defensive Player of the Year
Jeff Curtain, Sr., Georgetown
Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year
Boris Pardo, Sr., Seton Hall
Preseason All-BIG EAST Team
Jeff Curtin, Sr., B, Georgetown
Greg Dalby, Jr., B, Notre Dame*
Ian Etherington, Jr., MF, Notre Dame
Matt Groenwald, Grad., MF, St. John’s*
Rodrigo Hildalgo, So., F, USF
Julius James, So., B, Connecticut
Sacha Kljestan, Jr., F, Seton Hall*
Nick LaBrocca, Jr., MF, Rutgers
Mpho Moloi, Sr., MF, Connecticut
Boris Pardo, Sr., GK, Seton Hall
Andre Schmid, Sr., F, St. John’s
Ricky Schramm, Jr., F, Georgetown
Keeyan Young, Sr., F, Pittsburgh
* - unanimous selection
