Moon Township, Pa.-The Robert Morris University men's soccer team was picked to finish 10th in the Northeast Conference this season according to the 2010 Men's Soccer Preseason Coaches Poll which was released Tuesday. A team laden with underclassmen in 2009, 14th-year head coach Bill Denniston has nine starters among his 19 letterwinners returning.
Monmouth was the unanimous favorite among the league's coaches, garnering all 10 possible first-place votes to top to the poll for the fifth straight season. Quinnipiac was picked second followed by Fairleigh Dickinson, St. Francis (N.Y.), Mount St. Mary's, Sacred Heart, Saint Francis (Pa.), Long Island, Central Connecticut State, Robert Morris and Bryant.
Senior midfielder Neil Shaffer (Aliquippa, Pa. / Beaver) is the team's leading returning scorer after tallying two goals and three assists in his junior campaign. Shaffer has plenty of returning starters joining him. Just two starters, midfielders Sean Riley and Kyle Mc Ivor, are missing from last year's squad.
The rest of the team returns intact, including goalkeeper Toba Bolaji (Vaughn, Ontario / Maple), who had an outstanding freshman season. He ranked fourth in the NEC in goals against average (0.91) and save percentage (.851) while posting five shutouts.
In front of Bolaji, all four starting backs return along Shaffer and junior Matt Griffin (Bethel Park, Pa. / Bethel Park) in the midfield. Francis Bowman (Fawn Grove, Pa. / Kennard-Dale) and David Torrance (Glasgow, Scotland / Langside College) will be back to vie for their starting forward jobs as well.
The Colonials open the regular season September 1 when they travel to Pitt for a 7:00 p.m. kick-off.
2010 Northeast Conference Men's Soccer Preseason Coaches Poll
1. Monmouth (10)
2. Quinnipiac (1)
3. Fairleigh Dickinson
4. St. Francis (N.Y.)
5. Mount St. Mary's
6. Sacred Heart
7. Saint Francis (Pa.)
8. Long Island
9. Central Connecticut State
10. Robert Morris
11. Bryant
