Florida Atlantic University Athletics
FAU Men's Soccer Open 2008 Season This Weekend
8/28/2008 12:00:00 AM | General
Aug. 28, 2008
The Florida Atlantic University men's soccer team will kick-off its 2008 season under the guidance of Head Coach Kos Donev. FAU will begin the season on the road in matches against Coastal Carolina University and Niagara University this weekend before returning for the home opener against the University of Missouri-Kansas City on Friday, September 5 at 7 p.m at FAU's Boca campus, 777 Glades Road. For live webcast by The Edge of the Coastal Carolina and Niagara game, CLICK HERE.
The Owls won the 2007 Atlantic Soccer Conference championship in 2007 and will make the transition into the Mid-American Conference (MAC) in 2008.
"Going into the MAC as a new member will be a challenge," said Donev, who has coached the team for 22 years. "It is a strong conference, as they usually have schools in the Top 20, and the teams are unfamiliar to FAU."
The 2008 team will resemble the 2007 squad, with eight of 11 starters returning. Starters lost from last year were defender Franz Chevannes, and midfielders Igor Santos and Diego Monsalve.
After a record-breaking season, junior goalkeeper Phillip Lamarre is back for a third season in the net. Lamarre and the rest of the Owls' defense only allowed 25 goals in 20 matches, or 1.17 goals per game.
Key returners from last year's defense include juniors Trey McEntee, Jordan Kelly, Thorstein Georgsson and senior Guilherme Ribeiro. Senior Liam Ogle, who started 19 games for the Owls after transferring from Cayuga Community College, anchors the midfield along with sophomore Andre McCreath, the 2007 FAU "Rookie of the Year."
"We expect the defense to be the backbone at the beginning of the season," said Donev. "Although we did well last year, we must still expect a lot out of them."
The offensive charge will likely be led by three-year starter Shire Standnes. Standnes and senior teammate Ribeiro have combined for 82 starts in their career. Fellow senior Jesse Kehoe also will be leaned upon for his skills on offense.
The Owls will look for added depth from a talented recruiting class. Evan Kluge, Calvin Crooks, and Darnell King will look to contribute at forward, while Andrew Soares, Cristian Madalengoitia, Rocco Pecora and Vincent Dibullo will compete at midfield. Marko Urlic and Sean Hart will strengthen the defense. Paul Berg, Chris Lamarre and Jake Alexander will redshirt this year.
FAU is scheduled against every conference opponent, including the University of Buffalo, Akron University, Northern Illinois University, Western Michigan University, Hartwick College and Bowling Green University. The conference tournament will be played Thursday, November 13 through Sunday, November 16 at a site yet to be determined. The Owls non-conference schedule includes two road trips to the Raleigh-Durham area to face Duke University and North Carolina State University.
Games at FAU Field against the University of Missouri-Kansas City and Seattle University, as well as against conference opponents Hartwick College and Bowling Green State University, comprise the home schedule.
FAU is predicted to finished sixth in the MAC, which has seven teams.
2008 MAC Preseason Soccer Poll
1. Akron
2. Northern Illinois
3. Buffalo
4. Hartwick
5. Bowling Green
6. Florida Atlantic
7. Western Michigan
Tournament Champion: Akron (6 votes), Western Michigan (1)
To purchase tickets, visit the FAU Ticket Office, Tom Oxley Center, 777 Glades Road, Boca Raton campus. Office hours are Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call 1-866-FAU-Owls
