2008 PAC Men's Soccer Preview



BETHANY BISON (8-8-3 Overall, 3-1-2 PAC in 2007)

Although the Bethany College men’s soccer team lost just six players from last year’s varsity roster, a talented incoming freshmen class could play a key role as the Bison aim to return to the top of the Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC).

Although Bethany finished 8-9-3 last season and earned a berth in the ECAC South Region Tournament for their second consecutive trip to the postseason, BC could see numerous new faces in the starting line-up when their season kicks off Saturday, Aug. 30, against Hiram (Ohio) College in the Case Western Reserve (Ohio) University Tournament. All the new talent has made the preseason camp very competitive, according to seventh-year head coach Kosmas Mouratidis.

“We are excited to have gone through a relatively healthy preseason,” said Mouratidis, who has a 73-60-14 overall record in his tenure. “The quality of the freshmen class has pushed the upperclassmen, but the newcomers have blended well with the veterans and we have developed good team chemistry.”

The Bison will once again look to a strong defense to continue to limit opponents’ scoring chances. In the last two years, Bethany has given up just 1.3 goals per game and posted 14 shutouts along the way. Returning in goal this season is senior Chad Perry, who started all 20 matches last season and made 98 saves, but he’s been pushed in camp by sophomore Ryan Whitehead and freshmen Patrick Coleman and Milan Martich.

“We feel we have very solid depth at the keeper position,” said Mouratidis. “Chad Perry does return, but he’s been challenged in camp by Whitehead and two freshmen.”

Bethany’s defensive core will be spearheaded by two familiar faces and plenty of new ones. Senor Nic Yacobi, who has not played since appearing in 16 matches in 2005, is back, as is senior Marc Auger, who has played in 54 games during his career and collected 15 points (four goals, seven assists). The rest of the defense will consist of freshmen.

“We will see a lot of fresh faces in the back,” said Mouratidis. “Yacobi and Auger will provide the experience, but we are looking to a crew of talented freshmen to tighten up the defense.”

The midfield will be the Bison’s deepest and most experienced position on the field. A pair of First Team All-PAC selections return in senior Andrew McPherson (right), who tallied five goals and two assists in ’07, and junior Jason Straw, who tied for the team-lead with 14 points (six goals, two assists).

McPherson and Straw, who are also Bethany’s captains this season, are joined by senior Mike Aivalis, who has 54 career matches under his belt, senior Greg Lani, who missed last season but was an All-PAC pick in ’05 and ’06, and junior Trevis Villafana, who had a team-high six assists last year.

Other returning midfielders who saw at least limited time a year ago include sophomores Aaron DeMundo, Chatham Gongola, Mike Hasson and Justin Wilkinson.

“The midfield is arguably our deepest position on the team” said Mouratidis. “Five returning upperclassmen have earned All-PAC in their career and there is depth and talent behind them.”

Up front, Bethany returns two players who matched Straw with a team-best 14 points. Junior forward Cory Estes scored seven goals to lead all Bison scorers, while sophomore Ari Dewhurst equaled Straw’s line with six goals and two assists on his way to Honorable Mention All-PAC honors. A couple freshmen have also caught Mouratidis’ eye in camp, which may give the Bison numerous scoring threats.

“Two of our strikers are back from last year in Dewhurst, who returns after a solid performance as a freshman, and Estes, who led the team in goals,” said Mouratidis. “We have the potential to have good depth here as well with the development of some freshmen.”

How quickly Bethany’s returners and newcomers mesh will go a long way in determining if the Bison can make a run at capturing their first PAC championship since 2001, which would also bring an automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament.

“The key to our season will be the cohesion of our upperclassmen and freshmen class,” said Mouratidis. “We are looking to the veterans to step up and lead the team and we will look to the freshmen to have a direct influence defensively and bolster the midfield, our strikers and possibly the goalkeeper position.”

 


GENEVA GOLDEN TORNADOES (12-6 Overall in 2007)
Coach Todd Beall has turned the Geneva soccer program around and is looking to continue on the work he has done so far.  Beall returns for his third season at Geneva with the experience as a coach to win and with some experienced players to get the job done.  “I felt we were successful last season because we had the time to prepare and the talent to work with.  This season we have just as much talent and even more experience.  I’m excited for what our program will be able to do.”

The young guns proved to be the difference for the Golden Tornadoes in 2007.  After managing only three wins in 2006, Geneva bounced back to post a 12-6 record in 2007.  A lot of the recent success can be attributed to the monster of a freshman class that Beall was blessed with a year ago.  The growing pains were virtually non-existent as the Golden Tornadoes started off with a 7-1 record last season.  “I wasn’t surprised at the way we started off because I knew the amount of talent we had on our roster.  I don’t think anyone expected us to play the way we did right off the bat.  This year it’s no secret that we will be able to compete night in and night out.”

The young talented freshman class of last year has translated into this year’s standout sophomores.  With a little experience under its belt, Coach Beall hopes that this year’s team can build on what was accomplished last year.  “I was very proud of the job our team did last year with such limited experience.  I think that everyone saw the potential in our young players.  This year there are some expectations in place, but also the opportunity for young players to step up and come into their own.”

Returning players will have to step up in order to replace players lost to graduation in Ryan Henretty and John Hunt, who received a first team selection to the east region of the NCCAA last season.  This year’s senior class is not without some stand out players.  Sam McCracken and Mark Zurbrick (left) both received post season accolades and will be joined by Adam Lawyer, Matt Baranay, Jonah Creasy and Steve Gauss to round out the senior class.  Six seniors is a far cry from the two that were in place last year.  All of these seniors contributed significantly to last year’s achievements and are ready to lead the underclassmen to another winning season.  “I can’t say enough about how excited I am to have this year’s senior class lead our team,” said Beall, “These kids have come full circle in terms of winning and losing over their years at Geneva.  One thing that has never changed is their desire to compete.  Now that they have had a taste of winning, I don’t think they will let that go.”

Sam McCracken is among the returning seniors that understands what it takes to win. 

McCracken raised some eyebrows last year, en route to posting seven shutouts and an average of 0.78 goals per game.  “Sam gained some recognition in the national spotlight last year and he deserved every bit of it.  If he can produce a season even close to what he had last year, I’m confident that we’ll see a lot of games end in our favor.” 

While the defense will be held down by seniors, the offense will have its fair share of help coming from underclassmen.  The 2007 campaign saw a number of freshmen leading the Golden Tornadoes to an average of 2.11 goals per game.  A pair of sophomores in Kenton Burkhart and Bruce Fox will return to lead Geneva’s offense. 

Geneva’s soccer program has made a name for itself and now has something to prove.  “We want to show that last year was not just a fluke,” said Beall, “We feel that we set the standard in 2007 and hopefully 2008 will yield even better results.”


GROVE CITY WOLVERINES (6-8-4 Overall, 2-3-1 PAC in 2007)

As a rule, the terms "young" and "experienced" are rarely used together when describing a sports team. An exception will be made for the 2008 Grove City College men’s soccer team, however.

After fielding an extremely youthful squad in 2007, the Wolverines will still be rather young in 2008 as numerous underclassmen are expected to fill critical roles.

However, the experiences gained last year – a season in which Grove City came within a whisker of the Presidents’ Athletic Conference Championship Tournament – should prove beneficial to the 2008 squad.

Grove City returns 11 lettermen this fall, including 10 players who started multiple matches in 2007.

The Wolverines, under the direction of third-year head coach Mike Dreves, will rely on a four-man senior class in their quest for a third postseason berth in the last four years.

For the better part of the program’s 70-year history, the Grove City men’s soccer squad has relied on iron-clad defense. That will again be the case in 2008 as the Wolverines return three starters along the back line.

Senior backs Jack Adams and Bob Terhune (right) both started all 18 matches in 2007 and again will help anchor the Grove City defense. Adams is a two-time All-PAC selection at center back while Terhune is a stalwart at outside back.

Sophomore Dave Larkin moved into the starting lineup at outside back during his rookie season and will challenge for a starting post again this year. Senior Ben Kristobak, junior Sean Osborne (four starts in 2007) and sophomore Evan Harding (two starts) will all compete for full-time starting spots this year.

Junior Joel Metz will also battle for a starting assignment after moving from midfield to defender in the offseason.

In goal, junior Tim Lansing played in four matches last season, including one start. He owns a 2-0 record and an 0.77 goals-against average as a reserve. Lansing is the only experienced goalkeeper on the Wolverines’ preseason roster.

Grove City also returns a pair of seniors at the midfield positions in Paul Cardinal and Matt Sol. Cardinal made an immediate impact in his first year in the program by starting the 2007 season opener.

Sol, meanwhile, has been one of Grove City’s most consistent performers over the past three seasons. He will be counted on for leadership at both ends of the field this season.

Sophomores Erich Beyer, Evan Moore and Chuck Witt all played extensively as freshmen in 2007 and will compete for starting spots at midfield this season.

Fellow sophomores Zach Barzanty and Alex Ford are also looking to break into the lineup this season.

At forward, Grove City returns sophomore Jake Kern. Kern led Grove City in scoring in 2007 with six goals in 17 games. He capped his rookie season by earning Second Team All-PAC recognition. Sophomores Austin Bernal and Daniel Bernal are looking to challenge for time up front for Grove City.

Grove City will be tested frequently throughout the 2008 season by one of the most rugged schedules in program history.

In addition to the challenging conference slate, the Wolverines will also face national power Messiah along with regional powers Baldwin-Wallace, Carnegie Mellon, Ohio Wesleyan and Penn State Altoona.

Grove City opens the 2008 season August 29 against visiting Point Park. Presidents’ Athletic Conference play begins October 4 against Thiel. The Wolverines will wrap up the regular season November 1 against archrival Geneva College at 12 p.m.

 


SAINT VINCENT BEARCATS (8-9-3 Overall in 2007)
Despite a subpar 8-9-3 record a season ago, Saint Vincent head coach Keith Harmon has a good feeling about the 2008 campaign. With a solid core of upperclassmen returning, as well as three of the top goal scoring threats in the Presidents' Athletic Conference, Harmon's optimism seems expected.

"I have the same excited feeling now as I did going into the 2005 season," the eleventh-year head coach said.

The 2005 squad was one of the most successful in the history of the team, as it advanced to the NAIA Regional Finals before falling to eventual-National Champion Rio Grande University. Though the Bearcats have since changed affiliations, moving from the NAIA to NCAA Division III and the Presidents' Athletic Conference, Harmon's optimism may be well merited.

The team's offense looks to be its strong point heading into the preseason.

The big returnee among forwards is junior Luis Rodriguez, who burst onto the scene a season ago, tying for the PAC lead with 15 goals while adding three assists, good for 33 points and second place in the PAC.

Rodriguez's classmate, Ben Fecik (left), is another force up front.  Despite playing in just 12 games due to injury as a sophomore, he racked up six goals and five assists.  As a freshman, Fecik started 17 games, scoring seven goals with seven assists.

The third member of SVC's potent forward corps is senior David Lauteri, who has proven equally effective at scoring and setting goals up.  Last season, he started all 19 games, finishing with five goals and six assists.  As a sophomore in 2006, he scored five goals with two assists, despite missing six games due to injury, and as a freshman he scored six goals with three assists.

"Offensively," Harmon said, "we have three proven scorers in Lauteri, Fecik, and Rodriguez.  They're all capable of scoring double-digit goals, as long as we can keep them healthy."

The Bearcat midfield was hit the hardest with graduation from a season ago, losing a trio of starters in Jason Zielinski, Mark Mastriano, and Sean Molyneaux.  However, Harmon believes that his team can overcome these losses.

"We should be fine at midfield, particularly in the center," said Harmon. 

Ben Fecik's twin brother Matt Fecik has started all 38 games of his career, playing both midfield and defense, and should man center mid for SVC in 2008.  Ben has also seen extensive time at midfield during his career, and could fined himself lined up alongside his brother this year.

Junior Jim Vargo could have the inside track at one of the outside mid spots.  He appeared in the first 10 games of last season for the Bearcats, starting three, before missing the second half of the year with an ankle injury.

"This is really Jim's first year healthy," Harmon said.  "We're hopeful he can win a spot at outside mid."

The other midfield spot will be hotly contested during the preseason, as sophomores Alex Lardin and Cory Smith, as well as freshmen Christian Ricci, Rick Fec, Nick Pollino, and Brendan Bartko will all vie for time.

"There's going to be a lot of competition between the freshmen," Harmon said.  "They all should be able to contribute."

The defense is yet another senior-laden position for the Bearcats.  Two-year starters Andy Bianco and Ibra Fancher are back, after helping the Bearcats post two shutouts and allow two or fewer goals on 13 different occasions in 2007.

Sophomore Kevin Hunter, along with first-year players Dean Jordan and Ben Scavarca, will battle it out for the remaining starting spots in the back.

"Scavarca is in his first year for us," said Harmon, "after coming to school from the Army.  He's a little older, and very disciplined.  Jordan had an excellent high school career, and we hope he can contribute right away.  Hunter played a good bit for us last year, and he knows what to do."

In goal, senior Brandon Bower returns after starting 17 games in 2007.  He posted three shoutouts, finishing with a goals against average of 1.79 and a save percentage of .805.

"Brandon coming back for us is big," said Harmon.  "We're looking for big things from him, as long as he can stay healthy."

Two freshmen, Gabe Cooper and Jacob Gilbertson, will also battle for time in the net.

"They're both very good goalies," Harmon said, "and we're lucky to get them.  It should be a good competition in goal."

While Harmon has yet to see his 2008 team in action on the field, he is impressed with the leadership roles of his four seniors.

"Bianco, Fancher, Bower, and Lauteri have and will provide very good leadership for our team," Harmon said.  "They've all been with us for four years, and they all have excellent attitudes.  You can see that the team chemistry is very good.  I just hope it translates into some more wins."

While Harmon doesn't have a prediction for his squad in terms of wins and losses, he does have a goal for his squad.

"I think it's past the time for us to be competitive," he said.  "It's time to win more games.  As we get closer to becoming eligible for the PAC and NCAA playoffs, we have to be more consistent in winning soccer games.

"If everyone stays healthy, we should be in good shape."

The Bearcats kick off the 2008 campaign on August 29th, traveling to Cleveland's Case Western Reserve University for a 7:30pm season opener.  



THIEL TOMCATS (2-14-1 Overall, 1-5 PAC in 2007)
Entering the 2008 season the Thiel College men’s soccer team is looking to improve on last season’s effort by leaps and bounds.  With an influx of talented newcomers from around the country and the return of its top players from last year, this season is looking to be the beginning of a new era for Tomcat soccer. 

 

Second-year head coach Andy Hoggarth went into the off-season with one thing in mind; finding talent that could help propel the Tomcats to the upper echelon of the Presidents' Athletic Conference. 

 

Leading this young group of players is all-PAC sophomore middle fielder Chad Swisher (left).  Swisher finished 2007 ranked first on the team and sixth in the conference in points with 24.  Also returning to the squad is junior goalkeeper Tim Smith.  Smith finished last season ranked eighth among his Division III counterparts with 8.57 saves per game.
 

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THOMAS MORE SAINTS (13-6 Overall, 3-3 PAC in 2007)

The Thomas More men’s soccer team is out to prove the success in 2007 – in which they achieved the second-highest win total in school history – was no fluke.

               

They will have to complete that mission without the services of 2007 Player of the Year, Garry Sheahan. The Irish native gave the Thomas More offense the threat of scoring at any given moment. He finished the season with 13 goals and 11 assists for a Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC)-best 37 points.

               

“We will have to consistently show up every day and put in the work to get better,” said head coach Jeff Cummings. “We are not going to sneak up on anybody this season and Garry is not here to bail us out.”

               

The Saints showed the ability to score even when Sheahan missed a couple games due to injury. Thomas More scored seven goals in the two games he missed.

               

“We have guys that can score, they must show up on a regular basis,” Cummings added.

               

He added the part of the difficulties lie in the fact last season was the first time in a long time that the Saints were able to compete on a regular basis. The experience of advancing to the PAC final and winning the program’s first postseason game will go a long way in the confidence department.

               

Combine the experience gain with last year’s run, and the incoming freshman, the Saints are primed to prove they belong in the upper echelon of the PAC.

               

Leading the way offensively will be sophomore Aaron Osborne. The midfielder was tied for the PAC with 15 goals as he played in all 19 games, making 18 starts.  Osborne will not be the only offensive weapon in the Saints repertoire as the Saints return seven players that scored at least two goals.

               

Sophomore Dan Miller was third on the team with four goals and second with five assists last season. Seniors David Megel and Jason Cooper each tallied three goals for the Saints a year ago.

               

Urbana University transfer Joey Tensing, who started all 17 games for the Blue Knights last year, joins the roster. 

               

Megel , Cooper and Miller are joined by three-year starter, John Wallace as starters in the midfield. Senior Alex Weidner, sophomore Matt Lloyd and sophomore Johnny Vorhees will all provide experience and depth in the midfield.

               

Senior Matt Koopman spearheads a Thomas More defense that was third in the PAC, allowing 25 goals in 19 games. Koopman set a new school record with a PAC-high seven shutouts. His eight career shutouts are also a school record.

               

“Matt gives us someone with the ability to make the game-changing save,” said Cummings.

               

Senior Nick Rosenbauer and sophomore Evan Toebbe give the Saints experience.

               

Senior Bryan Dattilo returns for his fourth season as a starter, his third in the back. He will be joined by returning starters in sophomores Adam Bertke and Scott Hasken. Hasken started all 19 games, while Dattilo started in all 16 games he appeared in.

               

“Our defense has to make a more focused effort in not giving up goals,” said Cummings.

 


WASHINGTON & JEFFERSON PRESIDENTS (11-6-3 Overall, 4-0-2 PAC in 2007)
Entering his 18th season with the Washington and Jefferson College men's soccer program, Head Coach Ian McDonald, looks to build on last season's success and carry the 2008 squad back to the NCAA Tournament.  The Presidents qualified for postseason play for the second time in school history, falling to Penn State Behrend, 1-0, at Alexandre Stadium.

The Presidents began last season with a disappointing 1-5-1 record; however, following a 2-0 victory over Otterbein on September 22nd, the Presidents played 13 consecutive matches without a loss.  The Presidents closed out the season with a 12-6-3 overall record, while posting a 4-0-2 mark in PAC play on their way to capturing the conference crown, only the third in school history.

Seven seniors will look to lead the Presidents in 2008; five of which were starters on last year's NCAA squad: goalie Tyler Hodgins, defenders Ryan McDonald and Dustin Jamieson-Strazdas and midfielders Jeremy Delmaster (right) and Josh Nixon. Hodgins, McDonald and Delmaster all garnered First Team All-PAC honors last season.

Delmaster started 20 games last year and returns as the Presidents' leading scorer with 22 points, tallying seven goals and eight assists.  Hodgins will again man the goal for the Presidents as the four-year starter allowed just 27 goals last season on his way to eight shutout performances. 

McDonald continues to be a stalwart on the defensive end, while also showing a scoring touch after recording four goals and four assists last season.  McDonald and Jamieson-Strazdas and their teammates formed one of the league's top units, allowing only 1.29 goals and 5.9 shots on goal per contest.  Nixon as well as seniors Ryan Borchik and Evan Chappel will provide veteran leadership.

Junior midfielder Dan Hart also returns to the starting line-up for W&J.  Hart was second on the team in scoring last season, amassing 12 points on five goals and two assists and is expected to make similar contributions this season. 

Sophomore forward Mike Pappas will be looking to add to the offense after tallying three goals last season, including the overtime game-winner in the PAC Tournament semifinals versus Bethany.   

Sophomores Stephen Bosak and Josh Weber proved to be talented young players with solid freshman campaigns and Coach McDonald will be expecting more of the duo on a full-time basis in 2008.    

The Presidents will open regular season play on September 3rd, traveling to local rival Carnegie Mellon for 7:30 pm match. 

 


WAYNESBURG YELLOW JACKETS (3-16 Overall, 0-6 PAC in 2007)

The 2007 season was one to forget for the Waynesburg University men’s soccer team, as they went just 3-16 overall and posted a 0-6 mark in Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) play. However, thanks to solid recruiting classes over the last two years, fourth-year head coach Carl Dei Cas is optimistic about the 2008 campaign.
 

"I'm very excited with the level of talent that we have coming in and returning,” Dei Cas said. “It could be the start of a couple nice years.”

 

FORWARDS

Up front, Waynesburg will be led by fifth-year senior J.C. Danhires, who was an honorable mention selection to last year’s All-PAC team and is this year’s top returning scorer. Last year, Danhires finished in a tie for second on the team with four goals and added four assists.
 

To complement the veteran presence of Danhires up front, Dei Cas commented that the other two spots would likely be manned by a pair of freshmen in Erick Burke and Matt Martin. Junior Chris Crimone is also back and should provide good competition for a starting spot.

 

MIDFIELDERS

When asked where the strength of his team lies, Dei Cas expressed great optimism and confidence in his midfielders.
 

Leading the group is 2007 second-team all-conference selection Mike DeAngelis. DeAngelis started a team-high 17 games and appeared in 18 contests in which he recorded a pair of assists.
 

Sophomore Ryan Gaudy also returns to the team after being lauded as an honorable mention selection to the All-PAC squad. The Peters Township graduate notched two goals and an assist on 22 shots. 
 

The other two slots in the midfield will be determined as the team continues to get ready for its opener on Aug. 29 at the Cabrini College Soccer Festival.
 

In the center, sophomores Ryan Hartz and Simeon Williams are the two main candidates for the job and may end up rotating through the season. Crimone and freshman Matthew Snyder are both battling for an outside slot.
 

While Dei Cas is confident in his midfielders, this area of the field is where the team will suffer perhaps its biggest singular loss, player-wise, as last year’s leading scorer Jeremy Pronto (six goals) will miss the season as he participates in an off-campus internship.

 

DEFENSE

The Yellow Jackets return just one starting defenseman from last year’s team in senior Kyle Williams. Williams will be back for his fourth year as a starter and will set up at one of the outside spots. With three jobs still up in the air, there is plenty of competition in camp.
 

Freshman David Floyd has already impressed Dei Cas enough to be considered a strong candidate for one of the jobs. Another freshman, Josh Brewer, is also in the running to see starting time on the pitch.
 

Senior Ronnie Wilson brings plenty of experience to the team as he works for a starting spot and sophomore Andy Glenn is also a definite possibility as a starter.
 

Senior Dustin Kozad, freshman Kyle Collins and first-year senior Shane Gottschalk round out the main contenders in front of the goalie.

 

GOALKEEPER

Speaking of the goalkeepers, Waynesburg features a senior and two sophomores who are expected to duke it out for playing time.
 

The leading candidate for the bulk of the work is senior Brad Davis (left). In 2007, Davis led all goalies on the team in appearances (13) and starts (11) while stopping 73 percent of the shots he faced.
 

Sophomore Ryan Hunsberger made seven appearances in net and started five of them, while saving just under 63 percent of the shots that were booted his way. His classmate, Tyler Hellwig, appeared in three games and stopped 57 percent of the shots he faced.

 

Though the Yellow Jackets have never made it to the postseason as one of the top four teams in the conference under Dei Cas, the head coach believes the winds of change are starting to blow over his program.
 

"I think they have a better work ethic and are more disciplined than past teams,” Dei Cas said. “We gave up too many goals last year and we want to score more goals than we give up this season. If we do that, I think we have a chance to make the PAC playoffs.”
 

Dei Cas will be joined by his assistant coach Ronnie Lupori, who is going into his third season as an assistant coach at Waynesburg.
 

 

WESTMINSTER TITANS (11-7-3 Overall, 5-0-1 PAC in 2007)

The Westminster College men's soccer team is hoping for a role reversal in 2008. Last year, the Titans cruised through their conference schedule undefeated only to lose in the first round of the league playoffs. Now, Westminster would like to be the team peaking at the end of the season.

Westminster posted an 11-6-3 record and a 5-0-1 mark in the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) last year. As the top seed in the PAC Tournament, Westminster lost to fourth-seeded Thomas More, 3-1, in the semifinals.

"Coming back from last year will be difficult," said 11th-year head coach Girish Thakar. "We've learned from that. Being the top seed is nice, but it doesn't mean much. The bottom line is we need to get in the playoffs and play our best soccer at the end of the season."

Thakar is so certain that his players learned from the upset in the PAC Tournament because the Titans seemed undeterred in two additional matches in the postseason. Westminster qualified for the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division III South Championships last year and defeated Bethany, 3-0, and played well against regional-power Swarthmore in a 1-0 semifinal loss on the road.

Westminster returns seven starters and 12 letter-winners from last year. The most notable loss was Andrew Saporito (9 goals, 9 assists) to graduation.

Fifth-year senior midfielder Garrett Horvath (right) received an extra year of eligibility and will return to the team after leading Westminster with 31 points (13 G, 5 A) in 2007. Horvath ranked fourth in the PAC in points and was voted team MVP and first team all-PAC.

While Horvath may be the most productive player in the Titans' lineup, Westminster is not a high-scoring team that relies on one player.

"We are not a flashy team; we are a blue-collar team" Thakar said. "The key thing is that our chemistry is very good. We have a lot of hard-working players and we've never relied on one player."

The team's second-leading goal-scorer is back in junior Brice Lott, who received an honorable mention for the all-PAC team after scoring 11 goals. Other returning starters on offense include junior forward Justin Flowers, a two-year starter, and sophomore midfielder Aaron Zavora.

Three of the seven returning starters will bolster the team's defense.

Senior defender Chris Ellwanger started all but one match during his three years at Westminster and earned a first-team all-PAC selection last year. He will be joined on the back line by senior Justin Rivas.

Also returning to the lineup will be sophomore goalkeeper Mike Codita, a second-team all-PAC selection who led the PAC with a .841 save percentage as a freshman
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