Greenville Hoping to Three-Peat in 2011

ST. LOUIS - The Greenville College men's soccer team was chosen unanimously among the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SLIAC) coaches to dominate in conference play this season. The Panthers received a total of 72 points and eight first place votes in the pre-season poll.

Greenville is hoping to capture their third consecutive regular season conference title, as well as repeat as tournament champions and make it back to the NCAA Division III tournament. Head coach Brian McMahon returns four of his five First Team All-SLIAC players from last season, including his two leading goal scorers, seniors David Dunlop and Cobi Allen. Dunlop, a forward, tallied 13 goals and 11 assists last season, while Allen, a midfielder, recorded 11 goals and two assists. Senior midfielder Daniel Taylor also returns to the Panthers lineup after ranking third on the team in 2010 with seven goals and three assists. Junior Nathan Mayberry returns in the backfield and will look to anchor a Greenville defense that went unbeaten in SLIAC play last year and posted a total of 10 shutouts on the season.

Fontbonne University will be looking to challenge for the conference title, as the Griffins ranked second in the pre-season coaches' poll with a total of 61 points. Fontbonne also went unbeaten in SLIAC play in 2010 with a 4-0-4 conference record. The Griffins return Zach Will in goal, after he went 5-5-7 overall last season with three shutouts, 80 saves and a 1.28 goals-against average. Head coach Brian Hoener will also be looking to Ted Gansmann (3 goals) and Nick Platipodis (1 goal, 1 assist) to lead their squad in 2011.

Webster University and Principia College rounded out the top four in the pre-season poll with 55 and 53 points respectively. The Gorloks have six starters returning from a squad that went 10-6-3 overall and 5-2-1 in conference play. Principia returns two stellar players in seniors Samuel Thomas and Paul Sanderude. Thomas, a goalkeeper, was the 2010 SLIAC Co-Player of the Year and a First Team All-SLIAC honoree after recording 91 saves, four shutouts and a 1.13 goals-against average. Sanderude, a defender, was Honorable Mention All-SLIAC in 2010 and finished the season with three goals.

2011 SLIAC Men's Soccer
Pre-Season Coaches' Poll
1 - Greenville (8)
2 - Fontbonne (1)
3 - Webster
4 - Principia
5 - Westminster
6 - Blackburn
     Spalding
8 - Eureka
9 - MacMurray