America East Preview: BU on Top

Defending Champ Terriers Top AE Conference Poll

August 20, 2009

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. � The defending America East champion Boston University men�s soccer team was picked to win the conference again in the league�s preseason coaches� poll released on Wednesday.

The Terriers received all seven possible first-place votes for 49 points, while Binghamton University, which fell to BU in the championship game a year ago, was second in the poll with 39 points.

Shaun Taylor

Senior Shaun Taylor and the BU soccer team were picked No. 1 in the preseason poll. (Source: BU Athletics)

Another New England team, Vermont, the 2007 champion, came in third with 34 points and was followed closely by Albany, which tallied 30 points and garnered one first-place vote. Hartford (25 points), New Hampshire (20), Stony Brook (15) and UMBC (13) rounded out the eight-team poll.

The 2009 campaign kicks off Sept. 1 with all eight America East squads in action, while league play commences Oct. 3. The top six teams in America East, which earned its highest conference RPI ever (No. 6) last season, will advance to the America East Championship.

BU (12-6-3 overall in 2008, 6-1-1 America East) brings back all but one starter from last year�s squad, which captured its 11th conference title and defeated Fairleigh Dickinson in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Ranked 24th in the country, the Terriers will be led by sophomore Michael Bustamante, the 2008 Midfielder and Rookie of the Year who ranked third among league leaders with nine assists, and senior Shaun Taylor, a two-time all-conference choice who was tied for second with nine scores.

Senior goalkeeper Hrafn Davidsson returns to a defense that allowed just 17 goals and posted 10 shutouts in 2008. Boston U. opens its season Sept. 1 at NCAA participant UMass and will also face No. 12 UConn (Sept. 6) and No. 5 St. John�s (Sept. 13).

Vermont (9-4-7, 4-1-3) will rely on two-time all-league striker T.J. Gore, the lone returnee among the team�s top scorers last season, to add to his 10 career goals. Sophomore Drew Smalley, one of six returning starters, will lead a defense that allowed just 15 goals in 2008. The Catamounts begin their quest for their fifth league title against Siena at home on Sept. 1 and will travel to No. 16 Dartmouth on Sept. 30.

Hartford (7-8-3, 3-4-1) participated in its third straight America East Championship a year ago and brings back nearly every player from that squad. First-team all-conference performers Carlos Villa, who led America East with 11 goals, and Ivan Guarin, who scored twice and added an assist from his midfield spot, will also welcome back 2007 All-America East striker Andreas Blamo, who missed all of last season due to injury. The Hawks open at Bryant on Sept. 1 and will face three NCAA participants in non-conference play: Boston College, UMass and Ohio State.

Rounding out the New England quartet is New Hampshire (7-7-4, 2-4-2), which brings back six starters from last year�s squad, including 2006 Striker of the Year Chris Banks, who ranked seventh in America East with seven goals last season. The Wildcats open at Iona on Sept. 1 and face a challenging non-conference slate with five NCAA teams from 2008 (Colgate, Dartmouth, Fairfield, Harvard, UMass) on the schedule.

2009 Preseason America East Men�s Soccer Poll

1. Boston University
2. Binghamton
3. Vermont
4. Albany
5. Hartford
6. New Hampshire
7. Stony Brook
8. UMBC