Three NE-10 Teams in D2 Preseason Poll

UMass-Lowell, Southern New Hampshire, Franklin Pierce in Top 25

August 19, 2009

The UMass-Lowell men’s soccer team, ranked No. 8 in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Division II preseason poll released Monday, head three New England schools in the top-25 rankings.

Southern New Hampshire and Franklin Pierce, both Northeast-10 rivals of the River Hawks, are ranked 11th and 16th, respectively.

Ryan Richards

Ryan Richards and the UMass-Lowell men's soccer team are ranked eighth in the NSCAA Division II preseason poll. (Photo courtesy of UMass-Lowell Athletics)

UMass-Lowell opens the season against No. 2 Dowling Wednesday, Sept. 2 (4 p.m.) at Cushing Field.

“It is nice to be recognized by your peers, however we know that we have a ton of work to do for us to be successful, both in our league and outside of our league,” said first-year head coach Bryan Scales. “[The poll] is a testament to the hard work that the guys did last year and sets the bar high for our current team.”

UMass-Lowell is fresh off a 13-4-4 record in 2008 (9-1-3 in the NE-10, tied for first), in which it peaked in the second half of the season. With a 3-2-3 clip on Sept. 28, the River Hawks went unbeaten in 11 of 12 matches (10-1-1) before falling to Dowling, 1-0, in double overtime in the NCAA East regional final.

UMass-Lowell returns 16 players and six starters from the 2008 team, including two-time NE-10 all-star keeper Ryan Richards (Holden, Mass.), a senior who sported a 1.11 goals against average and six shutouts over 2,022 minutes in 2008.

Richards will lead a defense which includes All-NE-10 senior Rudy Kocandrle (Northboro, Mass.) along with seniors Mike Galvin (Brockton, Mass.), Corey Samuelson (Westboro, Mass.) and sophomore Asley Barrios (Revere, Mass.).

Anchoring the midfield will be senior Jhony Valencia (Lowell, Mass.) and sophomore Matheus Candido (Lowell, Mass).

Up front, junior Stephen Potcner (Wilmington, Mass.), who ranked among NE-10 scoring leaders with nine goals and six assists, returns alongside senior Jeffery Danso (Worcester, Mass.), who chipped in five goals and five assists.

SNHU, under second-year head coach Marc Hubbard, returns 19 players from a 2008 squad that posted a 15-3-4 record, earned a share of the Northeast-10 regular season title and captured the program’s third NE-10 tournament title in program history.

The Penmen were ranked as high as No. 4 nationally and earned the program’s 14th NCAA Tournament berth.

Southern New Hampshire returns three All-Americans from a season ago. Senior Adrian Schippers (Ashby, Mass.) garnered Daktronics second team All-America honors and was the Northeast-10 and Daktronics East Player of the Year last year, while keeper Sean Lambert (Rehoboth, Mass.) earned third team All-America honors. Lambert posted 11 shutouts and a Division II-low 0.42 goals-against average in 2008. Richard Kentish earned a Daktronics All-America honorable mention and started all but one game on defense last fall.

The Penmen open the 2009 season Thursday, Aug. 27, when they host C.W. Post in a 7 p.m. contest at SNHU’s Larkin Field.

Franklin Pierce completed the 2008 campaign in the No. 16 position as well on the strength of a 13-8-2 campaign which concluded with the program’s sixth consecutive NCAA tournament appearance, as well as the 14th NCAA berth in program annals.

The Ravens also kick off their season on the 27th when they host Dowling. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. at Sodexo Field in Rindge, N.H.