22.  Clemson -  Dane Richards (11g, 9a) brought life to a struggling attack when he transferred to Clemson two years ago.  Frederico Moojen (11g, 2a) transferred in last year to give the Tigers a two pronged attack.  Neither will be on the pitch for the Tigers in 2007 so the big question is who is going to put the ball in the back of the net for Clemson in 2007.  That rather important question aside, expectations are again very high at Clemson.  The Tigers will not be as deep as they were a year ago and will have a different look, but they still will have a lot of bite.  Seniors David Bell (2g, 1a), Mark Buchholz (4g,6a) and Danny Poe (4g, 3a) and juniors Bryson Moore (3g, 2a) and Michael Brooks (4g, 3a) are among those who Trevor Adair will look to for offensive productivity as he enters his thirteenth season at Clemson.   Sophomore Greg Eckhardt and Havird Usry will anchor the backline.  The deciding factor may be the ability of the Tigers’ very talented recruiting class to help fill the offensive void.   

23.  Towson -  Eight starters are back from the 2006 squad which posted the most successful season in the history of the program.  The Tigers were 15-2-3 overall with an impressive 10-0-1 mark in Colonial Athletic Association play.  The graduation of forward Sebastian Haensel (7g, 8a) takes a little of the bite out of the Towson attack and rebuilding is needed on the defensive side of the ball due to the loss of Nigel Marples and Andrew Marshall.  The Tigers are out to prove that 2006 was not a blip on the radar screen and that they can again field a team that will make their presence known in the CAA as well as in the nation.  Senior Angus Burke (4g, 2a) and sophomore Kevin Ruck (4g, 2a) will be among those who will be called upon to replace the offensive productivity that Haensel brought to the table.  Senior midfielders Pat Healey (6g, 3a) and T.J. Thompson (1g, 6a) will add balance and experience to the Tiger attack.  Senior Bill Chiles returns in goal.  Look for junior transfer Matt Beckman to make an instant impact in the midfield. 

24.  Rutgers - The Scarlet Knights made believers out of many last year when they closed out the 2006 season with a nine-game unbeaten streak to finish with a 10-6-3 overall record.  Eight starters return plus a solid core of players who gained valuable experience supplemented by a very good group of recruits.  Senior Adam Sternberger (5g, 1a) returns to spearhead the attack.  Sternberger has led the Scarlet Knights in scoring the past two seasons.  Senior Chris Moore (2g, 5a) and juniors  Tomislav Barisic (0g, 4a) and Adam Lloyd (1g, 0a) return in the midfield.  Senior goalkeeper Matt Van Oekel is back in goal along with junior Amir Haghshenas.  The backline looks good with seniors Kevin O’Connor (3g, 2a) and Kyle Grato (0g, 2a) returning along with juniors Jake Martenson and Ryan Breznitzky.   Bob Reasso’s team opens the 2007 season with matches on the road against Michigan and Oakland.  Wins in those early contests would be a big plus for this team.

25.  San Diego State -  For starters All-American goalkeeper Tally Hall has said Tally Ho so challenge number one facing Lev Kirshner as he enters his eighth season at San Diego State is plugging the rather large gap that creates.   Challenge number two will be continuing to build upon the positive momentum the Aztecs have achieved over the past two years.  Eighteen letterwinners including seven starters are back from the 2006 team that was 9-6-4 overall with a 5-2-3 mark in Pac-10 play.  The Aztecs are an athletic group, paced by senior midfielder Kraig Chiles (6g, 4a) who is a key ingredient in the attack.  Senior Freddy McDonald (3g, 0a), junior Omar Persad (2g, 2a) and sophomore Daniel Ortega (2g, 1a) must add versatility and depth to the offense.  The backline was young last year and gained valuable experience that will be a plus for San Diego State in 2007. Returning defenders include sophomore Nick Cardenas (6g, 0a) who was the 2006 Pac-10 Freshman of the Year, and outside backs juniors Dennis Sanchez (0g, 3a) and Danny Ortiz (0g, 1a).  Sophomore Steve Beitashour should also contribute.   

26.  Northern Illinois - Heads up.  The Huskies are a team to watch.  Nineteen players including seven starters return from the 2006 team that was 15-6-1 overall, secured the program’s first NCAA Tourney berth in thirty-three years, and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.  This program is only going to get more competitive as long as Steve Simmons is the head coach.  The outlook is promising in 2007 as senior Marcus McCarty (11g, 5a), who was the Huskies go-to guy last year, returns up top along with senior Curt Zastrow (2g, 0a) and junior college transfer Chris Johnson.   Junior Drew Jeskey (0g, 3a) and sophomore Luis De La Cerda (5g, 3a) are among retuning linkmen while seniors Chris Rufa and Blake Gotkowski add experience to the backline.  Junior Joe Zimka who had a 0.21 goals against average in 2006 returns between the pipes. 

27.  Old Dominion -  The Monarchs return seven starters from the 2006 team that was 14-6-2 and advanced to the Sweet Sixteen via wins over Winthrop and UNC.  The good news for ODU is that they look to be very talented and experienced on the defensive side of the ball.  The bad news is that they lose their top three goal scorers including do everything forward Edson Elcock (11g, 6a) which means they are pretty much starting from scratch on the offensive side of the ball.  It is unlikely that they will have the offensive punch in 2007 to contend for the national title but they still will win plenty of games.  A.J. Kulp (0g, 4a),  Nane Joseph, and Jason Loizou return in the midfield.  The backline will feature David Horst who was the CAA Defensive Player of the Year, Trevor Banks (4g, 2a), Yomby William, and Dylan Montambo.  Sophomore Evan Newton gives ODU a very solid presence between the pipes.