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6. Virginia - The Cavaliers are always a dangerous team plus they have the momentum of a 2006 trip to the Final Four on their side. Three senior starters from the 2006 team are gone plus All-American midfielder Nico Colaluca (7g, 10a) and defender Bakery Soumare who elected to depart Charlottesville early to enter the professional ranks. Despite the gaps to be filled, George Gelnovatch enters his twelfth season as the Virginia head coach eyeing a return trip to the Final Four and another shot at the National Title. The 2007 version of the Cavaliers still has versatility and depth and exceptional talent due to the return of the likes of junior forward Yannick Reyering (12g, 8a) up-top, seniors Jeremy Barlow (2g, 2a) and Dane Murply (1g, 2a) and sophomore Jonathan Villanueva (3g, 5a) in the midfield, and seniors Zola Short and Matt Williams and junior Matt Poole in the back. Virginia has added a very competitive five member recruiting class that includes highly touted defensive backs T.J. Cyrus and Colin Given. Early season matches with SMU in Dallas and St. John’s in Charlottesville will be very revealing. |
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7. SMU - An early exit from the NCAA Tourney last year and the departure of five very talented starters might cause some to question a high pre-season ranking for the Mustangs. Forget it, this team will again be talented, deep, and soccer savvy enough to contend for the national title. The Mustangs have plenty of things to feel good about going into the 2007 campaign beginning with their offense. Wide open and balanced may be the best way to describe the SMU attack. Juniors Paulo da Silva (3g, 4a) and Scott Geppart (5g, 2a) are solid up-top. Freshman forward Chad Bauman who was the NSCAA Texas Player of the Year adds yet another dimension to the offense. Junior Bruno Guarda (5g, 6a) and senior Adrian Chevannes (6g, 6a) spearhead a midfield that just might be the best from top to bottom in the country. The backline requires some rebuilding due to the departure of Jay Needham and Mynor Gonzalez but the material to successfully accomplish that task is on board. Keeper Steve Sandbo is a prime timer so no problem there. The Mustang’s early schedule is an attention getter since it includes St. Louis and Virginia in Dallas and UC Santa Barbara and Washington in Albuquerque. |
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8. Indiana - Eight starters return from the 2006 team that was 15-4-3 overall with a 4-1-1 mark in Big Ten play. The winning formula at IU has included athletic ability, organization, discipline, and more athletic ability. The Hoosiers have more raw talent sitting on the pine than many programs have on the pitch. The 2007 version will not be an exception. A lot of young players gained valuable experience for the Hoosiers last year which should bode well for Indiana in 2007. Junior Brian Ackley (7g, 5a) and sophomore Darren Yeagle (7g, 2a) return up-top. Sophomore midfielders Kevin Alston (0g, 1a) and Eric Alexander (3g, 4a) are among the young players who will make an impact in 2007. Old Timers Greg Steving and Charlie Traylor add experience in the back. Sophomore Ofori Sarkodie rounds out the backline. Both junior Chay Cain and senior Chris Munroe are top notch netminders. Mike Freitag brings on board a recruiting class that includes All-American forwards Andy Adlard, Mike Roach, Alec Purdie, and Max Weston. All the components are present for a successful season: a multi-dimensional attack, a tough defense, depth, and great leadership. Opportunity knocks early for Indiana as they host Maryland and UCLA to open the 2007 season. |
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9. Maryland - The lads from Maryland have proven over and again that they can survive and thrive despite high profile departures. Don’t get bogged down with the fact that Maurice Edu and Chris Seitz elected to leave early to enter the professional ranks. The Terps return eight starters and have plenty of talent waiting in the wings. Sure, it’s likely that had Edu and Seitz remained in College Park for another year, the Terps would have been in contention for a number one ranking but without them they are still a top ten team. The Maryland attack should be as good as ever and exciting to watch with the return of the likes of forward Graham Zusi (11g, 7a) and midfielders Stephen King (6g, 7a) and Jeremy Hall (7g, 3a). The midfield will again be solid although a few different faces will be on the pitch. Junior A.J. Delagarza , sophomore Omar Gonzalez, and senior Spencer Allen return to provide a strong foundation in the back. The biggest unanswered question for the Terps heading into 2007 is the play between the pipes. Resolve that and it is fear the turtle time once again. Maryland opens with Indiana, Notre Dame, and West Virginia. Early ACC matches on the road at Duke and Wake Forest will be huge. |
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10. New Mexico - Watch out for the Lobos is 2007. Nine starters return supplemented by several new additions who should contribute from the get-go. The ingredients are in place for New Mexico to be in the hunt for the national title. Their margin for error is small though since they must perform well in key non-conference matches to make a mark on the national scene. Last year the Lobos were 14-4-3 overall with an 8-1-1 mark in MPSF play and that was a rebuilding year. Experience should not be an issue on either side of the ball heading into 2007. The attack looks good as players who scored 25 of New Mexico’s 31 goals last year are back. Junior Chris Wright (6g, 3a) returns up-top. Seniors David Gualdarama (2g, 0a), Blake Danaher (2g, 2a) and Joey Vitagliano (3g, 3a) are among returning linkmen. Senior transfer Diego Barrera is a great addition to the midfield. The Lobos will miss All-American Andrew Boyens in the back but with Simon Ejdemyr, Zach Tierney and Justin Davis back they will be in great shape. Senior Mike Graczyk, a 2006 First Team All-MPSF selection, is a poised and talented netminder. |
