Butler Tabbed As Horizon League Favorite
INDIANAPOLIS, IND. -- Butler has been picked as the 2010 Horizon
League Men’s Soccer preseason favorite in a vote of the nine
league head coaches. The Bulldogs narrowly edged Green Bay in
the preseason poll, released by the league office on Tuesday (Aug.
24).
Butler, coming off a 14-3-2 season, enters the 2010 campaign as
defending Horizon League regular season champion. The
Bulldogs posted a league record of 6-1-1 and advanced to the
championship match of the league tournament. The title match
against Green Bay ended in a 0-0 tie, but the Phoenix advanced to
the national tournament on penalty kicks, 3-2. Butler
received an at-large bid to the NCAA Championship.
Led by 2009 Conference Coach of the Year Kelly Findley, Butler
features reigning Horizon League Defensive Player of the Year Matt
Hedges and league Newcomer of the Year Julian Cardona. The
Bulldogs allowed a conference-best four goals in league games last
year while ranking second in points and goals per game.
Green Bay is coming off its best season in league history.
The 2009 Phoenix finished the regular season 6-2-0 and claimed its
first Horizon League title with the shootout victory in the
conference title game. Green Bay will be led by 2009 Horizon
League Player of the Year J.C. Banks, who led the league in points
(36), goals scored (13) and assists (10).
Splitting the No. 3 spot in the preseason poll were Valparaiso and
UIC. The Crusaders return the league’s top goalkeeper
Ryan Schwarz, who racked up seven shutouts in 19 games last
season. The Flames welcome back the scoring duo of sophomore
Ivan Stanisavljevic and senior Kevin Stoll. The two combined
for 12 goals in 2009.
The season officially kicks off on Wednesday, September 1 with six
of the nine league squads taking the field. Butler will open
at home that day against IPFW. The Horizon League
Championship is set with first-round games on November 9 being
played at campus sites before moving to the No. 1 seed for
semi-final and championship game action on November 12 and 14.
Team
Points
1st
place votes
1.
Butler
61
5
2.
Green
Bay
60
4
T3. UIC
44
T3.
Valparaiso
44
5.
Loyola
33
6.
Cleveland
State
32
7.
Milwaukee
22
8.
Wright
State
19
9.
Detroit
9
