July 28, 2010

2010 A-10 Men's Soccer Preseason All-Conference Team

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – Two-time first-team All-Atlantic 10 selection Ben Arikian of Massachusetts and Saint Louis junior Mike Roach, the league’s leading returning scorer, headline the 2010 preseason men’s soccer All-Conference team, as selected by the league’s head coaches.

Arikian led UMass in both assists (four) and points (10) last season after garnering A-10 Midfielder of the Year distinction in 2008. The senior midfielder enters the 2010 campaign with 17 career assists and five game-winning goals.

Members of last year’s All-Conference first-team who earned preseason honors this year also include Fordham junior goalkeeper Ryan Meara (1.02 gaa, 7 SO), senior defender Dwayne Williams (3 goals, 0 assists, 6 points) of Rhode Island and Fordham junior midfielder Tim Richardson (6 goals, 2 assists, 14 points).

Roach ranked third in the league in goals (11) and points (24) in 2009 and paced the Billikens with three game-winning tallies. Second-team All-Conference selections from last season on the 2010 preseason All-Conference team include Roach and Charlotte junior forward Evan James (7 goals, 5 assists, 19 points), who finished second on the team in scoring a year ago.

2009 A-10 Rookie of the Year Alex Sweetin (3 goals, 6 assists, 12 points) of Saint Louis and Duquesne forward Josh Patterson (6 goals, 0 assists, 12 points), an All-Rookie selection last fall, are the lone sophomores to earn 2010 preseason distinction.

Rounding out the preseason All-Conference team are defenders Isaac Cowles (1 goal, 0 assists, 2 points) of Charlotte and Tommy Watkins (1 goal, 5 assists, 7 points) of Dayton, as well as Temple junior forward Tyler Witmer (6 goals, 3 assists, 15 points).

The preseason All-Rookie team includes teammates Marlon Duran, Victor Duru and Badir Sherman of Dayton; Christian Briggs and Adnan Gabeljic of Saint Louis; Xavier’s Gino Depaoli; Will Mayhew of Charlotte; La Salle’s John McCarthy; Tom Palmer of Rhode Island; Fordham’s Michael Stalker; and Vaughn Spurrier of Temple.