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PORTLAND, Ore. – With a new leader at the helm and many new faces in the mix, Corban University's men's soccer team has been picked seventh in the Cascade Collegiate Conference coaches' poll released Wednesday by the league office.
"This is a new team and we know the upcoming season will be a challenging one," said first-year head coach
Paul Meehan. "I look forward to getting some games under our belt so we can truly assess where we stand.”
Coming off a 2009 season that produced a win-loss record of 5-10-2 that included a 4-9-1 mark in conference play, Meehan took over the program in February and began recruiting heavily to fill spots that were depleted due to graduation.
With a nucleus of returners that includes the team's lone senior
Aaron Paulson (St. Helens, Ore.), a trio of juniors –
Nolan Dempster (Gresham, Ore.),
Louis-Claude Nguea-Njoh (Douala, Cameron), and
Devin Cheney (Helena, Mt.) – as well as sophomore
T.J. Bacewich (Sherwood, Ore.), Meehan brought in 18 news players led by junior transfer
Tyler Hagen (Silverton, Ore.) and freshman
Gustavo Machuca (Guadalajara, Mexico).
According to the preseason coaches' poll, 10-time conference champion Concordia is picked as the favorite having received seven-out-of-eight first place votes and 63 total points. Meanwhile, defending conference champions Warner Pacific is picked second having earned the other first place vote and 52 total points.
The remaining teams include Northwest (39 points), The College of Idaho (37 points), Oregon Tech (32 points), Evergreen (30 points), Corban (22 points), and Northwest Christian (13 points).
Corban is scheduled to begin its 2010 season on Wednesday, September 1st, against NCAA Division III member and cross town rival Willamette beginning at 7:00 p.m. on Sparks Field in Salem.