RIPON, WIS. -- St. Norbert’s stranglehold over Midwest Conference men’s soccer has been relinquished ever so slightly over the past few seasons. For the first time since the league began a preseason coaches poll earlier this decade, the Green Knights will not be the favorite entering the season.

St. Norbert remains the defending MWC champion and won the league tournament in 2006, a sign of the lofty standards the program set when they swept the conference title and postseason tournament from 2002-05. Beloit took the league crown in 2006, while Carroll captured the tournament title with a win over St. Norbert last season en route to being named the preseason favorite in the 2008 MWC Men’s Soccer Preseason Coaches Poll. The Pioneers received all nine possible first-place votes, while St. Norbert received the remaining first-place nod after edging Grinnell for second in the poll by a single vote.

Beloit followed Grinnell in fourth, while Lake Forest filled out the top 5. Lawrence edged Ripon and was picked to finish sixth, leaving Monmouth, Knox and Illinois College to round out the poll’s final three spots in order.

The conference’s lone coaching change occurred for the defending champs, as Andy Steger takes over the St. Norbert program after Dale Rhodes stepped down. Steger was the head coach at Burlington High School in Burlington, Wisconsin last season.

Carroll’s Rick Mobley was the MWC Coach of the Year for the third time in his career a year ago, while a new MWC Player of the Year will be honored in 2008 following the graduation of Carroll defender J.J. Guttman. Guttman was the first defender to win the award since its inception in 2000.



--2008 MWC Men’s Soccer Preseason Coaches Poll--

Rnk Team (1st place votes)
1. Carroll (9)
2. St. Norbert (1)
3. Grinnell
4. Beloit
5. Lake Forest
6. Lawrence
7. Ripon
8. Monmouth
9. Knox
10. Illinois College

1. Carroll Pioneers 2007 Record: 14-6-1 (8-1-0 MWC)
Returning All-MWC 1st Team: 2 2nd Team: 2
The Pioneers and head coach Rick Mobley enjoyed their most successful season in school history in 2007, going 8-1 in league play and winning the MWC tourney for the first time ever. The school’s first league title could be in the cards in 2008, as junior forward Andy Prentice (10 goals, 5 assists), senior midfielder Alex Goranson (6 goals, 9 assists), junior midfielder Craig Carlson (7 goals, 6 assists) and senior midfielder Dona Lado (5 goals, 7 assists) headline a veteran squad. All-MWC senior midfielders Derek Marie (7 assists) and Nate Lembke-Windler (3 points) return to add even more offensive firepower to the conference’s top scoring team from a year ago, while junior goalkeeper Stanislaw Miaskowski (1.07 gaa, 68 saves) started 15 games last season. Sophomore defender Scott Pease helped the Pioneers allow the MWC’s second lowest goal total in 2007.

2. St. Norbert Green Knights 2007 Record: 13-7-0 (9-0-0 MWC)
Returning All-MWC 1st Team: --- 2nd Team: 3
First-year head coach Andy Steger inherits a program that won its fifth MWC championship in six seasons in 2007, before Carroll ended the team’s MWC tourney title streak at five in a row. The Green Knights will be young in 2008, but another title and a new tournament streak are not out of the question with junior midfielder Adam Sanchez (6 goals, 4 assists), sophomore forward Michael Burmesch (5 goals, 7 assists) and junior Donny Baloun (3 goals, 5 assists) leading the way. Joe Schwartz (1.35 gaa, 82 saves) started 17 games between the pipes a year ago as a sophomore and will be flanked by defenders Aaron Benson and Ryan Doucette. St. Norbert will face one of the region’s top schedules, as three non-conference foes enter the season ranked in the top 25.

3. Grinnell Pioneers 2007 Record: 9-7-1 (7-2-0 MWC)
Returning All-MWC 1st Team: 2 2nd Team: 2
Grinnell will need to replace the goalkeeper from the league’s stingiest defense (20 goals allowed) in 2007, but Brian Jaworksi returns much of his MWC tourney qualifying team intact. Junior forward Andrew Stephenson (10 goals, 2 assists) was one of three double-digit goal scorers in the MWC last season, while junior Alex Exarhos (4 points) earned all-conference honors from the midfielder position. All-MWC defenders JP Prouty (8 points) and Andrew Mullins (3 points) will help ease the transition for the new keeper, a position junior Ben Schemper (9 games, 0.81 gaa) will likely have the inside track on. Sophomore Mark Rosenberg should see more action in 2008 after scoring three goals in nine games last year.

4. Beloit Buccaneers 2007 Record: 7-9-2 (4-4-1 MWC)
Returning All-MWC 1st Team: --- 2nd Team: 1
Tim Schmiechen’s club followed their 2006 MWC title by qualifying for the league tourney last season, an impressive feat considering the number of young players on the field in 2007. Junior midfielder Bo Wilkins (2 goals, 3 assists) and sophomore midfielder Silas Connelly (6 points) will be counted on to lead the Beloit offense, while senior Ben Chrischilles anchors the defense. Junior Nathan Lipps (1.95 gaa, 16 saves) and sophomore Marco Castelan (3.08 gaa, 15 saves) are both candidates to take over goalie duties for the Bucs after appearing in five and four games, respectively, a year ago.

5. Lake Forest Foresters 2007 Record: 5-11-0 (3-6-0 MWC)
Returning All-MWC 1st Team: --- 2nd Team: 2
Second-year head coach Derek Niepomnik has the talent to turn the Foresters into a contender in 2008, starting with a senior forwards Steve Stavropoulos (7 goals, 2 assists) and Ben Levy (5 goals, 2 assists), who were the team’s top goal scorers in 2007. All-MWC defender Rob Palutsis (4 goals) returns for his senior season and is a scoring threat as well after tallying 10 points last year. Senior goalkeeper Sam Malmberg (2.32 gaa, 63 saves) started all but one game a year ago, while sophomore Tom Biesiada (1.65 gaa, 27 saves) saw time between the pipes in nine contests. Senior Erik Bene provides another experienced defender after starting 13 games a year ago.

6. Lawrence Vikings 2007 Record: 7-9-1 (4-4-1 MWC)
Returning All-MWC 1st Team: --- 2nd Team: 1
Lawrence just missed out on the MWC tourney a year ago, losing a tiebreaker for the fourth and final berth. Head coach Blake Johnson graduated a trio of All-MWC performers from that squad, but the offense could thrive behind sophomore forwards Bennett Pang (4 goals) and Vincent Butitta (3 goals). Junior midfielder T.J. Frett (3 assists) adds more experience for the Viking offense. Junior Steve Schnorr (1.77 gaa, 53 saves) and sophomore Paul Richter (1.21 gaa, 31 saves) started 10 and seven games in goal for the Vikings last year, respectively, while junior defender Nico Walker (3 assists) was an all-conference pick in 2007.

7. Ripon Red Hawks 2007 Record: 5-9-3 (3-5-1 MWC)
Returning All-MWC 1st Team: --- 2nd Team: 3
A one-goal loss at home in the 2007 regular-season finale cost Todd Parker’s team an MWC Tournament berth, a fortune a more experienced squad will look to reverse in 2008. The offense revolves around a trio of seniors in midfielder Demba Camara (5 goals, 4 assists), forward Chris Quillman (5 goals, 5 assists) and midfielder Kris Hanson (6 goals). Sophomore Kevin Cederholm (3 goals) adds offensive depth, while senior Jared Brown (5 goals, 2 assists) can create from his defender position and should help sophomore goalkeeper Bob Bradbury’s (2.34 gaa, 82 saves) growth at the position.

8. Monmouth Fighting Scots 2007 Record: 3-11-3 (1-7-1 MWC)
Returning All-MWC 1st Team: --- 2nd Team: 1
With young players being counted on at several positions, George Perry’s Fighting Scots struggled to score and lost four one-goal contests in 2007. The return of junior midfielder Danny Davis (4 goals, 1 assist) will bring some continuity to the offense, while junior midfielder Patrick Blazer (3 points) and senior Chris Anderson should see more scoring opportunities this season. Monmouth junior goalkeeper Owen Robinson (1.81 gaa, 115 saves) led the MWC in saves last year in his first season as a starter and will have sophomore Joseph Howell and junior Bryan Jackson playing defense in front of him.

9. Knox Prairie Fire 2007 Record: 4-12-1 (2-6-1 MWC)
Returning All-MWC 1st Team: --- 2nd Team: 2
The Prairie Fire could be poised to make a run at an MWC Tournament berth this season, as Lucas Robison welcomes back four players who tallied double-digit points last season. Senior forward Jose Leon (10 points), junior forward Lawrence Povoas (14 points), senior midfielder Clint Moore (10 points) and junior midfielder Jeff Wozencraft (12 points) each scored four goals apiece in 2007. The Knox defense starts with senior Cary Archer (3.39 gaa, 109 saves), who was an All-MWC goalkeeper a year ago. Junior midfielder Jared Jaggers (2 goals, 2 assists) provides another threat for Knox on offense.

10. Illinois College Blueboys 2007 Record: 5-10-3 (1-7-1 MWC)
Returning All-MWC 1st Team: --- 2nd Team: 1
Illinois College head coach Shane Taylor has steadily built up numbers in his program and has begun to see dividends, including pushing MWC champ St. Norbert into overtime and upsetting Ripon on the road last season. Senior forward Jose Roig (5 goals) is the Blueboys top scorer, while junior midfielders Zack Patton and Chris Schulte each netted three goals apiece in 2007. The Blueboy defense is paced by junior defender Cameron Stuart and sophomore goalkeeper Kevin Beerman (1.78 gaa, 79 saves). Stuart was an All-MWC pick last year, while Beerman was in goal during four Illinois College victories and a pair of scoreless tie shutouts last year.