2010 Emory Men’s Soccer Preview

After a 2009 campaign during which the Eagles persevered through the loss of 11 seniors from the previous season to record a 12-4-2 record, the Emory University men’s soccer team is primed for another run at the University Athletic Association (UAA) Championship and the NCAA Tournament in 2010.

The Eagles, now in the fourth season under the leadership of head coach Sonny Travis, have now recorded eight-straight seasons of double-digit win totals, one short of the program’s best streak.  Emory has gone 44-9-3 during the past three seasons under Travis, including back-to-back 16-win seasons and NCAA Tournament appearances in 2007 and 2008.

Despite finishing tied for fifth in the conference with a 2-3-2 record in 2009, the Eagles excelled in non-conference play, finishing the season ranked sixth in the Atlantic South Region and with a 10-1 record outside of the UAA.  Now, the Eagles will approach 2010 with a more seasoned team, returning all nine players who started 10 or more games for the team last season, and 17 total players from last year’s squad.

Among the returning players are the team’s top-three scorers from last season.  All-South Region second team and all-UAA first team honoree Jake Graetz will look to anchor the Eagles attack once again, after the senior finished his 2009 campaign with a team-best 10 goals and 20 points.  All-UAA honorable mention and co-captain Christopher Howie, a senior, led the team with eight assists in 2009, while returning junior and all-UAA honorable mention Zach Samuels led all Emory players with three game-winning goals, totaling five goals and six assists for 16 points, the second-best mark on the squad.  Emory’s offense will also be aided by a key-transfer, junior forward Nao Masuda, who earned all-region honors with Christopher Newport University last year.

The Eagles’ defense will be keyed by returning seniors Nathan McKeever, who earned all-UAA second team honors during his first year on the team in 2009, and Adam Waxman, who was named an honorable mention to the Jewish all-America team last year.  The two helped lead a defense which recorded a 0.92 goals against average and six shutouts, while holding opponents to just 147 shots over 18 games, only 88 of which were on goal.  Sophomore Andrew Natalino will once again be a defensive factor for Emory after starting all 18 games during his freshman campaign, while sophomore David Garofalo will split time between midfield and the backline after making 16 starts in 2009.

In goal, junior Trenton Spindler returns after starting all 18 games for the Eagles last season, finishing 66th among all Division III competitors in goals against average (0.849) and 78th in save percentage (0.817).  Spindler went 12-4-2 in goal, making 67 saves and recording five shutouts. 

The Eagles will kick-off the season against Covenant College on September 1^st at the Woodruff Physical Education Center, before hosting Illinois Wesleyan University on September 4^th and Hampden-Sydney College on September 5^th, as part of the Sonny Carter Invitational.  The Eagles will take part in the Lynchburg Kick-Off Classic from September 11^th-12^th, during which they will face 24^th-ranked Lynchburg College.

Emory will open up UAA play at Washington University (Mo.) on October 3^rd, and will host their first UAA game of the season on October 9^th against the University of Chicago.  Closing out the season, the Eagles will host the sixth-ranked University of Rochester on October 29^th, and travel to 11^th-ranked Carnegie Mellon University on November 7^th.