Men's Soccer 08-09

Peter Shorten is the team's returning leading scorer from a year ago.

With a strong group of seven starters and 16 letter winners returning, the Denison University men's soccer team looks to return to the upper echelon of the North Coast Athletic Conference in 2008.

Head Coach Rob Russo, entering his 10th year at the helm of the men's soccer program, welcomes eight talented first-year players to a Big Red team that finished 9-6-2 in 2007.

Russo prepared his squad for the upcoming season with a trip to Costa Rica that saw the team tune up with some tough foreign competition.

"It was a great experience for our guys, and it was more of a training trip rather than a site seeing trip," Russo said. "There was some very stiff competition because we were facing reserve professional teams every game. The trip was good for our team because it helped our entire team bond."

The following is a breakdown of the 2008 Big Red squad by position…


Goalkeeper

Junior Kevin Donahue (Riverside, Conn./Greenwich) started all 17 matches between the pipes for Denison in 2007.  For the third straight year, Donahue will anchor a Big Red defense and is just seven shutouts shy of tying the school record (23).  In 37 career starts Donahue has posted a 22-11-4 record while holding opponents to a minuscule 0.87 goals per game average.


Defenders

The defense returns a group of experienced upperclassmen that will help protect Donahue in net. Seniors David Folt (Hudson, Ohio/Hudson) and Josh Holden (Dublin, Ohio/Scioto) and junior Ben Sopp (Sewickley, Pa./Quaker Valley) are the starters returning in the backfield. Folt, the 2006 NCAC Defensive Player of the Year, earned first team all-conference and All-Ohio honors for the second straight year.  Sophomore Evan Johnson (Upper Arlington, Ohio/Upper Arlington) will also see time on the back line in 2008.

Midfield

Denison returns a seasoned core of midfielders to the 2008 campaign. Junior Peter Shorten (Hudson/Western Reserve Academy) will be looked at as the leader in the middle. Shorten tallied 11 points, led the team in assists and started all 17 contests in his sophomore campaign. Shorten also earned honorable mention All-NCAC status in 2007.

Juniors Brian Combias (Madison, N.J./The Pingry School) and Dustin Minium (Santa Monica, Calif./Windward) along with sophomores Ish Ghodbane (Olivette, Mo./Ladue Watkins Horton) and Hubert Beauchemin (Hudson, Ohio/Western Reserve Academy) will also be looking to contribute more in the midfield.


Forwards

Pacing the attack at the forward position will be sophomores Tyler Dolanch (Pittsburgh, Pa./Ringgold) and Drew Lash (Ballwin, Mo./Whitfield School). Dolanch scored four goals in 15 appearances and was tied for second on the team in total goals scored.  Lash gained valuable experience as a rookie, played in 16 games while making 12 starts. Assisting the sophomore duo at the top will be sophomore Len Mills (Pittsburgh, Pa./Upper St. Clair) and freshman Ben Peek (Burke, Va./Robinson Secondary School).


The Schedule

In addition to strong North Coast Athletic Conference competition which features rivalry games with Ohio Wesleyan, Kenyon and Wittenberg, the team increased the difficulty of their non-conference schedule with two games against 2007 NCAA Tournament qualifiers.

Washington (Mo.), is ranked sixth in the initial NSCAA/adidas preseason poll and John Carroll, like Wash. U., enjoyed a strong showing at the 2007 NCAA Tournament. Washington made it all the way to the sectional championship before being knocked out by national runner-up Trinity (Texas). This will be the first meeting with the Bears since 2002.

Another addition to the schedule will be a four-team invitational tournament which will take place on Sept. 6-7 at Barclay-Thomsen Field. The Big Red will face off against Olivet and Albion, while also welcoming DePauw.

"We've really toughened up the schedule to prepare for our conference schedule," Russo said. "In past years, the schedule hasn't always been challenging and adding John Carroll and getting Washington University back on the schedule will make things more demanding.”

Denison opens their season at home against Cedarville on Aug. 29 at 7:30 p.m.