Corban Unanimous Pick to Win CCC Men's Soccer Crown
LA GRANDE Ore. – Capturing all eight first-place votes, Corban University is the coaches’ preseason favorite to win the 2014 Cascade Collegiate Conference men’s soccer title, according to a poll released by the conference office.
The defending league champions earned a perfect 64 points in the poll. The Warriors finished the 2013 campaign 11-1-2 in the CCC and 16-2-2 overall while advancing to the NAIA Championships Opening Round.
Concordia University, earned 56 points and is picked 2
nd in the poll by all the CCC coaches. The Cavaliers completed the 2013 campaign 11-3 in CCC play and 15-5 overall. Northwest (11-3, 13-6) was picked third with 46 points.
Evergreen (34) is picked fourth in the poll followed by College of Idaho (31), Warner Pacific (30), Northwest Christian (15) and Oregon Tech (12).
Second-year Corban head coach Aaron Lewis welcomes back all 11 starters. Key returners include sophomore midfielder Kemar Prince, senior forward Arsinio Walker and sophomore goalkeeper Jordan Farr. Prince and Walker accounted for a combined 13 goals, 7 assists and 33 points during the 2013 season.
Concordia, under head coach Dan Birkey, loses four of its first-team All-CCC players from a year ago, including the school’s all-time leading goal scorer Septi Danciu. The Cavaliers are not short on experience however, returning 22 of its 60 goals scored last year with sophomore Timur Zhividze (8) leading the way.
Northwest University, picked 3
rd, boasts twenty returners and are led by 12
th-year head coach Gary McIntosh. The Eagles key returners include senior midfielder Taylor Young, junior midfielder Jon Ellis and junior defender Brendon Wheeler.
The top four teams in the CCC’s final regular season standings will earn spots in the conference’s postseason tournament which begins with semifinals on Nov. 11 and the championship on Nov. 15. Matches will be held on campus sites. The CCC’s tournament champion will earn the conference’s automatic bid to the NAIA National Championships, which begin Nov. 22.
2014 CCC Coaches' Poll
|
|
Team |
Points |
2013 CCC |
2013 Overall |
|
1 |
Corban (8) |
64 |
11-1-2 |
16-2-2 |
|
2 |
Concordia |
56 |
11-3 |
15-5 |
|
3 |
Northwest |
46 |
11-3 |
13-6 |
|
4 |
Evergreen |
34 |
5-7-2 |
7-8-3 |
|
5 |
College of Idaho |
31 |
6-8 |
6-13 |
|
6 |
Warner Pacific |
30 |
3-11 |
4-12 |
|
7 |
Northwest Christian |
15 |
3-11 |
3-15 |
|
8 |
Oregon Tech |
12 |
4-10 |
5-13 |
first place votes in parentheses