Whitworth Picked to Win Third Straight in 2006
| NWC Men's Soccer Coaches' Pre-Season Poll: |
2005 records |
| School |
(1st) |
Pts. |
All |
NWC |
| 1. Whitworth (Wash.) |
(6) |
68 |
19-2-1 |
13-0-1 |
| 2. Linfield (Ore.) |
(1) |
53 |
11-4-4 |
10-1-3 |
| 3. Puget Sound (Wash.) |
|
46 |
11-2-3 |
10-2-2 |
| 4. Pacific Lutheran (Wash.) |
(1) |
45 |
12-8 |
8-6 |
| 5. Whitman (Wash.) |
|
33 |
8-11 |
6-8 |
| 6. Pacific (Ore.) |
|
20 |
2-15-1 |
1-12-1 |
| 7. Willamette (Ore.) |
|
18 |
5-13 |
3-11 |
| 8. George Fox (Ore.) |
|
13 |
2-15-1 |
1-12-1 |
(First-place votes in parenthesis. Points awarded on 9-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis).
SPOKANE, Wash. -- Northwest Conference coaches have tabbed Whitworth College to become the first three time men's soccer champion in the NWC since 1990. The two time champion Pirates return three All-NWC selections from the 2005 squad that advanced to the NCAA Final Four. Whitworth picked up six of eight possible first place votes and 68 points in the 2006 NWC Preseason Men's Soccer Coaches poll, finishing ahead of 2005 runner-up Linfield College.
Senior forward Niko Varlamos and senior midfielder Ali Seyedali will lead Whitworth in 2006. The Pirates, who finished 19-2-1 overall and 13-0-1 (40 points) in the NWC, return a total of eight starters from last season.
Linfield picked up one first place vote and 53 points to finish second in the poll. The Wildcats will have a strong attack behind senior forward Chris Paradis and a strong defense with senior Grant Williams in goal. Linfield (10-1-3) finished just ahead of Puget Sound (10-2-2) in last fall's standings.
The University of Puget Sound finished third in the poll with 46 points. The Loggers graduated four All-NWC selections from a year ago, including goal keeper Brian Lawson and defender Jim Fioretti, who allowed only five goals in 16 matches.
Only one point behind UPS in the preseason poll, Pacific Lutheran University (45 points) picked up the final first place vote. The Lutes return All-NWC forward Mike Ferguson from last season after finishing 12-8 overall and 8-6 in the NWC in 2005.
Whitman College finished fifth in the poll with 33 points. The Missionaries (8-11 overall, 6-8 NWC in 2005) welcome back Second Team All-NWC forward Andy Huntington.
Pacific University is sixth in the poll with 20 points after finishing tied for seventh in 2004's final NWC standings (2-15-1 overall, 1-12-1 NWC). Honorable Mention All-NWC forward Matt McDonough returns to lead the Boxers.
Willamette University (18 points) edged George Fox University (13 points) for seventh place in the poll. The Bearcats hope to rebound from last season's 5-13 record, while the Bruins (2-15-1) were tied with Pacific for seventh place. George Fox has Brian Zaro back to anchor the defense.
The season gets underway on September 1st.