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CALDWELL PICKED FIRST IN CACC PRESEASON POLL

8-17-06
CALDWELL, N.J. - The Caldwell College men's soccer team was selected as the favorite to capture the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference title this fall, according to the CACC Men’s Soccer Preseason Poll conducted by the conference’s nine head coaches. The Cougars received three first-place votes and 73 points to finish just ahead of two-time defending CACC champion Dominican College, which received 71 points in the balloting. 
 

Last season the Cougars finished 12-5-1, including a program-best 7-1 mark in conference play, and took second in the CACC in both the regular season and the conference tournament. The Cougars, coached by Jamie Nash, were ranked in the top 10 of the New England Region all season, and earned the program’s first national ranking. Nine starters return from last season, including first team all-CACC honorees Uke Dauti (West Orange, NJ/West Orange), Jorge Ibarcena (Lima, Peru) and  Andrew Fraser (Kingston, Jamaica/Wolmer's). Asgeir Ofstad (Trondheim, Norway), last year’s CACC Newcomer of the Year, and three-time all-CACC forward Bard Skjelstad (Bodo, Norway) also are back.  

“This is the first time we’ve ever been picked to win the conference,” said Nash, who begins his seventh season. “In fact, we were picked to finish 10th before the 2003 season, when our current seniors were freshmen. We’ve definitely come a long way, but we’re not satisfied with what we’ve accomplished so far. Our goal remains to win the conference on the field this season.” 

The Cougars begin the 2006 season on Thursday, August 31 at the Franklin Pierce College Tournament. Caldwell will face the host Ravens, ranked No. 2 in the NSCAA/adidas Preseason National Poll after advancing to the finals of the NCAA Division II Tournament last fall.

2006 CACC Men's Soccer Preseason Poll

*First-place votes in parenthesis

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