Coaches Slate Gators to Finish Third

Aug 28, 2006

CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Allegheny men’s soccer team, coming off a runner-up finish at last year’s North Coast Athletic Conference Tournament, was picked to finish among the top three in the 10-team league in balloting done by the team coaches and released by the conference office on Monday, August 28.

The Gators received 75 points to finish just behind preseason No. 2 Wittenberg University with 76, while two-time defending champion Ohio Wesleyan University earned 86 points and eight of nine first-place votes from the coaches. The Tigers picked up the remaining first-place vote.

Oberlin College, who finished third during the regular season last fall, and Denison University rounded out the top-five vote-getters with 61 and 54 points, respectively, while The College of Wooster (38), Kenyon College (37), and Hiram College (33) were in a tight race for spots 6-8. The Indiana schools completed the poll with Wabash College (21) edging Earlham College (14) for ninth.

Allegheny returns an experienced club this fall with 25 players coming back with playing experience, including eight starters. Angelo Panzetta, who enters 2006 with a 55-31-11 record in five seasons as the Gator head coach, has led his team to the NCAC Tournament Championship in each of the past two years, including winning the title and advancing to the NCAA Division III sectionals in 2004.

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