Aug. 16, 2006
LANCASTER, PA - The Johns Hopkins men's soccer team has earned the top spot in the 2006 Centennial Conference Preseason Poll, as voted on by the conference coaches. The Blue Jays garnered 76 points and nabbed six first-place votes. Gettysburg received 68 points and two first-place votes to come in at the second spot. Hopkins has won five Centennial Conference titles since 1996 with the last coming in 2004.
Head Coach Matt Smith returns six starters from a 2005 team that went 14-2-5 overall, 5-1-3 in league play and captured the 2005 ECAC South Championship. Among those returning are two of the top three scorers from a year ago. Leading the way will be sophomore Nicholas Gauna (Evanston, IL/Evantson). Gauna led the Blue Jays in goals (9), assists (4) and points (22) as a rookie in 2005. He was named the Diadora Fall Classic MVP after scoring three goals in two games to lead Hopkins to the Diadora Classic Championship.
Another proven scorer Coach Smith will be looking to is Gauna's classmate, Matthew Carlson (Bristol, CT/Loomis Chaffee). Carlson was third on the team last season with five goals and 10 points. The sophomore midfielder along with senior Ben McAbee (Hagerstown, MD/North Hagerstown) will captain the 2006 Blue Jays. McAbee scored one goal and picked up an assist for three points from the midfield.
Johns Hopkins will kickoff the season with the Citrano Medical Labs Kickoff Classic at Homewood Field September 2-3. The Blue Jays will face Buffalo State and the University of Scranton. Hopkins then plays host to St. Mary's College (MD) on September 6 before hitting the road to participate in the Misercordia Tournament in Dallas, PA. The Blue Jays then return home where they will play eight of their final 13 games. Visiting Homewood this fall will be Frostburg State, Muhlenberg, Keystone College, Gettysburg, Dickinson, Swarthmore, Arcadia University and Washington College.
2006 Centennial Conference Preseason Men's Soccer Poll
Rk School (1st Place Votes) Points
1. Johns Hopkins (6) 76
2. Gettysburg (2) 68
3. Swarthmore (1) 55
4. Muhlenberg 54
5. McDaniel (1) 49
6. Franklin & Marshall 48
7. Dickinson 45
8. Washington 24
9. Haverford 19
10. Ursinus 11
