Central Islip, N.Y. - The Dowling College men's soccer team has been selected the preseason favorite for the 2009 season as voted on by the league's head coaches. Dowling's senior defender Steven Schneider (Westbury, NY) and senior forward Lamine Traore (Mali, Africa) have been tabbed Preseason Defensive Player of the Year and Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, respectively.
The Golden Lions collected six first-place votes and accumulated 62 total points to seal the top spot in the poll. Last season, Dowling claimed the conference regular season title with a perfect 8-0 record and secured a bid to the NCAA Tournament for the tenth time in program history. The Golden Lions finished the season with a 19-4 overall record after falling, 3-0, to Cal. State Dominguez Hills in the NCAA title game.
Molloy College was selected to finish second with two first-place votes and 52 total points. The Lions captured the ECC Tournament title last season and received the program's first bid to the NCAA Tournament. The University of Bridgeport rounds out the top three collecting 44 points.
Picked the Preseason Defensive Player of the Year, Schneider was an integral part of the Golden Lions defense that allowed only three goals in eight conference games last year. He helped preserve 11 shutouts on the season, which included six against conference opponents. Schneider also pitched in offensively as he was second on the team with six goals, including five game-winners, and recorded five assists.
Selected the Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, Traore was the backbone for the Golden Lions offense last year. He led the nation in goals scored with 26 while also recording four assists for 56 points on the season. During the year he held a nine game streak in which he scored two or more goals per game and connected on 11 game-winning tallies. The All Conference First Teamer was a member of the NCAA Northeast All-Tournament team and was named the NCAA Northeast Tournament Most Outstanding Offensive Player. Traore also garnered Dakronics Second Team All-Region and NSCAA All-American Third Team honors for his outstanding play during the 2008 season.
The 2009 season will kick-off on Thursday, August 27 with ECC schools on the road as Dowling, C.W. Post, and NYIT travel to face non-conference opponents. Conference play will commence on Saturday, September 19 when NYIT host Queens for a 1:00 pm contest and Dowling plays host to C.W. Post at 7:00 pm.
The East Coast Conference Championships will begin on Friday, November 6 with the higher seeds hosting the semifinal rounds. The finals will be held at NYIT on November 8 in conjunction with the ECC Women's Soccer finals. For more information visit www.eccsports.org.
| 2009 ECC Men's Soccer Preseason Poll | |||
| Team | Pts. | ECC | Overall |
| 1. Dowling (6) | 62 | 8-0 | 19-4 |
| 2. Molloy (2) | 52 | 5-2-1 | 12-6-2 |
| 3. Bridgeport | 44 | 5-2-1 | 10-6-2 |
| 4. NYIT | 43 | 4-3-1 | 12-6-1 |
| 5. Queens | 29 | 3-4-1 | 9-5-3 |
| 6. C.W. Post | 27 | 3-4-1 | 9-7-1 |
| 7. Mercy | 17 | 2-3-3 | 7-7-4 |
| 8. STAC | 14 | 0-5-3 | 5-9-3 |
Preseason Offensive Player of the Year: Lamine Traore, Dowling, Sr., F
Preseason Defensive Player of the Year: Steven Schneider, Dowling, Sr., D
