Fairfield Picked to Win 2007 MAAC Men's Soccer Title
MAAC Sports
Edison, N.J. ? Fairfield University, the defending MAAC Champion, has been chosen to win this year’s MAAC men’s soccer title in a preseason poll voted on by the league’s 10 head coaches.
Fairfield earned the top spot with 98 points in the poll, while Loyola College finished second (81). Saint Peter’s College was picked third with 71 points, and Niagara University was fourth with 57 points. Canisius College placed fifth (56), followed by Iona College (54), Marist College (51), Manhattan College (31), Rider University (30) and Siena College (21).
Saint Peter’s Juan Gaviria (Elizabeth, N.J.) has been named the 2007 MAAC Preseason Player of the Year. Gaviria, the 2006 MAAC Offensive Player of the Year, led the league in scoring last season with 15 goals and three assists for 33 points for the Peacocks.
Joining Gaviria at forward are fellow teammate Murphy Wiredu (Brampton, Ontario) and Canisius’ Alan McGreal (Dublin, Ireland). In the midfield are Fairfield’s Sam Bailey (Cheshire, England) and Christian Uy (New Hyde Park, N.Y.), and Saint Peter’s Chris DeAbreu (Pickering, Ontario). The backs are anchored by Canisius’ Sean Vella (Middletown, N.J.), Fairfield’s Tom Skara (Greenwich, Conn.), Loyola’s Tennant McVea (Belfast, Northern Ireland), Niagara’s Billy Gustafson (Rochester, N.Y.) and Saint Peter’s Assaf Sheleg (Kibbutz Maabarot, Israel). Fairfield’s Jon Paul Francini (Oakland, N.J.) rounds out the team at the goalkeeper position.
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2007 MAAC MEN’S SOCCER
PRESEASON COACHES POLL |
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2007 MAAC MEN’S SOCCER
PRESEASON TEAM |
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1. |
Fairfield |
98 |
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Jon Paul Francini |
Goalkeeper |
Fairfield |
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2. |
Loyola |
81 |
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Sean Vella |
Back |
Canisius |
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3. |
Saint Peter’s |
71 |
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Tom Skara |
Back |
Fairfield |
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4. |
Niagara |
57 |
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Tennant McVea |
Back |
Loyola |
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5. |
Canisius |
56 |
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Billy Gustafson |
Back |
Niagara |
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6. |
Iona |
54 |
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Assaf Sheleg |
Back |
Saint Peter’s |
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7. |
Marist |
51 |
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Sam Bailey |
Midfield |
Fairfield |
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8. |
Manhattan |
31 |
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Christian Uy |
Midfield |
Fairfield |
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9. |
Rider |
30 |
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Chris DeAbreu |
Midfield |
Saint Peter’s |
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10. |
Siena |
21 |
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Alan McGreal |
Forward |
Canisius |
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Juan Gaviria |
Forward |
Saint Peter’s |
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Murphy Wiredu |
Forward |
Saint Peter’s |
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2007 MAAC Preseason Player of the Year: Juan Gaviria, Saint Peter’s |
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