Fairfield Picked to Repeat as MAAC Men's Soccer Champions
MAAC Sports
Edison, N.J. - Fairfield University, the
defending MAAC Champion, has been selected to win the 2012 MAAC Men's Soccer
Championship in a preseason poll voted on by the league's 10 head coaches. Fairfield's
Jordan Ayris and Iona College's Franklin Castellanos were chosen as the
Co-Preseason Players of the Year.
Fairfield
received 96 points in the poll with seven first place votes, while Iona was second
with 92 points and three first place votes. Loyola University Maryland was
picked third with 82 points and Marist College finished in fourth place with 57
points. Siena College was fifth with 53 and Niagara University was one point
behind in sixth. Manhattan College, last year's championship runner-up, was picked
seventh. Canisius College was eighth (31), followed by Saint Peter's College
(27) and Rider University (22).
Ayris,
a sophomore from Bicester, England, finished his rookie campaign with 23 points
from 10 goals and three assists. He scored six game-winning goals, including
one in the MAAC Championship quarterfinal. Ayris was an All-MAAC First Team
member and the MAAC Rookie of the Year in 2011.
Castellanos,
a junior from Dover, N.J., had 20 points, tied for third most in the league,
with three goals and 14 assists last season. His 14 assists led the nation and were
six more than the second MAAC student-athlete. Castellanos was an All-MAAC and NSCAA
All-North Atlantic First Team member and was also on the 2011 MAAC All-Academic
Team.
Joining
Ayris at forward on the Preseason All-MAAC team is Iona's Samuel Adjei and
Marist's Stephan Brossard. Castellanos heads the midfield and is joined by
teammate Ansger Otto and Loyola's Stephen Dooley. Fairfield's Jonny Raj, Iona's
Robbie Krohmer, Loyola's Gerwyn Jones, and Siena's Jannis Opalka make up the
backline. Fairfield's Michael O'Keeffe is the goalkeeper.
|
2012 MAAC Men's Soccer
Preseason Coaches' Poll
|
|
2012 MAAC Men's Soccer Preseason
All-MAAC Team
|
|
1.
|
Fairfield
(7)
|
96
|
|
Name
|
Position
|
School
|
|
2.
|
Iona
(3)
|
92
|
|
Michael
O'Keeffe
|
Goalkeeper
|
Fairfield
|
|
3.
|
Loyola
|
82
|
|
Jonny
Raj
|
Back
|
Fairfield
|
|
4.
|
Marist
|
57
|
|
Robbie
Krohmer
|
Back
|
Iona
|
|
5.
|
Siena
|
53
|
|
Gerwyn
Jones
|
Back
|
Loyola
|
|
6.
|
Niagara
|
52
|
|
Jannis
Opalka
|
Back
|
Siena
|
|
7.
|
Manhattan
|
38
|
|
Franklin
Castellanos
|
Midfield
|
Iona
|
|
8.
|
Canisius
|
31
|
|
Ansger
Otto
|
Midfield
|
Iona
|
|
9.
|
Saint
Peter's
|
27
|
|
Stephen
Dooley
|
Midfield
|
Loyola
|
|
10.
|
Rider
|
22
|
|
Jordan
Ayris
|
Forward
|
Fairfield
|
|
|
|
|
|
Samuel
Adjei
|
Forward
|
Iona
|
|
|
|
|
|
Stephan
Brossard
|
Forward
|
Marist
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2012 MAAC Men's Soccer Co-Preseason Players of the Year:
Jordan Ayris, Fairfield /
Franklin Castellanos, Iona
|