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 |
||||||
