BOSTON— Defending America East champion Boston University is the unanimous preseason favorite to repeat as the men's soccer conference champion this year, according to a vote of the head coaches. The Terriers received all eight possible first-place votes (coaches were not permitted to vote for their own team) and 64 points overall to out score 2004 tournament runner-up, Binghamton University. The Bearcats finished second with a total of 54 points and one first-place vote. UMBC, entering it's third year in the conference, placed third with 45 points. Complete Poll
Stony Brook University, which appeared in the tournament last season, was chosen fourth with 43 points. University of Vermont was fifth with 34 points and was followed by University of New Hampshire (25). University at Albany (22) and University of Hartford (22) tied for seventh, and University of Maine (15) rounded out the poll.
The top six teams in the conference will advance to the America East Championship with the winner of the tournament receiving an automatic bid to the NCAA College Cup.
Boston University was 6-2-1 in America East last season and 10-8-3 overall. After winning both the regular season and tournament titles, the Terriers advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament after a penalty kick victory over Dartmouth College. This season, Coach of the Year Neil Roberts will return eight starting players, including senior midfielder Jamie Johnson, a First Team All-Conference selection. Joining him are all-rookie selection Roland Erlichman and all-conference second team players Zach Kirby and Sedrick Chin.
Binghamton posted a 4-2-3 record in America East and 11-2-8 overall last season. Key returners to the Bearcats are Danilo and Graham Munro, both first team all-conference selections and Adam Chavez, a sophomore all-rookie selection. Head coach Paul Marco will also welcome back 18 returning letterwinners, including seven starters.
UMBC (4-5-0, 8-6-3) returns the America East Rookie of the Year Matt Watson. The Retrievers will also look for leadership from high scoring senior Powell Cucchiella and first team selection Marcus Gross. UMBC finished seventh last season.
Stony Brook (4-3-2, 11-6-3) will look to continue its climb to the top after being named by the NCAA as one of the most improved teams in the nation in 2004. After their inaugural appearance in the America East Tournament, second year head coach Cesar Markovic will count on first team selection Chris Megaloudis and all-rookie selection Yahaya Musa.
Vermont (4-5-0, 9-5-1) returns six starters from last season's team, including seniors Jesse Brady-Searby, Matt Chew and Jason Leahy, an America East Second Team All-Conference player.
UNH (3-3-3, 5-6-7) will welcome New Hampshire high school stand out A.J. DuBois (Acworth, N.H./Fall Mountain Regional) to the team. Senior captain Eric Masi, a First Team All-Conference player, will return for his final season as a Wildcat.
Albany (6-2-1, 12-4-2) will look to repeat its regular season champion title which it shared with Boston U. The Great Danes will look to Stephan Hall and George Friedman, both 2004 America East Second-team selections, to carry the load in 2004.
Hartford (0-6-3, 2-11-4) will be guided by first year coach Dan Gaspar this season, a former goalkeeping coach for the world-renowned Portuguese club team FC Porto. Second team and all-rookie selection Kenniel Martin will return for his junior season to lead the Hawks.
Maine (2-5-2, 5-8-3) hopes to return to the America East Championship after falling short of qualifying for the six-team event last season. The team will return junior Cooper Friend after a season-ending injury in 2004.