Wake Forest Athletics
Men's Soccer Notebook - August 13
8/13/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Aug. 13, 2009
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - The Wake Forest men's soccer team picked up its second top-five ranking of the 2009 preseason this week when the National Soccer Coaches Association of America ranked the Deacs third in its preseason poll.
Wake Forest was also ranked third earlier in the preseason in a poll released by CollegeSoccerNews.com.
The ACC claimed the top three spots in the NSCAA poll. Defending national champion Maryland was the top ranked team, while North Carolina was picked second.
The Demon Deacons return four starters from the 2008 squad, including M.A.C. Hermann Trophy candidates Corben Bone and Ike Opara. Also returning from the 2008 team are senior goalkeeper Akira Fitzgerald and sophomore defender Danny Wenzel. However, Wenzel will miss the entire 2009 season after having off-season knee surgery.
2009 NSCAA Preseason Poll
1. Maryland
2. North Carolina
3. Wake Forest
3. Akron
5. St. John's
6. Creighton
7. Indiana
8. California
9. Northwestern
10. Illinois-Chicago
11. South Florida
12. Connecticut
12. Notre Dame
14. Tulsa
15. UC Irvine
16. UC Santa Barbara
17. Dartmouth
18. Loyola (Md.)
19. UCLA
20. Michigan State
21. St. Louis
22. Michigan
23. Cal Poly
24. Boston University
25. Louisville
2009 Recruiting Class Ranked Fifth by CollegeSoccerNews.com: The 2009 Wake Forest men's soccer recruiting class has been ranked fifth in the country by CollegeSoccerNews.com.
The seven-member class includes Anthony Arena, Luciano Delbono, Michael Lisch, Andy Lubahn, Will Mayhew, Ben Newnam and Sean Randolph.
CollegeSoccerNews.com described the class as "strong, fast and ready to make an immediate impact at the collegiate level."
Preseason Training Opens on Saturday: The Demon Deacons will begin their preparation for the 2009 season on Saturday with a pair of practices at the Spry Stadium practice fields.
The team reports on Friday and will have various administrative meetings before taking the field on Saturday. Wake Forest will have 17 days of training before opening the regular season at home on Tuesday, September 1, at 7 p.m. against William & Mary.
The Deacs will also play a pair of exhibition matches during the preseason. Wake Forest takes the field for the first time in 2009 on Saturday, August 22, at 7 p.m., when it plays host to Liberty. The second exhibition is set for 7 p.m. on Thursday, August 27, at Furman.
