Four Named To A-10 Preseason All-Conference Team
A date with defending national champion Wake Forest, five matches against 2007 NCAA Tournament teams, and another competitive Atlantic 10 Conference season highlight the University of Massachusetts men's soccer schedule for the 2008 season announced by head coach Sam Koch. The Minutemen are coming off a historical 75th-anniversary season which saw UMass win the A-10 Tournament en route to a dramatic NCAA Tournament run to the National Semifinals.
Atlantic 10 Preseason All-Conference Teams
Redshirt senior Chris Brown, senior Mike DeSantis, junior Bryan Hogan, and redshirt senior Zack Simmons were each named to the 2008 Atlantic 10 Men's Soccer Preseason All-Conference Team as announced by the league on Tuesday. UMass led the way with four players named to the All-Conference Team. Coming off the Atlantic 10 Conference Title and an appearance in the NCAA College Cup, this is the best showing for UMass on the A-10 preseason team in program history.
Photo Gallery
It was a historic night at Fenway Park as Boston Red Sox pitcher Jon Lester no-hit the Kansas City Royals - the first for Lester and the 18th in Sox history. Prior to the game, UMass men's soccer coach Sam Koch was honored for guiding the team to the 2007 NCAA College Cup by the organization with the first pitch of the game. Koch, his family and assistant coach Jon Davy were given a private VIP tour prior to the game, collected a few autographs, and watched the game from the stands behind home plate as the game, and history, unfurled pitch-by-pitch.
To honor UMass men's soccer coach Sam Koch for guiding the Minutemen to the program's first-ever NCAA College Cup appearance, the Boston Red Sox have invited the Concord, Mass. native to throw out the first pitch against Kansas City on May 19. The game is set for a 7:05 PM start and will be televised on NESN. With a 17-8-1 record, the UMass soccer team enjoyed its best season ever winning the Atlantic 10 Tournament title to advance to its second-ever NCAA Tournament. The Minutemen won four-straight NCAA Tournament games before falling to Ohio State in the National Semifinals.
Complete Information On SoccerFest
The UMass men's and women's soccer teams will cap their spring seasons this Saturday afternoon with exhibition games against the Western Mass Pioneers and the Adirondack Lynx highlighting the Sport Management Department's annual SoccerFest. The men's game will kick off at 1 PM, while the women's game will begin at approximately 3:30 PM. Both games will take part at Rudd Field. The UMass Men's team is coming off the most successful season in the program's history as it advanced to the NCAA Final Four. The men's game will feature a special ceremony honoring the 75th anniversary of the soccer program at the university, while the women's game will feature special Mother's Day Weekend festivities during the game.
The UMass men's soccer team capped off the historic 2007 season with its annual banquet on Saturday, Feb. 16. Dubbed the "Celebration of Champions", the team along with friends, family and alumni gathered in the Massachusetts Room of the Mullins Center prior to the hockey game against Northeastern. The night was a time reflect on the magical season that saw the Minutemen reach the NCAA College Cup for the first time in program history after winning the Atlantic 10 Championship and winning four straight games in the NCAA Tournament.
