Nationally-ranked Western New England Hosts Soccer City Shootout

SPRINGFIELD, Mass.--One of the most competitive preseason men's soccer tournaments at any NCAA level will be played right here on the campus of Western New England University this weekend. While the host Golden Bears are the only team currently ranked - at No. 23 - in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America Division III poll, all four participating teams appeared in last year's NCAA Division III Championship and all are defending champions in their conference. Eastern Connecticut, Merchant Marine and crosstown rival Springfield will invade 450-seat Suprenant Field on Saturday and Sunday for the Soccer City Shootout at Western New England Tournament.

On Saturday, Western New England plays Eastern Connecticut at noon and then Springfield battles Merchant Marine at 2:30 p.m. Sunday's schedule includes the third-place game at noon, followed by the championship at 2:30 p.m. There will be a brief awards presentation after the final contest to honor the tournament champions, runner-up, all-tournament team members, the offensive MVP and defensive MVP.

Here's a brief synopsis of each squad...

Western New England University
= 2011 Records: 19-4-1 Overall, 10-2-1 Home, 9-0 Commonwealth Coast Conference/1^st Place, CCC Champions
= NCAA tournament finish last season: lost in second round to No. 2 St. Lawrence, 3-2 in OT
= No. 23 NSCAA preseason national ranking
= Golden Bears return seven starters, including six All-CCC selections
= Junior F Jake Bartnik is top returning goal scorer with 9 (20 points) ; junior F Ryan Williams is top scorer back with 21 points (8 goals)
= First team All-CCC junior GK Domenick Villano posted 0.64 goals-against average and 8 shutouts in 2011
= Both Bartnik and Williams were tabbed second-team all-conference a year ago
= CCC All-Stars senior Bobby Jameson and juniors Kevin Parma, Jon Axton bolster a WNE defense that yielded just 0.67 goals per game last season
= The Golden Bears are young with 20 freshmen and sophomores on the 28-player roster
 
Eastern Connecticut State University
= 2011 Records: 15-6-1 Overall, 6-4-1 Road/Neutral, 6-1 Little East Conference/1^st Place, LEC Champions
= NCAA finish last season: made the second round for the second straight year
= Qualified for post-season play every year under sixth-year head coach Greg DeVito (4 NCAAs, a top seed in ECAC tournaments)
= Eastern returns 15 letterwinners, including seven regulars; receiving votes in NSCAA preseason poll
= Top returnees: senior F Matt Furman (2x first-team All-LEC), senior F/MF Cory Tobler (second-team All-LEC), junior MF Carl Stensland, senior D Bradley Fletcher (2x All-LEC), senior GK Jordan Munsell (projected starter)
= Furman has been the team leader in goals and points the last two years (9 goals, 22 points in 2011)
= Key losses are 2x All-New England Region Aaron Smiles (2011 LEC Defensive Player-of-the-Year), 4-year starting GK Carl Appel (3x All-LEC), first-team All-LEC defender Matt Esposito (2011 LEC playoff MVP)
= Eastern has won three Little East Conference regular season and three LEC playoff championships under DeVito
 
U.S. Merchant Marine Academy
= 2011 Records: 11-7-1 All, 5-3-1 Road/Neutral, 4-2-1 Landmark Conference/3^rd Place, LC Champions
= Reached the NCAA Tournament for three consecutive seasons
= Recorded at least 10 wins for 21 consecutive years
= Picked for second place in 2012 Landmark Conference preseason coaches' poll
= Senior D Kurt Olsen is squad's top returning scorer with 5 goals – three on penalty kicks – and 12 points
 
Springfield College
= 2011 Records: 10-5-4 Overall, 4-3-3 Road/Neutral, 4-2 New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference/T-2^nd Place, NEWMAC Champions
= NCAA tournament finish last season: lost in the first round to potential Soccer City Shootout opponent Eastern Connecticut
= Steffen Siebert makes his college head coaching debut this weekend, taking over for the retired Peter Haley (1985-2011)
= Last year marked the first time since 1989-1990 that Springfield had consecutive years with double-digit victories
= The Pride return 85% of their scoring output from a season ago, led by Kevin Nowak's team-best five goals in his first season in Maroon and White
= Springfield posted seven shutouts in 2011 and surrendered just 20 goals in 19 matches
= Returning NEWMAC All-Stars: senior D David Chessen (1st team, NSCAA All-New England South 2nd Team) and sophomore GK Brett Bascom (2nd Team)