Martinez Named Preseason All-BIG EAST; Pirates Picked Sixth
8/12/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Martinez was a First Team All-BIG EAST pick at the end of the 2008 campaign. He totaled three goals and five assists last season while leading the conference with 4.2 shots per game. The former BIG EAST Rookie of the Year tied for fourth in the league with 0.33 assists per match.
The Pirates were slotted sixth in the poll, which would be good for a berth in the conference tournament. Notre Dame took the top spot, followed by Connecticut, Georgetown, West Virginia and Providence. Marquette and Pittsburgh were picked behind the Hall.
In the Red Division, St. John's claimed first place, followed by USF and Louisville.
The 2009 BIG EAST Men's Soccer Championship will feature the top 12 of the league's 16 teams. The top six teams in each division, seeded by conference point total, qualify for the conference championship. The top two teams in each division earn first-round byes to the quarterfinals. The first-round and quarterfinal games will be held on the campuses of the higher seeded teams. First-round games will be held on Nov. 5, with the quarterfinals following on Nov. 8.
West Virginia University will host the men's soccer championship for the first time. The semifinals are Nov. 13 and the title game is Nov. 15. The champion receives the league's automatic bid to the 48-team NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Championship.
CBS College Sports Network will air both semifinal games live. The championship game will be broadcast on select BIG EAST regional television outlets and CBS C.
BIG EAST Preseason Offensive Player of the Year
Bright Dike, Notre Dame, Sr., F
BIG EAST Preseason Defensive Player of the Year
Joel Gustafsson, St. John's, Sr., D
BIG EAST Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year
Zach Johnson, West Virginia, R-Jr., GK
All-BIG EAST Preseason Team
Nelson Becerra, St. John's, Sr., MF
Len Coleman, Georgetown, Sr., D
*Bright Dike, Notre Dame, Sr., F
*Joel Gustafsson, St. John's, Sr., D
Zach Johnson, West Virginia, R-Jr., GK
Brayan Martinez, Seton Hall, Jr., MF
Colin Rolfe, Louisville, So., F
*Toni Stahl, Connecticut, Sr., MF
Michael Thomas, Notre Dame, Sr., MF
Steffen Vroom, DePaul, Sr., F
Hansen Woodruff, Syracuse, Sr., MF/F
* - unanimous selection
| | | BIG | | BIG EAST |
| Blue Division | Pts. | EAST | Overall | Finish |
| Notre Dame (12) | 110 | 7-2-2 | 12-7-2 | 1st |
| Connecticut (3) | 98 | 6-3-2 | 11-5-6 | 2nd |
| Georgetown (1) | 77 | 5-3-3 | 11-5-3 | 3rd |
| West Virginia | 72 | 3-4-4 | 5-9-5 | 5th |
| Providence | 60 | 5-5-1 | 9-7-3 | 4th |
| Seton Hall | 49 | 2-5-4 | 6-8-4 | 7th |
| Marquette | 24 | 1-8-2 | 3-10-4 | 8th |
| Pittsburgh | 22 | 3-6-2 | 6-8-4 | 6th |
| | | | | |
| | | BIG | | BIG EAST |
| Red Division | Pts. | EAST | Overall | Finish |
| St. John's (13) | 109 | 8-1-2 | 19-3-3 | 1st |
| USF (1) | 92 | 7-3-1 | 15-5-3 | 2nd |
| Louisville (2) | 91 | 5-5-1 | 11-8-2 | 4th |
| DePaul | 67 | 5-4-2 | 9-7-4 | 3rd |
| Rutgers | 42 | 3-6-2 | 6-9-3 | 8th |
| Syracuse | 40 | 4-6-1 | 8-6-3 | T-6th |
| Villanova | 36 | 4-5-2 | 7-10-2 | 5th |
| Cincinnati | 35 | 4-6-1 | 7-10-2 | T-6th |
