Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Men's Soccer	SIUE Men's Soccer SIUE Athletics

August 14, 2007 2007 SIUE Men's Soccer Schedule Men's Soccer Looks Ahead to 2007 Season           EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. -- Now that the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville men's soccer team has returned, they can begin practicing with their 2007 goals in mind.           For SIUE Coach Ed Huneke, this is business as usual. As he enters his 21st season as the head coach of the SIUE program, he is a firm believe in the fact that "if you begin with the end in mind you will achieve your goals."           Huneke's team finished last year ranked No. 8 nationally at 15-4-3, won the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament, and advanced to a third consecutive NCAA Division II Great Lakes regional championship game.           Picked to repeat as the GLVC men's soccer champions in 2007, SIUE returns 12 letters winners and six starters from last year's squad. Among them are All-GLVC honorees Randy Roy (St. Louis) and Zach Bauer (St. Charles, Mo.) as well as its top three scorers Dustin Attarian (St. Louis, Mo.), Ross Beveridge (Dunfermline, Scotland), and Kevin Bielicki (St. Louis).           Huneke said he is not so much concerned about rankings and stats as he is about ensuring that his team is prepared to play its best soccer when league starts and is able to finish the season strong.           "I am a big believer in putting them under fire early to find out what we are made of so that we can coach in such a way that allows us to be at our best at the end of the season. Hopefully that will have us where we want to be -- right in the thick of it." Midfield           With the departure of all three starters from last year's team, the Cougars will rely on a mixture of veterans and new talent in the middle. With seven athletes competing for playing time, the Cougars should be able to convert many possessions into goals.           Going into his senior season, Patrick Brazill's (St. Charles, Mo.) leadership will be important for the team. Sophomore Tim Weir (Florissant, Mo.) returns after appearing in 19 games and tallying one goal last year. After only appearing in two games last year, sophomore John Anzalone (St. Peters, Mo.) is looking for more playing time in 2007.           Making the switch from defender to midfielder is Roy, who was a second team All-GLVC selection, and Tim Lindsay (Florissant, Mo.). Freshmen Chris Hopping (St. Charles, Mo.) and Benny Jeffery (Florissant, Mo.) also will have the opportunity to step in and make an immediate impact, noted Huneke. Forwards           With proven returning players and impressive incoming players, Huneke said it will be interesting to see how the forward position battle shapes up. "Basically the trick is going to be finding the right combination of players," he said.           Looking to catch the coaches' eyes are six veteran players who last year racked up a combined total of 28 goals and 13 assists. Dustin Attarian (St. Louis, Mo.), Ross Beveridge (Dunfermline, Scotland), and Kevin Bielicki (St. Louis) combined to score 22 of the 28 goals. All three return to the lineup looking to continue their scoring ways.           The SIUE coaching staff feels confident about the depth and starting potential that the current reserves provide. Juniors Matt Harris (St. Charles, Mo.) and Bob Ridder (Quincy) both have extensive game experience and can provide a boost as needed. Once fully recovered from injuries, Adam Lanter (Edwardsville) also will provide the Cougars will another weapon to utilize. Defense           Looking to improve upon last year's 0.97 goals scored against average is a solid group of defenders.           Anchoring the Cougar defense is Bauer, who in the words of Huneke "should be one of the best defenders in the country this year." Lining up next to Bauer will be Matt Budenholzer (St. Louis).           Complimenting the defensive efforts will be Myles Hensler (Maryville), Mike Jones (St. Peters, Mo.), and Ryan Wilhelm (St. Louis, Mo.).           Hensler is an experienced player and will be a very important attack defender for this year's team, said Huneke.           Appearing in 12 matches during his freshman year, Jones is being looked to fill in as needed and provide solid play.           Huneke said he is feeling confident about Wilhelm's potential and expects him to be in immediate contributor to the Cougars in his first season. Goalkeeping           After posting two shutouts and piling up 36 saves last year, senior Greg Crook (Columbia) is expected to use his veteran leadership and experience to improve upon those numbers.           "He has lots of experience with lots of great physical tools, and we are going to need him to come up big for us this year," said Coach Huneke.           Waiting in the wings is first-year player Scott Meyer (Ballwin, Mo.). During his high school career, Meyer gained invaluable game experience at the state and regional levels. These experience may come into play because Huneke said, "if his number is called we need for him to be ready to go."                     -siue cougars-