Aug. 29, 2006

ABILENE, Texas - Hardin-Simmons' men's soccer team won its first American Southwest Conference title since 2001 a year ago and the talented Cowboys are picked to win the title again.

The Cowboys are going to have a few new faces in the mix, but several veterans return to give HSU a solid mix of experienced veterans and talented newcomers.

Senior forward David Salas gives the Cowboys a chance in every game. The preseason ASC player of the year, is one of the top players in the country and demands double and sometimes triple teams.

"David attracts a lot of attention, because he is the top offensive player in the conference and maybe the nation," said fourth-year head coach Dan Heger. "He is big, fast, strong and has good skill. Not only can he score he does a good job of getting teammates open for shots. He could be an All-American for us this season."

Salas had 37 career goals for the Cowboys and he had 10 goals in the last nine games of the year last season, including two against Trinity in the Cowboys 3-2 loss in the NCAA Tournament.

"I think we have a team that can do some things if we continue to work hard," said Heger. "Our guys came in physically prepared. Everyone on the team was under 12:30 in the two-mile run and we have been able to work on soccer, instead of getting in shape. We have a lot of young guys with great talent and they are going to play early.

Giving Salas some help offensively will be sophomore Keal Rasavage at forward. Along with attacking midfielders Ryan Flanigan and Nick Sager.

"Keal is one of the hardest workers on the team and he is smart," said Heger. "He is a 4.0 student and brings some skill. I expect him to score some goals for us. Flanigan is a great attacking force, strong in the air, experienced and competitive. Nick is a leader and maybe our biggest competitor. They all will help us have one of the top attacks in the conference."

Matt Lewis, a freshman from Houston, will play in the attacking midfield role off the bench. Colin McDaniel is a freshman that has been injured in the preseason.

Sophomore Roberto Martinez, who has made an impression with his work level in practice, and Colt McKee, a senior who scored three goals and had five assists last season, will battle for the left outside midfield spot.

Freshman Cody Oswald will start on the right outside midfield. He is a tough, physical player that ran under 11 minutes in the two-mile run. He will be pushed by Estevan Arbariza another freshman with great speed.

The defensive midfield job is being battled for by sophomore Danny Oughton and freshman Jorge Vega. Oughton has accepted a more defensive role this year and has worked hard to get in shape to get on the field more.

"We have a great attack, with a strong midfield and I think our backline is strong. Our biggest question is going to be between the pipes."

It doesn't matter who was going to be in goal for the Cowboys, they were going to be a question mark compared to a year ago. Ryan Shaughnessy graduated as a three-time All-Region selection and a four-time All-ASC selection. The Cowboys only other goalkeeper with experience did not come back so two young players will battle for the keeper job.

Sophomore transfer Joshua Pringle and freshman Austin White are in an intense battle for the job.

"They both bring great things to the table," said Heger. "Pringle is a little more experienced and has some college experience. White is more athletic and is bigger. I think both are going to be very solid goalkeepers, it is a matter of who comes along the quickest. They don't have time to settle in slowly."

The good thing about whoever is in the pipes is they will have a fast and physical back line in front of them.

Freshman Grant Woods and junior Chinedu Okoro are battling for the left back spot. Okoro has been injured, but had a good summer for the Austin in the Premier Development League. Andre Newcome is a sophomore who dedicated himself in the offseason and got bigger and stronger and is expected to get more minutes this year.

Senior Ricky Matthies gives the Cowboys another strong senior presence in the defensive back. He is a strong athletic player that is a team leader and will be the captain of the defense.

Sophomore Tyler Allen and junior T. Chieza are battling for the center back job. Chieza came into camp in the best shape of his career and Allen is a very athletic player. Freshman Kyle Harper is also battling for time.

"The centerback battle may have been the battle of the preseason," said Heger. They are both competitors and want to be on the field. They are bringing a fire to our practices and want to be on the field."

On the rightside sophomore Chris Key has moved from forward to the back and is one the fastest players on the team. His speed on the outside will be a factor on opposing offenses. He is being pushed by veteran Andrew Kimmel.

The Cowboys have a tough non-conference schedule once again and the conference gets stronger and stronger every year. Not only is the competition stronger, but they have the target they earned last year by being the conference champion right in the middle of their chest.