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December 1, 2005

2005 MEN'S SOCCER REVIEW

Vikings go 9-7-1 for second consecutive year and post 11^th straight winning season; Colin Nolan, Brad Becker and Steve Lytle wind up on career top ten lists; Kevin Love makes CoSIDA academic all-district team for second year in a row

The Augustana College men’s soccer team extended its streak of consecutive winning seasons to 11 straight with a 9-7-1 overall record in 2005. For the Vikings, it was their second straight 9-7-1 mark and it was a season that saw head coach Scott Mejia’s charges ranked 10^th in the Central Region as late as the third week of October. The last time that Augustana had a losing record was in 1994 during a 7-10-3 campaign.

Senior forward Colin Nolan (Davenport Assumption HS, Davenport, Iowa) finished the year as the team’s leading scorer with nine goals and eight assists for 26 total points. He wrapped up his fine career with 36 goals, 14 assists and 86 total points, ranking in the top ten on the school’s all-time list in goals scored (seventh) and total points (tied for seventh). He led the team in goals scored and total points twice during his career (sophomore and senior) and tied for the club lead once (sophomore) in assists. Senior Brad Becker (Naperville North HS, Naperville, Ill.) finished his career with 33 goals and is now eighth on the all-time list in that category and he is ninth in total points with 77 (33 goals and 11 assists). Still another senior, midfielder Steve Lytle (Downers Grove North HS, Downers Grove, Ill.) also made it onto the top ten career list. He finished in 10^th place in assists with 15 while also scoring 21 goals and finishing his four years with 57 total points.

Lytle and Nolan were honored by the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin by being named first team all-conference after the Vikings finished the year with a 3-4 league record, which tied them for fourth place in the standings. The top four teams advanced to the post-season tournament and Carthage, which matched Augustana for fourth, got the nod because of the Red Men’s 2-1 victory on October 19.

The Vikings got off to a fast start in 2005, posting a 7-2-1 record through the first 10 games with the only losses coming to nationally ranked Wartburg (3-1 on September 6) and Wheaton (2-0 on September 23). They also played highly regarded Concordia of Wisconsin to a 1-1 tie on September 11. A road loss to Elmhurst by a score of 4-3 on October 5 was costly but wins over Clark (3-0 on October 8) and eventual CCIW champ North Park (3-2 on October 15) had them at 9-3-1 heading into the last two weeks of the regular season. That victory over North Park would be the last win of the season however as a 2-1 home loss to Carthage on October 19 began a four game losing streak to end the season.

While Nolan was leading the team in scoring with his nine goals, eight assists and 26 points, sophomore Nick Cosentino (Conant HS, Elk Grove Village, Ill.) added eight goals and one assist for 17 points and Becker chipped in with seven goals and two assists for 16 total points.

Senior defender Kevin Love (Buffalo Grove HS, Arlington Heights, Ill.) was named to the first team ESPN – The Magazine academic all-district team for the second consecutive season. Love, a business administration major, carried a 3.85 grade point average and was an integral part of a defense that allowed 29 goals in 17 games for an average of 1.65 goals per game.

In conference play the Vikings led the CCIW in points scored per game at 5.57 (39 in seven league contests) and goals scored with a 2.00 average (14 in seven). Nolan was second in total points scored in conference games only with 12, third in points per game in conference games only at 1.71 (12 in seven) and second in goals scored at 0.71 (five in seven). Freshman goalkeeper Albert Greenhut (Deerfield HS, Deerfield, Ill.) was third in saves with 48 in seven CCIW outings.

Scott Mejia just finished his fifth season as the Vikings head coach and he is 58-28-6 overall during that time frame and 18-11-3 in the CCIW. Mejia’s overall collegiate coaching record, which includes two years as the head coach at Lakeland College, is now 69-55-8.

2005 COLLEGE CONFERENCE OF ILLINOIS & WISCONSIN

Final Standings

2005 AUGUSTANA MEN’S SOCCER SUPERLATIVES

CONSECUTIVE WINNING SEASONS: The Vikings have now posted 11 straight winning seasons, dating back to 1994…Of those 11 consecutive winning seasons, Augustana has won at least 10 matches nine times.

FIRST TEAM ALL-CCIW: Colin Nolan & Steve Lytle

ESPN – THE MAGAZINE ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT: Kevin Love (1^st team)

ACADEMIC ALL-CONFERENCE: Kevin Love & Dennis Topielec

CAREER TOP TEN LIST – GOALS SCORED: Colin Nolan moves into seventh with 36 while Brad Becker moves into eighth with 33

CAREER TOP TEN LIST – POINTS SCORED: Colin Nolan moves into seventh with 86 while Brad Becker moves into ninth with 77

CAREER TOP TEN LIST – ASSISTS: Steve Lytle moves into  10^th with 15

MOST VALUABLE OFFENSIVE PLAYER: Colin Nolan

MOST VALUABLE DEFENSIVE PLAYER: Kevin Love

MOST IMPROVED PLAYER: Petar Tomicic

IRON VIKING: Dennis Topielec & Steve Lytle