2011 Men's Soccer

HENDERSON, Tenn. - If a phrase that described the feelings entering the 2010 season for the Lion soccer program had to be identified, the best one would probably be "cautiously optimistic."

Coming off a nine-win campaign in 2009 that saw the Lions have one the best offensive seasons in program history, Freed-Hardeman returns eight starters and three of its top four goal-scorers including Ryan Engineer, whose 19 goals were best on the squad.

"Our men left several games out there in 2009 and they are ready to play this season," said 10th year head coach Jason Elliott.  "We return a lot of key players and have added others. I think if we play together this season then we can be very strong."

This year's team will be heavy on experience with six seniors and eight returning starters, but also welcomes a recruiting class with a lot of potential that Elliott expects to strengthen the midfield right away.

"Our senior leadership and play will take us as far as we can go," Elliott said.  "I think we will be a much more dangerous team this year. Teams will come in concerned about what we have in the midfield and up top.  Our new players have added a lot to our team and they are really improving.  Guilherme Dorigo has stood out in the midfield and Brandon Stamey has done well in goal for a freshman."

Uncharacteristically hot temperatures across the mid-south have made scheduling and running practices a bit more complicated than usual, but Elliott is pleased with how his players have dealt with the heat.

"We have been having some good practices and looking solid in some tough conditions," he said. "The guys have been working hard in the heat and I think they are motivated this year to improve off last year's season.  We have lots of competition in almost every position which has made the guys better."

GOALKEEPERS

No.	Name	Class	Hometown
1	Alexandre Girodo	Jr.	Belohorizonte, Brazil
0	Hunter Yoches	Fr.	Chuluota, Fla.
12	Brandon Stamey	Fr.	Joelton, Tenn.

Returning for his third straight season in goal is junior Alexandre Girodo, an all-conference selection as a freshman who has tallied 235 saves in his two seasons at FHU.  His 6-foot-5 frame allows him to quickly cover a lot of space between the pipes.

A pair of freshmen will look to add depth to the position with Hunter Yoches and Brandon Stamey competing for time.  Depth at keeper was one of Elliott's main recruiting concerns in the offseason as Girodo had been the only true keeper on the roster each of the last two seasons.

DEFENDERS

No.	Name	Class	Hometown
11	Icaro Alves	Sr.	Belohorizonte, Brazil
13	Jordan Gulley	Fr.	Tullahoma, Tenn.
20	Saul Simpson	Sr.	McMinnville, Tenn.
23	Bryan Grosnick	Jr.	Rochester, N.Y.
25	Archibold Marowa	Jr.	Harare, Zimbabwe
26	Klyne Fawcett	Fr.	Bolivar, Tenn.

Three starters return in the Lions' defensive unit led by junior sweeper Archibold Marowa, where his speed and aggressiveness are key components to the team's success.  Also returning is stopper Saul Simpson, a 6-foot-2 powerhouse whose physicality can make attacking difficult for opponents.  Icaro Alves has started the last two seasons at left back, with his 6-foot-4 frame helping him win headers.

Freshmen Jordan Gulley and Klyne Fawcett as well as junior Bryan Grosnick will all look for time, and Elliott says it's possible that he could end up moving some players from the midfield back into the defense as needed.

MIDFIELDERS

No.	Name	Class	Hometown
2	Joshua McReynolds	Sr.	Zachary, La.
3	Alek Floyd	Sr.	Selmer, Tenn.
4	Brandon Foresha	Fr.	Ripley, W.V.
5	Philipp Baier	Fr.	Heidelburg, Germany
7	Guilherme Dorigo	Fr.	Londrina, Brazil
8	Tafara Tinarwo	So.	Harare, Zimbabwe
10	Simbarashe Zvaita	Jr.	Harare, Zimbabwe
14	Hobe Watkins	Jr.	Corbin, Ky.
15	Pasun Zarif	Jr.	Munich, Germany
21	Kenniel Hyde	Fr.	Kingston, Jamaica
22	Nolan Beede	So.	Lakeland, Fla.

The Lions' midfield may be the most improved area of the field with several quality recruits adding depth to a position with three starters returning.  Simbarashe Zvaita had an impressive sophomore campaign with 11 goals and a team-leading seven assists.  Fellow Zimbabwe native Tafara Tinarwo played well as a freshman at center midfield, where his ball-handling ability aids the attack.  Also returning is sophomore Nolan Beede, who scored five goals last year from outside midfield and is an excellent crosser of the ball.

Elliott expects to see contributions from Brandon Foresha, Philipp Baier, Guilherme Dorigo, and Kenniel Hyde, all of whom come to FHU with impressive resumes.

Seniors Alek Floyd and Joshua McReynolds and juniors Pasun Zarif and Hobe Watkins will add depth and experience at the position.

FORWARDS

No.	Name	Class	Hometown
9	Ryan Engineer	Sr.	Pune, India
16	Kyle Wells	Fr.	Reading, Pa.
17	Will Stevens	Fr.	Hendersonville, Tenn.
19	Joshua Mankey	Sr.	Selmer, Tenn.

After scoring the third-highest single-season goal total in school history (19), Ryan Engineer returns for his senior season to lead the Lions' attack.  Also returning is Joshua Mankey, who logged significant quality minutes as both a reserve and a starter.

Freshmen Kyle Wells and William Stevens will compete for time at the spot as well, as could some of the newcomers in the Lion midfield.

SCHEDULE
The season opens with a long road trip with a total of six matches (including two exhibitions) being played before the home opener against Pikeville (Ky.) College on Sept. 3 as part of the annual Lions Cup Invitational.  The Lions Cup begins a five-match home stand before hitting the road again for four straight.  The Lions then finish the season out with another five-match home stand, ending with senior night against Cumberland (Tenn.) University on Nov. 2.

Conference play kicks off on Sept. 21 as Freed-Hardeman travels to face defending conference champion Martin Methodist (Tenn.) College.

"Our schedule is a tough one with difficult scrimmages at the beginning in Lambuth and Bryan College," Elliott said.  "We are excited about what is coming this year and think that we will have a team that will play some good soccer this season."