SAN BRUNO, Calif. - Gonzaga University redshirt sophomore midfielder James Matern didn't play a minute for Bulldogs last soccer season, but the West Coast Conference coaches showed the respect they have for him as he was selected to the All-WCC Preseason team as selected by the conference's seven coaches and announced Tuesday.
The coaches tabbed the youthful Bulldogs to finish in a tie for sixth with the University of San Francisco for the regular-season title, giving the unanimous nod to defending co-champion Loyola Marymount University. The Lions received six first-place votes and 36 points in the vote of the coaches who aren't allowed to vote for their team or players in the preseason balloting.
Matern was hobbled throughout the 2010 with a bad hip which required surgery Oct. 8. As a freshman in 2009 he started all 16 of his appearances, scoring his lone goal in a 5-0 late-season victory over Saint Mary's College.
"He's one of our key guys," 17th-year head coach Einar Thorarinsson said of the product of Spokane's Ferris High. "If we played today he would be in the starting lineup."
The Bulldogs and USF received nine points to share the sixth spot in the preseason balloting, 10 behind fifth-place Saint Mary's College. The University of San Diego tallied 27 points to finish second, just one point ahead of 2010 NCAA participant Santa Clara University. The Broncos earned the WCC's automatic bid to the NCAA Men's Soccer Championship based on a 1-0-1 head-to-head record last season against the Lions.
The University of Portland captured 21 points in the coaches' poll to finish fourth.
"We have a young team who a lot of people don't know about," Thorarinsson said. "But I think this team is capable of surprising some teams this season."
The Bulldogs are currently in two-a-day practices getting ready for the Aug. 27 home and season opener against the University of Washington at 1 p.m.
Senior forward Collin Flynn paced the Bulldogs in scoring last season with four goals and an assist for 9 points. But the Bulldogs return four sophomore starters who were in the starting line-up as freshman, including keeper Ryan Caballero who started 18 of Gonzaga's 19 matches and posted a 1.94 goals-against-average. The Bulldogs were blanked in eight matches last season.
In all, seven of the 13 returning players from a year ago are sophomores. Flynn and Mitchell Weller are the two lone seniors, with juniors Jeff Renslo (GK), James Partee (D), Eric Nielsen (F) and Casey Ames (MF) rounding out the returning players.
2011 WCC PRESEASON POLL (First Place Votes)
(First Place Votes In Parentheses)
1. Loyola Marymount (6) 36
2. San Diego 27
3. Santa Clara 26
4. Portland 21
5. Saint Mary's (1) 19
6. Gonzaga 9
San Francisco 9
2011 WCC PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM
Name School YR Pos.
Mykell Bates Santa Clara SR D
Roger Downes Loyola Marymount SR D
Steven Evans Portland SO MF
Doug Herrick Saint Mary's SR GK
Erik Hurtado Santa Clara JR F
Artur Jozkowicz Loyola Marymount SR F/MF
Vegard Karlsen San Francisco SO MF
Ryan Kawulok Portland SR D
James Matern Gonzaga SO MF
Stephen Posa San Diego SR F
Patrick Wallen San Diego SR F
