MEN'S SOCCER PICKED FIFTH IN CAA PRESEASON POLL

WILMINGTON, N.C. The UNC Wilmington men's soccer team has been picked to finish fifth in the Colonial Athletic Association race in 2005-06, according to a vote of the league's 12 head coaches.

Fifth-year Head Coach Aidan Heaney, who was named the 2004 CAA Coach of the Year, returns all 11 starters from a team that finished 12-6-3 and earned the program its first national ranking since 1980.

Leading the way are a pair of Second-Team All-CAA honorees in defender Russell Bienias, a Raleigh, N.C. native, and goalkeeper Brad Knighton. Also returning for Heaney are senior forwards Sam Leger and Keith Shevlin, who combined to score 11 goals last season.

The Seahawks are coming off one of their finest campaigns in recent memory. Ranked as high as 21st in the NSCAA poll, the squad defeated two Top Ten opponents in No.1 UNC Greensboro and No.10 Old Dominion, while also tying No.8 UNC Chapel Hill and No. 16 Virginia Commonwealth.

Action returns to the UNCW Soccer Stadium on Aug. 27 when the team plays host to UNC Chapel in an exhibition match. The regular season kicks off when the Seahawks travel up I-40 to take on UNC Greensboro on September 1 at 7 p.m. as a part of the UNCG/Davidson Adidas Classic.

2005 CAA Men's Soccer Preseason Poll

1. Virginia Commonwealth (8) 117

2. Old Dominion (2) 106

3. James Madison (2) 105

4. Hofstra 88

5. UNC Wilmington 79

6. William & Mary 74

7. George Mason 60

8. Towson 51

9. Drexel 37

10. Georgia State 27

Northeastern 27

12. Delaware 21