Bearcat Men's Soccer Team Ties for Third in NWC Preseason Poll

By Robert McKinney, Athletics Communications Director, (503) 370-6110

SALEM, ORE. -- The Willamette University men's soccer team is listed fourth in the 2014 Northwest Conference Men's Soccer Preseason Poll as voted on by the league's head coaches. Whitworth University was predicted to win the NWC title.

Whitworth finished the 2013 season with a 12-3-3 overall record, including 10-2-2 in the NWC. The Pirates placed second in the NWC standings. In this year's Preseason Poll, Whitworth received four of eight first place votes and 50 points.

Pacific Lutheran University received one first place vote and ranked second in the poll with 41 points. Last year, the Lutes were 13-4-3 overall, 8-4-2 in the NWC.

Willamette tied for third in the poll with the University of Puget Sound. Each team garnered 35 points, but Willamette had two first place votes, compared to one first place vote for Puget Sound. The Loggers won the NWC title last season with a 12-2 record and went 15-6 overall. Willamette placed fifth in the NWC in 2013 with a 6-5-3 record, while going 10-6-3 overall.

It was Willamette's second consecutive winning season. The Bearcats finished 2012 with a 10-7-2 record.

Whitman College (9-9-2, 8-5-1 NWC) was listed fifth in the Preseason Poll with 27 points. Linfield College (8-9-1, 5-8-1 NWC) was sixth with 23 points. Seventh place in the poll went to Pacific University (7-12-1, 2-11-1 NWC) at 12 points. George Fox University (1-19-0, 0-14-0) completed the poll in eighth place with nine points.

Willamette Head Coach Lloyd Fobi is entering his fourth season. The Bearcats return the second and third leading scorers from last season.

Yazan Hishmeh (Jr., F, Ventura, CA/Saint Bonaventure HS) scored nine goals and added six assists for 24 points. He was named Honorable Mention All-NWC. Tyler Yates (So., MF, Kailua-Kona, HI/Kealakehe HS), who was named First Team All-NWC, added five goals and two assists for 12 points.

Top returning defensive players for Willamette include goalkeeper Braydon Calder (Jr., Philomath, OR/Philomath HS) and defender Sam Gonzalez (Jr., Junction City, OR/Junction City HS). Calder achieved a 9-5-3 record, while making 82 saves and earning a 1.08 goals against average. He was named Second Team All-Conference.

Gonzalez played in all 19 games and made 18 starts. He was consistently strong on defense. He also helped connect with the midfielders and occasionally contributed to Willamette's attack from the wing.

This weekend, the Bearcats will open the season with a three-game road trip to the Midwest. Willamette will take on Lake Forest College (Ill.) on Friday, Aug. 29 at 4:30 p.m. (CST) and will play at Loras College (Iowa) on Sunday, Aug. 31 at 2:30 p.m. (CST). The Bearcats are set to conclude the road trip with a game at Carthage College (Wis.) on Monday, Sept. 1 at 11:30 a.m. (CST).

2014 NWC Men's Soccer Preseason Poll (1st place votes in parentheses)
1. Whitworth (4), 50 points, 12-3-3 overall, 10-2-2 NWC in 2013
2. Pacific Lutheran (1), 41 points, 13-4-3, 8-4-2 NWC
3. Puget Sound (1), 35 points, 15-6-0, 12-2-0 NWC
3. Willamette (2), 35 points, 10-6-3, 6-5-3 NWC
5. Whitman, 27 points, 9-9-2, 8-5-1 NWC
6. Linfield, 23 points, 8-9-1, 5-8-1 NWC
7. Pacific, 12 points, 7-12-1, 2-11-1 NWC
8. George Fox, 9 points, 1-19, 0-14 NWC

Note: Points were awarded on a 8-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis. Each coach was not allowed to vote for his/her own team.