Aug. 14, 2006

MEMPHIS, Tenn.- Just over 48 hours remain until the Memphis men's soccer team returns to the field for the 2006 exhibition season. Memphis will take on Christian Brothers University on Wednesday, and according to head coach Richie Grant, the Tigers are eager to finally face some competition.

"I'm really pleased with the way our lads have prepared this preseason. Their work ethic has been impressive, and they have been extremely competitive," Grant said. "But, we're really looking forward to the opportunity to get out there against some different opposition."

The Tigers are looking to regain the form that led them to Conference USA regular season and tournament championships in 2004. To do so, the Tigers will rely on a group of talented underclassmen to replace Columbus Crew draft pick Dayton O'Brien and D.C. United selection Andy Metcalf, as well as three other seniors who graduated after the 2005 campaign.

In 2006, Memphis will feature a roster of nine freshmen, 11 sophomores, five juniors and one senior. But even with only one upperclassman, the Tigers boast a strong core of 12 returning letterwinners and six returning starters. The team's sophomores and juniors gained valuable experience facing a difficult Conference USA schedule in 2005, and four transfers appear ready to contribute.

"You're always learning in this sport," Grant said. "Last year we had kind of an imbalance of a few senior players and a lot of young players. There really wasn't anyone in between. But I think our freshman players gained a lot of valuable experience by fighting through a tough schedule last year, and that can only help them be more productive as sophomores this year. I'm also counting on some of our juniors who had success on the 2004 conference championship team. It's very important that those lads draw on those experiences coming up this year. Overall, I feel we have a good core of players with a lot of experience coming into this season."

After starting the 2005 season with four-consecutive wins, the Tigers lost four of their next six matches. However, Memphis was able to rebound from their midseason struggles and advance to the conference tournament semifinals and an 8-8-2 record.

The Tigers showed further progress during their 2006 spring schedule by posting a 4-2 record. Memphis lost to Major League Soccer (MLS) clubs Kansas City and FC Dallas; however the Tigers shut out all four amateur opponents including Irish teams Colaiste Ide and Portmarnock.

The Tigers will have their work cut out for them once again as this year's schedule promises strong opposition from conference rivals and non-conference national powers. However, Grant's goals remain the same.

"We need to be competing to win the conference which means that we need to put ourselves in the conference tournament at the end of the year with a decent seed," Grant said. "The second thing is that we want to give ourselves an opportunity to compete beyond the conference tournament. We can do that by staying competitive and getting enough wins on our schedule so the selection committee takes notice, and I think we have a very good chance this year. We just need to win."

COACHES

The entire coaching staff returns from 2005 as Grant begins his 12th season as a head coach and his eighth season at the helm of the Memphis men's soccer program. The two-time C-USA Coach of the Year has guided the Tigers to a 69-53-8 record and a school record .561 winning percentage over the last seven seasons. Prior to joining the Tigers, Grant was the head coach at Lambuth University where he won three conference titles. In 11 seasons as a head coach, Grant owns a 122-82-10 record.

Robert Nicholson rejoins the Tigers for his fourth campaign as assistant coach and Remco de Jong returns to Memphis for his second year coaching the goalkeepers.

"Each coach brings a tremendous amount to the program," Grant said. "Their expertise and knowledge of all the different areas of the game is a great advantage to us. Robbie's done a great job with the strength and conditioning program, and Remco has been wonderful with the goalkeepers. It's good to know our players are in good hands with the coaching staff that we have."

GOALKEEPERS

One of the most promising areas for the Tigers entering 2006 is in net. Junior Tyler Strom returns to Memphis after a break-through sophomore season. The 6-5 Strom took over the starting netminder's role midway through the 2005 campaign and went on to record 75 saves on 92 shots over 11 games. His .815 save percentage led all of Conference USA.

True freshman Michael Goodlett, has seen success at the high school level. The Bolton, Miss. native recorded 25 shutouts his junior and senior seasons and led Clinton High School to state championships in 2005 and 2006. Mississippi's 2006 Mr. Soccer should be ready to step in and contribute if needed.

"We're looking for Tyler to continue where he left off last season," Grant said. "He had some very strong performances for us. He's very athletic and his game improved a lot last year. Tyler has to have a good season for us to do well. He knows that and he's taken that seriously in his preparation for this year.

"Michael (Goodlett) is very athletic and could give us some help if needed, but we're relying on Tyler to lead us."

DEFENDERS

The Tiger defense will be one of the stronger units on Grant's squad. Junior Michael Coburn will begin his third season as a starter. Jamie Gilbert, a transfer from Vanderbilt and the Tigers' lone senior, will join Coburn in anchoring the backfield.

Junior Adam Montgomery should see significant time and provide additional leadership. Robert Sausamann has recovered from a spring shoulder injury and should contribute at fullback and provide much-needed depth and size.

Sophomores Thomas Hyland, Frank Judice, and Tomo Koyano and freshman Rick Alleman should provide the Tigers enough to offset the loss of All-Conference USA defender Gary Connolly, who graduated last year.

"We feel we have six or seven defenders that could play for us across the back, and a lot of them can play multiple positions," Grant said. "We think that we have enough experience and versatility that we can send out four very good defenders every game."

MIDFIELDERS

The Tigers lost three important midfielders in Stephen Cooling, Cormac McArdle, and 2005 All-Region selection Dayton O'Brien. However, Grant is confident that sophomore Tripp Harkins will be a leader in the Tiger midfield.

Harkins, who was named to the 2005 C-USA All-Freshman team after recording 10 points (4 goals, 2 assists), will be joined by junior Kevin Walsh, a transfer from Christian Brothers University, and sophomore Shaun Goulding, a transfer from Lambuth University. Walsh and Goulding provide Grant with an attacking threat from midfield and should help create more scoring opportunities for the Tigers.

Montgomery has shown versatility by playing midfield and defense in his first two seasons. Montgomery and sophomore Jordan Lynn give the Tigers a defensive-minded presence at midfield.

Providing additional depth at midfield will be redshirt freshman Nick Dressman and sophomore Grant Wise. Both players impressed during spring play and could find themselves playing multiple positions. Freshmen Ben Nabers, Jonahan Romero, and Wade Wonderlin also provide additional competition for starting roles.

"We have a lot of balance when it comes to the midfield," Grant said. "We lost a lot from last year, but with the development that Tripp has shown us and the help that the transfers will give us, we should be in good shape."

FORWARDS

The departure of Andy Metcalf, who finished second in the conference in goals (12) and points (29), creates a scoring void the Tigers must fill. Junior Jared Britcher has the most experience and could have a more prominent role up front after playing both midfield and defense in his first two seasons at Memphis. Britcher, who finished seventh in the conference with 18 points and tallied seven goals in his sophomore campaign, brings experience and toughness to the forward position.

Memphis also has a number of other intriguing options at forward this year. Sophomores Patrick Elkins, Kyle Franklin (a transfer from South Carolina) and freshman Brian Farrell all have good goal scoring capabilities and could provide an immediate impact.

"Up front we used a variety of players during the spring, because that was the position that opened up the most. We really wanted to find the right group," Grant said. "Jared has a lot of experience and he played a lot of forward in the spring, so he should be ready. We also have a lot of help coming in with the transfers and the freshmen. We should have a strong group up front."

SCHEDULE

The Tigers will face demanding conference and non conference schedules in 2006 that include Clemson and SMU, two of last season's NCAA Final Four teams, and Creighton, a 2005 Elite Eight squad. Memphis will face plenty of challenges on the road, opening the season at Louisville and taking a midseason trip to Colorado to face Denver and Air Force, a 10-time NCAA Tournament qualifier.

The Tiger schedule will also feature tough Conference USA road matches. Memphis will open the conference schedule by traveling to South Carolina, the defending conference tournament champion. The Tigers must also face UCF, Florida International and Kentucky on the road.

Fortunately for the Tigers, they will have the benefit of home field advantage during the season's final push for the conference title. The Tigers will try to defend their Memphis Diadora Tournament championship by hosting Clemson and Cal State Fullerton, and four of the Tigers' final six matches take place at the Mike Rose Soccer Complex, where the Tigers went 5-2-1 in 2005.

Creighton, as well as conference rivals Tulsa, UAB, SMU, and Marshall will all come to Mike Rose in the season's second half. After playing five of their final seven games on the road last season, Grant is hoping his team can benefit from facing top competition at home.

"One of the things that made last season so tough was the fact that we had to go to places like SMU, Tulsa, UAB and Marshall. We had a lot of tough road games in our conference last year. Now we get to bring those teams here, and that really enhances our home schedule," Grant said. "The conference is a wonderful part of the schedule, and what we've added to that is an even more competitive non-conference schedule.

"The trips to Louisville, Denver and Air Force will be tough, and we hope to get some crowds out here when we bring in teams like Creighton, Clemson, and SMU. We'll have a lot of entertaining futbol here this fall, and it should give us a really good chance to make a run for the NCAA Tournament."