2009 Recap: Last season the Redhawks played their first full season at the NCAA Division I level. They also made their debut as members of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation, where they earned three of their four wins on the season. Seattle U finished tied for fourth place in the MPSF, which would have made them eligible for the conference tournament; however due to the reclassifying process they did not qualify for postseason play.
In 2009, the squad suffered several injuries combined with a schedule that featured perennial soccer powerhouses like then-ranked No. 10 and No. 12 Notre Dame and Indiana, respectively, Pacific Northwest rival Washington and New Mexico, who went to the NCAA Tournament Second Round. The team was challenged by their tough schedule and not having the depth they were accustomed to; however the entire lineup from the newcomers to the veterans worked to step up to the challenge. Behind a schedule boasting several top teams the team was able to see progress each day.
Agoos' Thoughts: "We are excited about getting back into action. The SMU Invitational is one of the most prestigious tournaments in the country so it is great to kick things off there. Opening with a ranked opponent in Tulsa will be a great game and challenge to start things off with."
Follow the Game: Fans can follow all the Redhawk men's soccer action this weekend by logging onto www.GoSeattleU.com. Live stats will be available for all the men's soccer action this weekend at the SMU Invitational. The Redhawks match against Southern Methodist will feature a live video stream for purchase. Live Twitter and Facebook updates will also be available.
Veteran Trio to Captain Squad in 2010: Senior Sean Morris, and juniors David Ranney and Demaci Roussos will captain the Redhawks in 2010. The trio of veterans are experienced leaders and have helped guide Seattle U through the transition into full NCAA Division I status.
Kicking Things Off with a Ranked Opponent: Seattle U will square off with Tulsa, who has received preseason rankings ranging from No. 5 to 7, to open the season.
Postseason Eligible: For the first time since reclassifying back into full NCAA Division I status the Seattle U men's soccer team is eligible for postseason play.
Fresh Faces: The Redhawks welcome eight newcomers, including seven freshmen to the lineup this season. Head coach Brad Agoos will look to the incoming class to compete for starting spots or push the guys ahead of them.
Scouting No. 5 Tulsa: The Golden Hurricane of Tulsa enter the opening weekend behind a preseason rankings from No. 5 to No. 7. Saturday's match will be the season opener for both the Redhawks and Tulsa.
TU returns 11 letterwinners, including seven starters. They finished with a 15-5-2 overall record in 2009, advancing to the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals. They were Conference USA regular season champions for the third consecutive season. At the end of the year they were ranked No. 7 by all five national polls.
Scouting Southern Methodist: The Mustangs opened up the 2010 season with a 3-2 double overtime victory over Missouri State on Sept. 1, at home. After going down 2-0, SMU scored a pair of equalizing goals in regulation and outlasted their opponent to score the game-winner in the 103rd minute. Three different Mustang players got in on the scoring activity.
Goalkeeper Craig Hill played the entire 102:43 minute match. He conceded a pair of goals, while tallying four saves between the pipes.