C-N Reports to Fall Camp

JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. -- The Carson-Newman men's soccer team began its quest for a seventh straight NCAA Tournament appearance by reporting to fall camp on Friday.

C-N coach Allen Vital, who enters his 13th season at Mossy Creek, said there is plenty of excitement surrounding the Eagle program heading into the 2009 season.

"We've got a talented young team coming in," Vital said. "It's always an exciting time to get to the beginning of the season, but this time it is even more so because there is a lot of excitement about some of the local talent that's coming in. I really like this group of guys. We will see how they come along and work before the season starts."

C-N, which was picked to finish second in the SAC preseason poll, had 28 players report to camp, including five preseason All-SAC selections. Forward Omar Cooke (Roanoke, Va.), forward Robert Hill (Middlesbrough, England), defender Matthew Finlay (Liverpool, England) and goalkeeper Jordan Moore (Hendersonville, Tenn.) were first team selections, while midfielder Everardo Flores (Silver Spring, Md.) garnered second team honors.

The Eagles will hold their first practice on Monday and open the season on Aug. 27 at St. Andrews College in Laurinburg, N.C.

C-N went 11-5-2 last season, won a share of the SAC regular season title and received a berth to the NCAA Tournament.