USF Men's Soccer Ranked No. 30 in College Soccer News Preseason Poll

June 25, 2009

(San Francisco) - After winning the 2008 West Coast Conference Championship and advancing to the program's 31st NCAA Tournament last Fall, USF men's soccer earned its second preseason ranking in the last four seasons, entering the College Soccer News poll at No. 30. USF has cracked the top-25 in three of the last four regular seasons, reaching No. 8 in September of 2006.

Erik Visser is set for his 32nd season associated with USF soccer and ninth season as head coach. Visser earned his third WCC Coach of the Year honor in the last five seasons in 2008 after guiding the Dons to the title after being picked fourth in the preseason poll. A key player on two NCAA Championship teams at USF, Visser has coached the Green and Gold in a remarkable 647 matches.

San Francisco welcomes back eight starters from the 2008 squad, headlined by WCC Player of the Year Conor Chinn, who ranked No. 8 among national Division I leaders in goals per game (0.81), finishing with 17 goals - eight of them game-winners. fter losing just five seniors to graduation, the Dons looked poised to make another run in an increasingly competitive WCC this season.

USF returns 96 percent of its offensive production from a year ago. One of the most dynamic offensive players on the West Coast, Chinn captured All-Region selection in 2008 after shattering the WCC record for most goals during league matches, finding the back of the net 14 times. Junior Bryan Burke enjoyed a breakthrough season as a sophomore and looks for increased production in 2009. The Dons return a pair of senior All-WCC Second Team selections in the midfield. Jonathan Levi ranked second on the team in goals (3) and points (9) during his first season on the Hilltop, while Leon Williams led the Dons in assists (4) to go along with a pair of game-winning goals in his inaugural campaign in the Green and Gold. Victor Cortez also returns for his third season with USF and is expected to start in the back for the Dons.

San Francisco welcomes three returning starters to its backline this season. Omar Elmasri started all 21 matches for the Dons and captured All-WCC Honorable Mention and WCC Freshman Team selection, while Victor Wennberg played heavy minutes in the USF back during his first collegiate season. Justin Warren emerged for a strong sophomore campaign, starting all 21 contests for the Dons in 2008.

USF opens defense of its WCC title when it welcomes Summit League Tournament Champs UMKC to the Hilltop Tuesday, September 1 for the 2009 regular season opener. Match time against the Kangaroos is set for 7:00 PM at Negoesco Stadium. Dons soccer invites all friends, family and alumni to Negoesco Stadium Saturday, August 22 for the annual Negoesco Scrimmage, starting at 11:00 AM.