Aug. 10, 2011
WASHINGTON - The Georgetown University men's soccer squad was picked to finish fourth in the Blue Division in the 2011 BIG EAST Preseason Coaches Poll. Additionally, junior Ian Christianson (Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Christian Life) and sophomore Steve Neumann (New Hope, Pa./Council Rock North) were both named to the Preseason All-BIG EAST squad. The Hoyas had 88 points to be fourth in the Blue Division and eighth among all 16 teams in the league. Georgetown won the BIG EAST's Blue Division last season finishing the year with an overall mark of 12-6-2 going 7-2 in conference play.
Neumann was a Second Team All-BIG EAST selection and earned a spot on two national all-rookie squads as well as an all-region honor after an impressive freshman campaign. The forward led the squad in scoring with 10 goals and eight assists for 28 points. His ten goals were off of just 15 shots on goal and his eight assists ranked him second on the squad.
Neumann came off of the bench in all 19 contests and appeared in all 20. He led the BIG EAST in points per game with 1.40 and points with 28. He ranked second in goals with 10 and fifth in assists with eight. His four game winners tied him for third in the conference. Neumann was named the BIG EAST Rookie of the Week twice this season and earned a spot on the conference's All-Rookie Team.
Christianson was named to College Soccer News' Second Team after an outstanding sophomore campaign. He was also a Second Team All-Northeast Region from the NSCAA.
The midfielder was the BIG EAST Midfielder of the Year after ranking second on the team in points scored with 17 tallied on five goals and seven assists. Christianson started in all 20 games for the Hoyas and had three game-winning goals to his credit including one in the NCAA Tournament win over UNC Greensboro. He went 2-for-2 on penalty kicks with his PK in the win over West Virginia sealing the 1-0 victory. Christianson was also named All-BIG EAST First Team.
Louisville was selected as the BIG EAST Red Division favorite, while Connecticut was chosen to win the BIG EAST Blue Division in the poll. The votes were cast by the league's 16 head coaches, who were not permitted to vote for their own players. Both teams advanced to the NCAA Tournament in 2010, with Louisville reaching the national title game.
GU won the Blue Division with a conference record of 7-2-0 and an overall mark of 12-6-2. The Hoyas defeated UNC Greensboro in the first round of the NCAA Championship, 3-0, before battling to a scoreless draw in the second round against North Carolina. The Tar Heels advanced on penalty kicks, 5-4. During the season, Georgetown posted a nine-game winning streak, the second-longest in program history. The Hoyas finished the season ranked 23rd in the nation in scoring offense (1.90 goals per game).
The Blue & Gray lost nine seniors to graduation, but returns a majority of the starting lineup in 2011. The Hoyas will welcome seven freshmen to campus to add to the depth from the upperclassmen. Additionally, junior John Snyder (Bethesda, Md./Walt Whitman) transferred to Georgetown from Virginia Tech University.
The Hoyas will play eight home games at North Kehoe Field as well as one at Multi-Sport Field and have a challenging road slate. Georgetown is scheduled to face nine NCAA Tournament teams from 2010.
The Hoyas will open the season with a home game at North Kehoe Field against Virginia Commonwealth University on August 29 as the start of a three-game home stand.
