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Men's Soccer
Season Outlook (2010-2011)


Following last season's historic run to the NCCAA D2 National Championship, the future looks bright for the Clearwater Christian College men's soccer team. The Cougars are looking to continue the winning tradition. The 2010 Cougar team will be a majority of the key contributors from the National Championship season, but the coaching staff looks forward to replacing the graduating seniors with a great group of newcomers.

The Cougars return 16 players overall: 7 seniors, and 9 starters from the 2009 campaign. All 3 of our 1st Team All-Americans from last season will be back, including South Region Player of the Year, Tyler Spraul, National Tournament Most Outstanding Player, Matt Tewes, and starting goalkeeper, Anthony DeRosse.

Now that the Cougar soccer team is the defending champions, they will be looked at differently on the national scene. According to Coach Whitaker, "Things will be different for us in 2010. Now, we're going to be the ones with the target on our back. But we've got an outstanding group of returning players with a lot of experience, and they are very motivated to continue to move our program forward. We're also excited about adding an outstanding incoming class to help our team get better going into next season. Our players continue to work hard to improve and are excited about the challenge of defending our National Title in 2010."

A solid group of returning players will be looked at to impact the team both on and off of the field. According to Coach Whitaker, "We're looking for continued excellence and leadership from our returning players. Tyler [Spraul] will be our team captain and I expect him to be a leader for us both on and off the field. Matt Tewes has really developed into a complete player in the back for us, who along with Anthony [Derosse] in the goal and Jeff [Crews] and our other defenders, should form a formidable back line." The Cougars should also have a strong midfield led by returning players Spraul, Adam Beam, Daniel Mauro, and Mac Hildebrand. Walter Scharf returns after sitting out the 2009 season and should add depth in the midfield. The Cougars should also be solid in the attack, returning top goal scorers Juan Robayo and Drew Custer. Paul Vanaman will also be returning for the Cougars after missing the 2009 season and with a healthy Carl Lassegue, the Cougars should have even more firepower up top.

The schedule for 2010 may be the most difficult schedule CCC has ever faced. In addition to the strong competition within the NCCAA South Region, the Cougars will face a number of scholarship programs including 7 NAIA and 3 NCAA II opponents.

Coach Whitaker's goal for this season: "We have a great group of returning players who are very committed to continue to take our program to the next level - both on and off the field. My desire is for us to compete at the highest level, but at the same time, keep our focus on what is truly important and use soccer as a tool to glorify God. I want to really see our players continue to grow in their soccer ability but more importantly in their relationship with God."

The Cougar soccer team has high expectations for 2010, and is looking forward to the challenge ahead.

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Soccer is one of my favorite aspects of college. Some of my best friends were made from the team and some of the best times were enjoyed while playing soccer. Being a Christian athlete allows me to be a testimony even while "playing".
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