ANDERSON, S.C. -- The Anderson University men's soccer team opens the 2007 season Thursday afternoon at Newberry. The match will start at 4 p.m. Anderson, 9-9-1 overall last season, has its largest and deepest roster since joining Division II in 1999. "We got very aggressive in our recruiting," said Anderson head coach Rob Miller, who is starting his sixth season at AU. "It was tiring and exhausting, but the coaches who can recruit are going to win. I hope we've recruited well enough to do that. I'm excited about this group because I think we can mold them into a really good team." The Trojans won five of their last seven regular-season matches in '06, including four straight entering the conference tournament. In the first round of the conference tournament, Anderson played top-seeded Queens (N.C.) to a scoreless tie and was eliminated on penalty kicks. "We have 22 new players with a shot to make the varsity," Miller said. "We will have lots of competition and more depth than we've had since I've been here." Among the nine returnees are two All-Region players - midfielder Lahnden Onger and defender Rayon Markland - and defenders Michael Walker, Steve Henderson, Stephon Henry, and Peter Miele. Henry, a junior from Kingston, Jamaica, was Anderson's second-leading scorer last season with six goals and two assists. "We've got a good mix," Miller said. "We've got American kids, some international kids, three transfers, and a huge crop of freshmen. On paper, this is the best team I've had. We just have see how it all fits together. We've got a lot of chemistry things to work on. There is some excitement and some uncertainy, but I feel pretty good about this group." Injuries limited what moves Miller could make last season. Eleven of Anderson's 20 players played in 16 or more matches. Of the remaining nine players, just two played in more than 10 matches. "We will play more people and we will play at a faster pace," Miller said. "Last year, we lacked depth because of the injuries. This year, the guys who play in substitute roles will not drop the level of play. They more than likely will add to the game. Most of the new players are coming from good club environments. A lot of them are all-state, all-conference, and all-region type players." One of the biggest competitions during the preseason will be at goalkeeper where four newcomers will battle to replace Andy Barth, who had a record of 8-3-1 in the Anderson net. "We have signed four goalkeepers - two international players and two all-state players," Miller said. "That is going to be an interesting competition." Anderson won the '06 meeting against Newberry, 2-1 in overtime. Henry scored the winning goal at the 108:15 mark after a wild scramble in front of the Newberry goal.
December 18, 2007
Miller Wants To Build On This Year's Progress
November 3, 2007
Onger, Passini Named To All-Conference Team
October 31, 2007
Queens Ends Anderson's Season
October 29, 2007
Onger's Goal Gives Anderson The Upset
October 29, 2007
Trojans Will Open Tourney At Queens
October 24, 2007
Trojans Roll Past Fleet, 3-0
October 20, 2007
Gahou's Goal Is Enough For Anderson
October 18, 2007
Cox, Harris Hook Up Twice To Lead Queens Past AU
October 15, 2007
Trojans Blow Away Tornados
October 10, 2007
Falcons Make Two First-Half Goals Stand Up
October 8, 2007
Saints March Past Anderson, 4-1
October 3, 2007
Trojans Upend Belmont Abbey, 1-0
October 1, 2007
Mount Olive Scores Late To Beat AU
September 22, 2007
Men's Soccer Team Loses First Conference Match
September 18, 2007
Lincoln Memorial Survives Anderson Upset Bid
September 15, 2007
Onger's Golden Goal Topples No. 11 Bobcats
September 13, 2007
Anderson Falls To Lander
September 10, 2007
Trojans Open Conference Play With Victory
September 5, 2007
Trojans Lose Home Opener
September 4, 2007
Anderson Falls to Clayton State, 3-0
August 31, 2007
Trojans Get First Victory
August 25, 2007
Brevard Match Moved To Monday
August 23, 2007
Trojans Drop Season Opener On The Road
August 22, 2007
Men's Soccer Team Opens At Newberry
August 21, 2007
Queens Is The Pick In Men's Soccer Race