About the Panthers:
Competing at the NCAA Division II level in the GLIAC for the first time, the stakes could not be higher for the Ohio Dominican men’s soccer team and third year head coach Willy Merrick in 2010. Merrick, who has a 17-13-5 career mark in two seasons at the helm, led the Panthers to a 7-7-3 mark in 2009 and a semi-finals appearance in the A.I.I. tournament. ODU returns 18 letterwinners, including seven starters and three all-conference selections from last season.

Senior defenders and First Team All-A.I.I. selections, AJ Mueller and Liam Fitzgerald, lead a returning stingy Panther defense that surrendered just 17 goals in 2009. Mueller tied for the team lead in goals (3) and finished second in assists (3) and points (9). Another First Team All-A.I.I. selection, Justin Wheeler, led ODU in points (11) and assists (7) from the midfielder position. Also returning for the Panthers is senior goalkeeper Tyler Gleason. Gleason posted an .828 saves percentage, allowing 17 goals in 1531 minutes of action.

About the Greyhounds:
The UIndy men’s soccer squad returns 10 starters and 17 letterwinners from last season’s 8-7-2 team. The Greyhounds, led by interim head coach John Higgins, were chosen to finish 10th in the Great Lakes Valley Conference in 2010, after finishing ninth with a 6-7-1 mark in 2009.

For the full PDF version of the men's notes, click here

Contact: Bryan Desch
deschb@ohiodominican.edu

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Full-color versions of the 2010 Ohio Dominican Men's and Women's Soccer Information Guides are now available.

For the men's guide, please click here. For the women's guide, please click here.  more

The guides feature player and coaches bios, record books, stats and more.

The Panthers begin their season on Thursday with a doubleheader at the University of Indianapolis. The women's contest begins at 5 p.m., followed at 7 p.m. by the men's kickoff.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio Dominican University and Press Box Productions will team up for a third season to bring live audio and video of 25 sporting events this fall, as well as a brand-new weekly coaches show, "The Panther Spotlight."

All 10 football games will also air live on 1580 AM St. Gabriel Radio (Columbus) and simulcast with a video stream on www.pressboxproductions.net, starting 30 minutes before kickoff with the Panther Countdown Pregame Show.  more

Meanwhile, five men's soccer, five women's soccer and five volleyball matches will also air live over the internet with audio and video at www.pressboxproductions.net.

Click here for a full broadcast schedule.

Veteran broadcaster Todd Bell returns to handle the play-by-play duties for the football season and will be joined in the booth by John Westenhaver, while Ohio Dominican students will call the soccer and volleyball matches.

The coaches show - "The Panther Spotlight" - features one-on-one interviews with the ODU coaching staffs, recapping all of the action and looking forward to the week ahead. Bell and ODU sports information director Scott Miles will handle the interviews, which will be available on the Panthers' official athletics Facebook page, www.facebook.com/ODUAthletics, as well as on http://www.pressboxproductions.net/. They will first air next Tuesday, Sept. 7.

Contact: Scott Miles
miless@ohiodominican.edu

COLUMBUS, Ohio - The Ohio Dominican men’s soccer team was picked to finish third in the preseason GLIAC coaches poll, according to a conference press release today.

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The Panthers, entering their first year of play in the GLIAC, tallied 22 points, edging Northwood for the third spot. Defending league champion Ashland grabbed the top spot, earning a total of 34 points and four first-place votes, narrowly edging out 2009 GLIAC Tournament champion Tiffin, which tallied three first-place votes and 32 points. Findlay and Saginaw Valley tied for the fifth spot with 12 points, while fellow conference newcomer Lake Erie finished with nine points.

“We are definitely in a very good, strong competitive conference. The challenge in front of us is a tough one,” said Willy Merrick, ODU’s third-year head coach. “The pre-season ranking is a nice compliment for our soccer program, but where we finish at the end of the season is what matters most.”

ODU kicks off its season on the road with trips to the University of Indianapolis at 7 p.m. on Sept. 2, and GLIAC foes Northwood (MI) at 4:30 p.m. on Sept. 10 and Saginaw Valley St. (MI) at 2:30 p.m. on Sept 12. The Panthers’ home opener against Ashland is Friday, Sept. 17 at 7 p.m. at Panther Field.

GLIAC Season Preview

2010 GLIAC Men’s Soccer Preseason Coaches’ Poll

Contact: Bryan Desch
deschb@ohiodominican.edu