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Kenny Proops
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Following a breakout 2005 season, the Wittenberg University men's soccer team remained strong in 2006.
The Tigers played a challenging schedule, including North Coast Athletic Conference champion and NCAA Division III Tournament semifinalist Ohio Wesleyan and most of the top teams in the Great Lakes Region. In the end, Wittenberg managed to break even, posting an 8-8-2 record on the season, including identical 4-4-1 marks in conference and non-conference play.
The Tigers finished the sixth in the conference after falling short of the NCAC tournament. The Tigers entered the final weekend of the season one of four teams in contention for the final two spots.
Sophomore midfielder/forward Matt Borland (Kettering, Ohio/Alter) spearheaded the team's success on the field during the season, so it was hardly a suprise that he picked up several postseason awards as well. After earning second-team All-NCAC honors in 2005, he upgraded to first-team all-conference in 2006.
Borland followed that up with All-Ohio and third-team All-Great Lakes Region honors. He is only the second Wittenberg player to break through for first-team all-region honors since 1999, following sophomore midfielder/defender Justin Jenkins (Dublin, Ohio/Coffman), who earned first-team all-region honors in 2005.
Matt Borland was part of an offensive unit that scored 28 goals on the season, good for an average of 1.51 goals per game. Borland, along with nine other sophomores on the team who saw significant time on the field, has made the class of 2010 a big part of the team.
Borland was not the only Tiger to receive postseason honors, however. Sophomores Shane Price (Minford, Ohio/Minford) and Jenkins were bestowed with All-NCAC recognition on the second team. Price scored six goals on the season and Jenkins added three goals and four assists. Ben McAnnis-Entenman (Portland, Ore./Cleveland), class of 2008, added the Tigers final All-NCAC appearance, making the third team at the goalkeeper position after seeing his most significant playing time yet in 2006.
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Jason Sucher
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The 2006 Wittenberg men's soccer team may not have reached the conference tournament, but the season was no losing battle for the class of 2007. Six Tiger seniors departed the roster following the season, including four four-year letterwinners.
Midfielder Ian Acker (Worthington, Ohio/Thomas Worthington) and goalkeeper Adam Horrocks (Delaware, Ohio/Hayes) headlined the senior crew. Horrocks finished his career with 292 saves and Acker led the seniors with five goals in four years, helping him to second in points with 11, behind fellow seniorJason Sucher (Louisville, Ky./DuPont Manual). The class of 2007 was plagued by injury throughout its time at Wittenberg, including missed time from Acker, Sucher and defender/midfielder Nick Hauff (Delaware, Ohio/Hayes), who posted one goal and five assists in his career.
Defender Kenny Proops (Charleston, W.Va./Catholic), who started 34 games in his time as a Tiger and served as one of the most reliable players on the team, and fellow defensive player Jim Martin (Moon Twp., Pa./Moon Area) rounded out the senior class.
While the Tigers lose a big chunk of their roster, the future is full of excitement as the remaining players look toward a promising 2007 season. Thirteen letterwinners are slated to return to the lineup, including eight starters. The returning lineup was responsible for 23 of the 28 team goals in 2006.
Steve Dawson (Loughborough, U.K.) completed his 24th season as the Tigers' head coach. He holds the distinction as being the only coach to serve the soccer program for more than five years. Dawson sports an overall record of 237-175-25 during his time in the Red & White. His career winning percentage of .542 is the highest of any coach with more than one year of experience.