Brian Dickman (left) is one of 18 Tiger men's soccer players heading to England this week.

Springfield, Ohio — With the 2007 season fast approaching, Wittenberg's men's soccer team is taking its preseason training regimen to a different, international level. On Aug. 6, 18 Wittenberg men's soccer student-athletes and Head Coach Steve Dawson will travel to England for an 11-day trip filled with educational opportunities and plenty of soccer, including four games against top-flight British competition.

Dawson, a native of London, and 2006 Tiger assistant coach Nick Roberts will act as tour guides. The packed schedule includes unique opportunities to experience British culture and see many famous sites, including London Bridge, Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey and Chester Cathedral, play games against top local club teams and attend games played by some of the greatest professional soccer players in the world.

"This has been a big commitment for all those involved, but I think it's an excellent opportunity for the players to see England and play and train in a soccer culture," said Dawson, a 1978 graduate of Loughborough University in Leicestershire. "In America, a variety of sports dominate the headlines. In England, there are other sports, but soccer dominates."

This is the second time that the Wittenberg men's soccer program has made a trip to England with Dawson, Wittenberg's men's soccer head coach since 1981 (except for 1988, when he was on sabbatical while completing his Ph.D.) and winner of 237 matches in that time. In addition, Dawson has previously taken high school and club teams he has worked with to England, and Roberts in the proprietor of a business that regularly coordinates such excursions.

The team will train for four days in Springfield before heading overseas. While there, the team will continue to practice regularly and will play four matches.

Dawson hopes this will be a positive start for what he hopes will be a breakout season for the Tigers, who are coming off an 8-8-2 campaign in 2006. The Tigers return eight starters in 2007, including leading scorers Matt Borland, class of 2009 from Kettering, Ohio, and Shane Price, class of 2009 from Minford, Ohio, and standout goalkeeper Ben McAnnis-Entenman, class of 2008 from Portland, Ore. Borland is a two-time first-team All-North Coast Athletic Conference honoree and was selected third-team All-Great Lakes Region in 2006.

"We are hoping to kickstart the season in a soccer culture while allowing the students to experience life in another country," he said, no pun intended.

The 2007 season begins with the annual Wittenberg Invitational on Sept. 1-2. The Tigers will take on Tri-State University at noon Sept. 1 on the Edwards-Maurer Field turf, with Kenyon and Otterbein squaring off in the second game of the day at 2:30 p.m. On Sept. 2, Tri-State and Kenyon open things with a 1 p.m. match, followed by the host team against Otterbein at 3:30 p.m.

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