The 2010 Emory University men’s soccer team combined a
potent offensive with one of the top-ranked defenses in the Nation
to record its third NCAA Division III Tournament appearance and
top-20 final ranking in the last four years.
The Eagles finished the season with a 14-3-2 record, and were
ranked 18th in the final National Soccer Coaches
Association of America (NSCAA) Poll. In the process, the
Eagles set program records with a 0.41 goals-against average, the
fourth-best mark among NCAA Division III teams, 13 total shutouts
and nine consecutive shutouts. Emory ended the year ranked
second among Division III squads with a 0.918 save percentage,
fifth with a 0.68 shutout percentage, 10th with 2.79
goals per game, 19th with a 0.789 winning percentage and
20th with 53 goals scored.
As a result of its successful regular season, Emory was selected as
one of four teams to receive a first-round bye and host a
second-round NCAA Tournament game. However, the Eagles’
season would come to a close in that second-round match, as Emory
suffered a 2-1 loss to Lynchburg College, the eventual national
runner-up.
Emory won its first nine games of the season, and was 11-0-1
through its first ten contests of the year, marking just the third
time the team has gone undefeated through its first 12 games.
The season-opening stretch was part of a 15-game unbeaten streak
for Emory, dating back to the 2009 season, the second-longest
stretch in school history. In addition, the Eagles recorded
11-consecutive home victories from the end of 2009 through October
31st, 2010, also the second-longest stretch in the
program’s history. The Eagles finished third in the
University Athletic Association (UAA) with an in-conference record
of 3-2-2, including a 3-0-0 record in UAA home contests.
Other team highlights from the 2010 campaign for Emory included
team victories at a pair of early-season tournaments. The
Eagles won their own Sonny Carter Invitational with victories over
Illinois Wesleyan University and Hampden-Sydney College, as
sophomore defender Andrew Natalino earned the
tournament’s Most Valuable Player honor. Emory also
defeated Randolph College and host-school Lynchburg College to win
the Shellenberger Classic, as junior goalkeeper Trenton
Spindler was named the tournament’s MVP.
Natalino would earn a place on the all-America third team following
the season, becoming the first Emory sophomore or younger to be
named an all-American, and the 15th Emory men’s
soccer player overall. He ended the season as Emory’s
leading scorer with 11 goals and four assists for 26 points, and
was also a key contributor to the Eagles defense.
Spindler would finish the season with school records with a .920
save percentage and a 0.40 goals-against average, the second- and
seventh-best marks, respectively, among NCAA Division III
goalkeepers in 2010. For his efforts, he was named to the
all-South Atlantic Region First Team, where he was joined by
Natalino and senior midfielder Christopher
Howie. Sophomore Zach Samuels, who
finished 25th in Division III with 0.53 assists per
game, earned a place on the all-region third team.
The following Eagles earned honors during the 2010 season:
All-Amerca (NSCAA/Performance Subaru) |
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Andrew Natalino |
Third Team |
Marietta, GA (Walton) |
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All-South Atlantic Region (NSCAA/Performance Subaru) |
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Christopher Howie |
First Team |
Savannah, GA (Savannah Country Day) |
Andrew Natalino |
First Team |
Marietta, GA (Walton) |
Trenton Spindler |
First Team |
Leawood, KS (Blue Valley Northwest) |
Zach Samuels |
Third Team |
Savannah, GA (Savannah Country Day) |
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All-University Athletic Association |
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Christopher Howie |
First Team |
Savannah, GA (Savannah Country Day) |
Andrew Natalino |
First Team |
Marietta, GA (Walton) |
Nathan McKeever |
Second Team |
Lilburn, GA (Brookwood) |
Trenton Spindler |
Second Team |
Leawood, KS (Blue Valley Northwest) |
Nao Masuda |
Honorable Mention |
Radford, VA (Radford) |
Zach Samuels |
Honorable Mention |
Savannah, GA (Savannah Country Day) |
Adam Waxman |
Honorable Mention |
Chagrin Falls, OH (The Hawken School) |
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CoSIDA Academic All-America (Presented by ESPN) |
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Adam Waxman |
First Team |
Chagrin Falls, OH (The Hawken School) |
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CoSIDA Academic All-District (Presented by ESPN) |
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Michael Scannapieco |
First Team |
New Hope, PA (New Hope Solebury) |
Adam Waxman |
First Team |
Chagrin Falls, OH (The Hawken School) |
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Sonny Carter Invitational All-Tournament |
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Andrew Natalino |
MVP |
Marietta, GA (Walton) |
Jake Graetz |
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Milford, CT (The Hopkins School) |
Nathan McKeever |
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Lilburn, GA (Brookwood) |
Zach Samuels |
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Savannah, GA (Savannah Country Day) |
Trenton Spindler |
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Leawood, KS (Blue Valley Northwest) |
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Shellenberger Classic All-Tournament |
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Trenton Spindler |
MVP |
Leawood, KS (Blue Valley Northwest) |
Christopher Howie |
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Savannah, GA (Savannah Country Day) |
Andrew Natalino |
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Marietta, GA (Walton) |
Zach Samuels |
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Savannah, GA (Savannah Country Day) |
Alex Scott |
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Clarendon Hills, IL (Hinsdale Central) |