Butler Men’s Soccer Enjoys Summer Success

From a national team to a national title, it’s been an active summer for members of the Butler men’s soccer team.  When the Bulldogs report for preseason camp on August 13, several players and coaches will come armed with hardware and tales of summer success.

While Butler head coach Kelly Findley has been busily preparing for his team’s follow-up to last year’s Horizon League championship season, Butler’s players have spread out across the nation and beyond competing on a variety of teams.  And the success that the Bulldogs experienced during last year’s 14-3-2 campaign has continued this summer.

Among the most successful Bulldogs has been sophomore Tyler Pollock, who will return to campus with a pair of national championship trophies in tow.  Pollock helped lead the Columbus, Ohio, Crew Juniors to the U.S. Youth Soccer U19 national title in Overland Park, Kansas, in July.  He scored the lone goal of the championship match to give his team a 1-0 victory over FC Delco Hammerheads of Pennsylvania.  He then helped his squad win the United Soccer Leagues Super 20 national championship with a 2-1 victory over Los Angeles Galaxy on Aug. 1.

Incoming Butler freshmen Adam Glanzer, Ade Oleyedun and Joel Zimmerly all helped Shattuck-St.Mary’s to a runner-up finish at the U.S. Youth Soccer U18 National Championship.  And incoming freshmen Jamie Vollmer and Austin Oldham played on the Indiana United team that finished No. 1 on the U.S. Soccer Development Academy rankings for the 2009-10 season.  Both had previously played on national championship teams in 2008 and 2009.

Junior Matt Hedges (Pictured on front page), playing in the United Soccer Leagues Premier Development League, helped Reading United AC to the Eastern Conference championship this summer .  Hedges, the reigning Horizon League Defensive Player of the Year, was named to the 2010 PDL All-Conference Team for the Eastern Conference.

And earlier this summer, sophomore Julian Cardona earned a spot on the Puerto Rico U21 National Team for the 2010 Central American and Caribbean Games.  He played in several preliminary matches for the national squad, but the soccer portion of the summer Games was cancelled in early July.

Butler assistant coach David Costa also picked up another honor when he was named U.S. Soccer Development Academy U17/18 Central Conference Coach of the Year.  Costa, coach of Indiana United Academy, led his club team to national championships in 2008 and in 2009.

The Bulldogs will have a week of preseason training before facing their first 2010 action with an exhibition match at Dayton on Friday, August 20.  Butler’s first home test will come on Tuesday, August 24, at 5 p.m. (ET) with an exhibition match against Eastern Illinois.  The team’s regular season opener will be at home on Wednesday, Sept. 1, against IPFW.  That match is slated for 5 p.m.