Published: August 22, 2008 11:48 pm      

Cougars atop KIAC preseason poll

The Cougars are No. 1!

No, it’s not the heralded basketball team.

It’s coach John Birkelbach’s men’s soccer team that holds the top spot in the Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference coaches’ preseason poll.

“This is nothing but respect for our guys and what they’ve done for two years now,” Birkelbach said after the Cougars edged tournament champion Asbury by one vote.

Mountain State finished with 13 points and two first-place votes. Asbury was second with 12 votes and one first-place vote, followed by Brescia (11 votes), Berea (6) and Cincinnati Christian (3).

“People know what’s coming this season,” Birkelbach said. “We’re going to have a good year. The guys are putting in hard work and we’re seeing improvement in the program.”

He’s expecting nothing less than a KIAC championship this season. The Cougars were 9-6-2 (2-1 KIAC) in 2007 — only their second year in collegiate soccer — and finished behind Brescia (7-11-1, 3-0) in the conference standings.

Among MSU’s returnees are NAIA honorable mention All-American Ali Katrib, a junior midfielder who scored six goals and led the KIAC with 10 assists; sophomore midfielder Alex Cottle, who had a KIAC-best nine goals; junior striker Charlot Nacius (8 goals), plus midfielders Michel Hiza, Mauricio Pena and Max Bendig and defender Chaz Turner.

Goalkeeper Adam Thompson has changed his mind about transferring to another school and is back for his junior season.

“We expect to win this. Anything short of it won’t be meeting our goal,” Birkelbach said. “I think the other coaches understand that as well.”

Wednesday night, the Cougars defeated the University of Charleston 2-0 in a scrimmage.

Cottle and freshman Hasan Katrib, Ali’s younger brother, scored the goals.

“Charleston is an NCAA Division II school and we kept them off the scoreboard on their own field and put two goals on them,” Birkelbach said. “We took our chances and put the ball in the back of the net.”

Obviously, the Cougars aren’t the new kids on the block anymore.

“This is new territory, but territory we’ve worked hard to get into,” Birkelbach said. “(The No. 1 ranking) shows the dedication of the young men in our program, especially the second-year and third-year players.”

Mountain State is at Roanoke College today for its final scrimmage. The Cougars open their season Aug. 29 at another Virginia school, Hampden-Sydney.

The home opener is at 4 p.m. Sept. 6 against Tennessee Wesleyan.

n MSU’s women’s soccer team finished tied for third place with Berea in the KIAC poll. Asbury received four first-place votes and finished first. Brescia was second.

The Cougars’ volleyball team took second place in the KIAC poll. IU Southeast had five first-place votes to MSU’s one. Asbury was third.