The Dartmouth men's soccer team following an appearance in the Sweet Sixteen at the 2008 NCAA Championships rounds out the top 10 teams nationally in a preseason poll by College Soccer News.
Midfielder and captain Craig Henderson '09, who will return for a final season in the fall, was selected to the preseason All-American team.Both Henderson and head coach Jeff Cook said that, although the rankings provide recognition for past efforts, what happens during the season is most important to the team.
"To be honest, preseason rankings don't mean much for us," Henderson said.
Although Cook said he doesn't generally look at rankings, he added that the Big Green has not gotten the recognition the team feels it deserves over the past several years.
Henderson, who will play this coming season after missing his sophomore season due to an injury, is one of the best collegiate players in the country, Cook said.
College Soccer News said that "it would be a mistake to underestimate the Big Green in 2009" in its ranking, as 10 starters from last year's team are returning.
The team, which shared the Ivy League title with the University of Pennsylvania last season, hopes to top the league again and advance further into the NCAA tournament this year, Henderson said. Dartmouth has a shot at winning the national title, he added.
"We hope [our past success] is an upward trend, but our job is not to sit back and pat ourselves on the back," Cook said. "We have to keep pushing forward."
Despite being the only Ivy League team ranked in the poll, winning the Ivy League title is not guaranteed, Henderson added.
"It's really important for us not to go into this season and think we have the right to win league," he said.
If the Big Green is able to win the league title, however, the team stands a good chance at going far into the NCAA tournament, he added.
Appearances in the past two NCAA tournaments have provided the players with greater confidence in their potential as a team, Henderson said.
"In the past, I think deep down we didn't really believe [that we could win a national championship]," he said.
Cook agreed that confidence from past seasons will help the team play better.
"At the end of the day, it's how you view yourselves," he said. "The first thing you need is belief."
The team's recent success has also helped Dartmouth's image with high school players, Cook said. There is an increased level of interest in Dartmouth among potential recruits because students can receive a high quality education and play high-caliber soccer, he said.
Seven incoming freshmen are joining the team this fall, Cook said.
If the team gains a tournament berth, the team will hope to have a high enough seed to be able to play the first few rounds at home, Cook said.
"You know what it's like in Hanover in November," Cook said. "I think that would be an advantage for us."
The team opens play with an exhibition game at home against Boston University on Aug. 25 and has its first regular season game Sept. 4 against St. Peter's College in Hanover.
