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Brown and his Crusaders knew they were talented, but injuries, bad breaks and ill-timed poor play left the team with a 5-6-1 record as the season was winding to a close.

But call it resolve or determination or whatever you like, the Abbey closed with a flourish, winning seven of its final nine matches and advancing all the way to the Conference Carolinas championship game. While the Crusaders tied Coker, losing to the Cobras on penalty kicks, Brown is hoping his team will carry its late-season momentum into this season.

“With 22 returners, the finish we had and the experience we’ve got, we expect nothing less than a conference regular-season title,” said Brown, whose team opens its season Friday at Clayton State.

It’ll be a daunting task, especially when you consider that Lees-McRae has won the last three regular-season titles and finished last season in the NCAA Division II title game. Lees-McRae, though under a new coach, opens the season ranked No. 2 in the preseason NCAA Division II poll – right behind the team it lost to in the title game a year ago (Fort Lewis, Col.).

The Bobcats also start the season as preseason league favorite in a vote of conference coaches. Limestone is second and the Crusaders are picked to finish third.

As Brown says, the Abbey has much experience returning from a 12-7-2 team, led by second-team all-conference midfielder Jack Reid. Reid, one of the team’s co-captains, gained extra seasoning over the summer helping the Reading, Pa., United Athletic Club win the Eastern Conference title in the prestigious Premier Development League.

Other standout returning players are defender-midfielder (and co-captain) Aaron Weldon, defender Wade McDermott, midfielders Michael Valencia, Sunny Makh and James Lawrence Forbes and keeper Louis Liberatore.

Brown also has high hopes for three newcomers – Santa Barbara Community College transfers Jordan Leeming and Stuart Kirk and 6-foot-5 English striker Matt Dolan.

“I feel very confident about where we are and where we can be,” Brown said. “But we’ve got a lot of work to do.”

Losing all-conference forward Emmanual Yamson, the team’s leading scorer with 13 goals and four assists, will hurt. Forbes is the top returning scorer with six goals and one assist.

But if Brown can simply keep his team healthy this season, that would be a change.

The past two seasons, injuries have cost the Crusaders multiple games for multiple starters. At one point last season, eight players were out due to injuries.

“But we’re starting this season hoping that will change,” Brown said. “Everything’s positive around here right now.”

The Abbey’s home opener is Sept. 8 against Catawba, with homecoming slated for October 2 against Mount Olive.

Permission to reprint article granted by author, Richard Walker, sportswriter for The Gaston Gazette. www.GastonGazette.com

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