The University of the Cumberlands Men's Soccer team is a program that has earned its name in the rankings of the NAIA in the past several seasons. They reached numerous team goals on their way to finishing the 2011 season #20 in the NAIA with a 14-3-3 overall record.

The Patriots looked at the 2010 season as a success, but feel that they still could have done more and made their way into the NAIA National Championship picture.

Looking ahead to 2011, the Patriots have the chance once again to make a statement in the NAIA, but will be doing it under the direction of a new head coach as Paulo Neto stepped down as the Head Coach in the spring of 2011. New Head Coach Brenton Benware has big expectations for his team and feels like he can guide this team in the same direction as it has been going in the last few seasons.

Benware commented, "The team had a great showing last season. The only losses came to teams ranked in the NAIA top 5 (two to Lindsey Wilson and one to Rio Grande). We have a pretty solid team coming together. We will be young and will have plenty of new faces, but we will have some excellent talent. Our hope is to have a recognized presence in the Mid-South Conference.

The Patriots lose three seniors from the 2010 team as Kevin Murphy (Park Hills, KY), Darius Khan (Knoxville, TN), and Kyle Belcher (Louisville, KY) depart from the Patriots' roster. Some key transfer positions will also have to be filled including the loss of goalkeeper sophomore Dennis Kramer (Berlin, Germany). Benware said, "Perhaps our greatest lost is our goalkeeper Kramer. He was a large presence in goal and will definitely be missed."

The Patriots have been busy in the offseason bringing in new and talented players that will help keep them in the national picture. "We have signed some key recruits to replace some pieces we lost this year," said Benware. "Declan Brennan (Ireland) and Paulo Calderon (Chile) will be pivotal in our teams' success. We have also signed several Brazilian players that will be an excellent addition to our offensive attack."

Some key returners coming back for the Patriots in 2011 include Imman Bains (London, England), Cedric Muteshi (Nairobi, Kenya), Pedro Costa (Belo Horizonte, Brazil), and Zach Bell (Hawarden, Wales).

Bains played in 19 games (started all 19) for the Patriots in 2010 accumulating 1 goal and 4 assists. Muteshi played in 20 games (started all 20) in 2010 earning a goal. Costa played in 20 games (started 17) for the Patriots in 2010 earning an assist while Bell played in 15 games (started 10).

Coach Benware keeps a positive outlook on the 2011 season, although he knows that he and his team will face some of the toughest competition in the nation.

"I'm looking forward to seeing what type of potential we can achieve," said Benware. "We have a very tough conference, but I think that motivates our team all the more to work hard in preparation. We will be young, but I think we can make a name for ourselves this year in the MSC. We have set our goals to be competitive in the conference and to take it one game at a time to try and extend our season as long as possible. In reality, there isn't an easy conference game on our schedule. We just have to make the best of it and make things happen."

The coaching staff will have one familiar face this season as Craig Cook will return as an assistant coach. Another new face to Williamsburg and UC will be Chris Ulmer.

"Our youthful coaching staff will contribute heavily and will bring some much-needed energy to training," said Benware. "Cook, a former UC standout, brings an expertise to our defensive side of play and knowledge of the teams UC is accustomed to playing. Ulmer, a recent graduate and team captain at Penn State Abington, brings a passion for the game and a skill set to really help our team's fitness level."

The Patriots will continue to carry one of the toughest schedules in the nation in 2011 as they compete in the Mid-South Conference where three teams finished in the NAIA Top 25. The University of Rio Grande finished the regular season #1 in the NAIA while Lindsey Wilson College finished #5. The Patriots finished #20 in the NAIA.

UC will host Bryan College in their first game of the season on August 27^th. Bryan finished the 2010 season ranked 9^th in the NAIA. The Patriots will also take on Campbellsville University and Davenport University, two teams who received votes in last year's final poll. The advantage to these 5 games (Rio Grande, Lindsey Wilson, Campbellsville, Bryan, and Davenport) is that 4 of these games will be in the friendly confines at Williamsburg with the only road game going to Rio Grande.

It should be an exciting year for the Patriots Men's Soccer team in 2011. New faces, a new coaching style, and new method of the game will hopefully bring the Patriots to the top of the Mid-South Conference and on their way to an NAIA National Tournament berth.