The Tiffin University men’s soccer team will be making a huge transition this season, in more ways than one. The team will enter its first year of NCAA Division II competition as an Independent program before entering the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference in the Fall of 2008. Also, the team will led by Head Coach Rudy Brownell, who was selected for the position upon the departure of Coach Ian Day. "This is a unique situation for me, but it’s a great privilege to follow in Ian’s footsteps and keep the winning tradition alive within this program," said Coach Brownell.

The team comes into the 2007 campaign after a 11-5-1 regular season and a loss to Ohio Dominican in the AMC Qualifying Round last year. "We have lofty goals and expectations for this program," said Coach Brownell. "We expect to win every game and compete with the best around."

The team will balance a solid returning core of players with an influx of talented freshmen. Mike Rutkowski returns for his senior season at goalkeeper after allowing 20 goals in 13 games last season. Fellow senior Mircea Handru (2 goals, 3 assists) will be one of the anchors for a defensive unit that recorded five shutouts last season. Handru earned First Team ICAA honors last season.

A strong offensive attack was the highlight of the team’s 2006 campaign, with the team scoring three or more goals in ten of their 18 games. "Offensively we have great potential as a team, but our execution needs to improve to compete at this level," said Coach Brownell. Junior Byron Kaverman (6 assists) and sophomore Vincent Vasilevski (2 goals, 4 assists) return to anchor the midfield, and will be joined by freshmen Rhys Cannella from Luton, England. Returning forwards Adi Vlad, Tony Iyayi, and Nick Dreshaj will be joined by freshman Jermaine Hall to provide the offensive spark for the Dragons. Iyayi led the Dragons with 12 goals last year and earned ICAA First Team and NAIA All-American Honorable status. Dreshaj was named the ICAA Freshman of the Year last year after recording 11 goals and tying Kaverman for the team lead with six assists.

The team went 3-1 against NCAA opponents last season, but will need a consistent level of play to improve last year’s overall record. "This is a very talented team that is still learning how to play together," said Coach Brownell. "If we can be consistent with our effort and team play, we could have a pretty good season."