BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- The Bridgewater State University Bears have been picked to finish third in the 2012 Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) Men's Soccer standings in a vote of the league's coaches.  The MASCAC Men's Soccer Preseason Poll was released just recently by conference Director of Media Relations, Jim Seavey.

Bridgewater State finished behind Salem State University and preseason favorite Framingham State University in the poll as the Bears amassed a total of 47 points.  Framingham State, which claimed both the conference regular season and tournament titles last fall, captured five first place votes to amass 57 points and top second place Salem State’s total of 53 points that included two first place votes.  Westfield State University (43 pts.), Worcester State University (36 pts.), MCLA (22 pts.), Massachusetts Maritime Academy (19 pts.) and Fitchburg State University (11 pts.) round out the remaining five teams.

Head Coach Brendan Adams begins his eleventh season at the helm of the BSU men's soccer team.  The all-time winningest coach in program history, Adams has directed his teams to an overall record of 93-72-18 (.557) including a 44-18-8 (.690) MASCAC regular season mark.  During his tenure Bridgewater State has captured MASCAC regular season titles in 2003 and 2009 and conference tournament championships in 2004 and 2007.

The 2011 Bears posted a record of 6-7-3 on the season with a 3-1-3 MASCAC mark.  The squad finished in a three-way tie for third place in the conference standings, but did not advance to the MASCAC Tournament due to the tie-breaker.

Key returners from the 2011 squad include senior forwards Simao Mendes (Brockton, Mass.) and Adam Smith (Kingston, Mass.), senior midfielder Tucker Fairbanks (Plympton, Mass.) and junior forward Craig Shadduck (Braintree, Mass.).

A three-time All-MASCAC First Team selection, Mendes ranks eighth all-time in scoring at BSU with 53 points (20G, 13A) in 47 career games. Six of his 20 goals have been game-winners.   Smith tallied four goals and an assist in his first season with the Bears a year ago, while Fairbanks checks in with career totals of four goals and five assists for 13 points over 50 games.   Shadduck has amassed eight goals and seven assists for 23 points in 35 games over his first two seasons, and was named to the All-MASCAC Second Team in 2011.

Also returning to the lineup after missing all of 2011 are senior forward Jose DePina (Boston, Mass.) and sophomore defender David Wilson (Charlton, Mass.).  DePina appeared in 35 games from 2008 to 2010 and heads into the 2012 campaign with 11 goals, including four game-winners, to go along with three assists.  He was named to the All-MASCAC Second Team in 2010 after notching nine goals and 19 points.  Wilson recorded two goals and three assists over 19 games during his rookie season of 2010.

Some newcomers to the program include junior transfer David Gwozdz (Taunton, Mass.), freshman forward Justin Kachadoorian (Leicester, Mass.) and freshman outside midfielder and defender Kolin Campbell (Norton, Mass.).

Gwozdz, who transferred to Bridgewater from Bristol Community College, was an Old Colony League All-Star at Taunton High School.  Kachadoorian finished among the Central Massachusetts leaders in scoring with 17 goals and seven assists as a senior in 2011 and was a Central Massachusetts Soccer Coaches Association All-State selection.  Campbell was a Sun Chronicle All-Star and a Tri-Valley League All-Star while starring at Norton High School where he led the team in scoring as a senior.