2009 All-Centennial Conference Men's Soccer Team

LANCASTER, Pa. – Senior midfielder Geoff Menge (Doylestown, Pa./Central Bucks West) ended his men's soccer career at Gettysburg in nearly the same way he began it four years ago. Menge was voted All-Centennial Conference First Team for the second-straight year by the conference head coaches, and in doing so, became the first Bullet to cop all-league accolades four times.

Menge was joined on the all-conference team by three teammates, all first-time selections on the honorable mention team. Senior Drew Erickson (Overland Park, Kan./Friends Central (Pa.)) was lauded for his play in the defense, while classmates Ryan Shaffer (Biglerville, Pa./Biglerville) and Chris Brown (Far Hills, N.J./Ridge) were recognized for their play in the midfield this fall.

Menge played a major role in all facets of Gettysburg's game plan over the last four seasons. He was named honorable mention all-conference in each of his first two seasons on the pitch before landing on the top team in the last two. A team co-captain, Menge started all 17 contests and fired off a team-high 65 shots. He finished second on the team in scoring with 14 points on five goals and four assists. Three of those scores came in a 6-2 victory over Haverford College on Oct. 10, while another helped lift the Bullets to a 3-2 decision over then-No. 18 Johns Hopkins University on Oct. 28. A four-year starter, Menge finished tied for fourth in school history in games started (73), tied for sixth in games played (76), and tied for ninth in points (57).

Erickson filled the role of center back for the Bullets this season. He started all 17 matches for a defense that posted a 1.30 goals against average with six shutouts. Among those efforts included back-to-back season-opening shutouts of SUNY-Fredonia and Gordon College and a 1-0 victory over Division II Shippensburg University on Oct. 18. Erickson also reached the scoring column this season, connecting on penalty-kick goals in each of the Bullets' final two matches, including the upset win over Johns Hopkins. A two-year starter, he played in 62 career matches and helped the defense notch 26 shutouts over the last four years.

Shaffer did it all for Gettysburg during his career, including putting together his best offensive season in 2009. An attacking midfielder and team co-captain, he started 16 matches and finished fourth on the team with a career-high 12 points. Half of his point total came from assists as he finished the regular season tied for second in the Centennial Conference with six. Two of his three scores resulted in the game-winners against Haverford and Washington (Md.) College, the latter part of a career-high five point night. Shaffer was a four-year starter, appearing in 67 matches and netting 29 points.



Rounding out Gettysburg's all-league selections is Brown, arguably the team's unsung hero over the last two campaigns. The squad's remaining captain, Brown maintained a consistent presence as a holding midfielder, overcoming an early season head injury to appear in all but one match with 15 starts. He played a key role in the defense's ability to shut down opponents this fall and factored into the offensive scheme as well, netting his first two career goals. Brown tallied the game-tying goal in a 4-3 loss to then-No. 18 Swarthmore College on Oct. 3 and he picked up another goal against Washington (Md.) College on Oct. 16. A two-year starter, Brown played in 46 matches during his tenure.

Gettysburg closed 2009 with an 8-7-2 overall record. The Bullets finished just outside the playoff picture in the Centennial Conference, closing with a 4-5 record for seventh place.