Eagle Insider - University of the Ozarks

“In my ten years here, I have never seen the campus any more
alive than it was that weekend,” said head coach Dave De Hart,
referring to the men’s playoff tournament hosted by Ozarks.
Men’s Soccer Team Wins Season Championship
The men’s soccer team won the 2007
American Southwest Conference season
championship and earned the right to host
the six-team ASC Championship Tournament.
As season champions, the Eagles
received the No.1 seed in the tournament
and earned a first-round bye. Ozarks defeated
Mississippi College 2-0 to advance
to the championship match. However, the
Eagles were upset by Texas-Dallas 2-1 in
overtime to finish second at the tourney.
Ozarks finished the season with a 17-5-0
overall record and a school-best 11-2-0
conference mark.
“I am proud of our guys,” said head
coach Dave De Hart. “This is a boost for
the program and is one of the program’s
biggest accomplishments. I am proud this
group came together and progressively
got better as the season went on. We
were consistent all year.”
“We put a very strong defense on the
field, and anytime you put a good defense
on the field, you will always remain in
matches. Our team defense gave us a
chance to win every single match. And it
starts with our goalkeeper.”
Under De Hart, the Eagles made their
league-record eighth straight playoff appearance.
Ozarks last hosted the championship
tournament in 2001, where they
reached the finals. Ozarks won the ASC
East Division that year with a 8-1-1 league
mark. De Hart has led Ozarks to the finals
in five of their eight trips. The Eagles
came close to hosting the tournament last
season, but lost a head-to-head battle
with Schreiner University. Ozarks won the
tournament title in 2003 in Richardson,
Texas, with a 2-1 win over Texas-Dallas.
Following the successful 2007 season,
junior goalkeeper Brian Sarber headlined a
group of seven players who were honored
by the American Southwest Conference after
a vote of the league’s 14 head coaches.
Sarber was voted ASC Defensive Player
of the Year and earned a spot on the All-
ASC First Team. Sophomore midfielder
Brandon Cain and junior defender Dan De
Hart also earned a spot on the All-ASC
First Team. Sophomore midfielder Brandon
VanCleave, senior midfielder Nate Abbott,
senior forward Darren Clark and sophomore
defender Jason Owens were named
to the All-ASC Second Team.
Sarber and Clark were named to the
National Soccer Coaches Association of
America/adidas All-South Central Region
Team. Sarber earned a spot on the Second
Team, while Clark made the Third Team. It
is the second straight season Sarber has
been All-Region.
Sarber was named to the 2007 ESPN
The Magazine Academic All-America Men’s
Soccer All-District VI Team. He finished the
2007 season as the ASC-leader in goals
against average (0.67), saves percentage
(.869) and shutouts (7).