On June 9, it was announced that the Binghamton University men’s soccer team had hired Joe Dorini as its top assistant coach. Dorini played collegiately at West Virginia Wesleyan. After graduating in 1999, he immediately began his coaching career as an assistant coach at his alma mater, helping coach the team to four conference titles during his tenure, which ended in 2006.

Dorini brings a wealth of coaching and administrative experience with him to Binghamton. He was most recently the head coach at West Virginia Tech until June. Bearcats head coach Paul Marco first met Dorini when Marco was the head coach at West Virginia University and Dorini was playing in college.

‘He’s coached at various levels, including the NAIA level, which is a pretty high level,’ Marco said. ‘He’s been in the WPS [Women’s Professional Soccer]. We kind of got to stay in touch from a distance. When I did the search this time he applied and was one of the finalists, and I really thought he’d be a great choice.’

Marco expects Dorini to have an impact on both the offensive and defensive ends. ‘I think he’ll help in all aspects. He’s very well-rounded,’ he said.

The team announced its 2010 schedule on June 17. Its opening game will be against University of North Carolina-Wilmington at the West Virginia Tournament on Sept. 3. The highlight of the non-conference schedule will be the following weekend when the team will take on Big Ten powers Ohio State University and Penn State University at the Penn State Tournament.

The Bearcats will open up their home schedule on Sept. 26 when Cornell University is scheduled for a visit to the Bearcats Sports Complex. The homecoming match is set for Oct. 9 against the University of Vermont.

This schedule appears to be one of the most difficult ones the Bearcats have had in recent memory, according to Marco.

‘Every year we try to have the schedule completed well before it’s actually released,’ he said. ‘I think part of it has to do with the team we have coming back and what we think it’ll be like. We try to play a competitive non-conference schedule. This will probably be the hardest schedule we’ve had since I’ve been at Binghamton.’

UNC-Wilmington won the Colonial Athletic Association championship last season. Ohio State won the Big Ten crown and was ranked No. 19 by both major polls at the end of last season. Playing those schools will give the Bearcats a chance to see what they’re made of against some of the nation’s best teams.

‘We’ll open up with four teams that made the NCAA tournament ‘ three of them were nationally ranked and three of them were seeded in the tournament,’ Marco said. ‘I think it’s a terrific opportunity for our guys. I think we’ll be ready for the challenge. Then we have a game at the end of the year against Bucknell that helps us prepare for the tournament. It gives us a chance to rest some guys if we have to, or sit a guy with a card if we have to.’