University of Connecticut Athletics
Men's Soccer Begins 2007 Season With Something to Prove
8/17/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
STORRS, Conn. (August 17, 2007) - One of the true tests of a great soccer program is the ability for a team to be successful season after season. Last year, UConn went undefeated against conference teams on the road, finishing second in the BIG EAST Blue Division and earned multiple post-season major awards in 2006 The University of Connecticut men’s soccer team heads into the 2007 campaign with something to prove … to their opponents, the conference, the NCAA and most importantly, to themselves.
As the team heads into head coach Ray Reid’s 11th season, the majority of those pieces have returned and they are a year older, wiser and hungrier. Led by senior captains Ryan Cordeiro (Highland Mills, N.Y.), Julius James (Maloney Gardens, Trinidad) and Karl Schilling (Canton, Conn.), this year’s squad is experienced, poised and ready to make a memorable run.
"We have some great seniors that have a lot of experience and can really provide leadership," Reid said. "We’re going to count on them to help bring this team together from the very beginning, to make it one and not just a group of talented individual players."
Nine starters remain from a year ago, with five of them having experience in at least one of UConn’s back-to-back BIG EAST Championship runs in 2004 and 2005. With nine additional upperclassmen, this well-seasoned group of returnees account for each and every goal scored last season and 96 percent of the team’s total points.
As if that wealth of talent wasn’t promising enough, these 18 players will be joined by a group of nine newcomers, representing three countries, that is heralded as one of the strongest recruiting classes in the country by College Soccer News. The on-line publication calls this UConn’s "most intriguing team in years" as the coaching staff works to merge the old with the new.
On the incoming players, Reid said: "We are very excited about this incoming class of athletes and are eager to see how they adapt to play in BIG EAST soccer. Each of these nine players brings an enormous amount of potential to the team; however, the true test of their talent will not be seen until December."
That statement could ring true for the entire team, not just the new players, as the Huskies strive to make it to the mid-month College Cup semifinals and championship, scheduled for Dec. 14-16, in Cary, N.C. UConn has qualified for the NCAA Tournament each of the last nine seasons and an NCAA Top-10 27 appearances overall, but the Huskies have struggled of late to advance beyond the round of 16. If any team can return this program to center stage, however, it may very well be this one.
The top two scorers from each of the last two years return at forward, headlined by First Team All-BIG EAST honoree O’Brian White (Scarborough, Ontario), who led the Huskies in scoring each of the last two seasons. The junior attacker finished last season with seven goals, including three game-winners, and six assists.
He is joined by senior Chukwudi Chijindu (Fontana, Calif.) as the top offensive threats up front. Chijindu battled a nagging injury through his junior season and is eager to regain the form he had during his highly successful freshman and sophomore campaigns that led to all-conference recognition in 2005.
Fellow senior Caesar Lopez (Orlando, Fla.) is expected to see increased playing time at forward, if he can come back at full strength.
For the second straight year, there are some question marks in the midfield, as BIG EAST Rookie of the Year Toni Stahl (Tuusula, Finland) and senior Dori Arad (Hahotrim, Israel) will be forced to step up in an effort to fill the spots vacated over the course of the last two years. Stahl is considered the anchor of the midfield and the key factor in the Huskies’ transition game, while Arad plays an integral role in this as well and will be looked to as a potential impact player in his third year as a starter.
"As a unit, the midfield is relatively young, but certainly experienced," Reid said. "The potential is there, but the question is whether or not the necessary players will step up to take on leadership roles and if the others can follow suit and do what needs to be done, day in and day out."
One of the greatest offensive threats from the middle will be Akeem Priestley (Kingston, Jamaica). The junior transfer finished last season with four goals and five assists and has the potential to emerge as a real force if he can keep his mind in each and every game.
Cordeiro will control the left side of the midfield as he works to perfect his-two way game in his final season. The senior tri-captain finished third on the team in scoring last year, tallying five goals and an assist, and is expected to create a larger defensive presence this fall. Though slated to serve primarily as a left back, Euan Holden (Sugar Land, Texas) could split some time with Cordeiro in the midfield.
On the right side, sophomore Mike Pezza (Jackson, N.J.) will look to capitalize on a strong spring season and emerge as a stronger role player in his second year.
Adding depth to the midfield will be senior Louis Jones (Jackson, Miss.), who is expected to see key minutes off the bench after earning increased playing time over each of the last three seasons, as well as sophomore Joe Boa (Brookfield, Conn.) and redshirt freshman Robert Brickley (Wethersfield, Conn.).
Brickley, a product of nearby Loomis Chaffee, was named a NSCAA High School All-American as a senior at Wethersfield.
Freshmen Jared Adamo (Riverview, Fla.), Joe Brantmeyer (Center Moriches, N.Y.), Shawn Nicklaw (San Diego, Calif.) and Ryan Stinnett (Woodbridge, Va.) will also see some time on the outside as they adjust to the new style of play.
The Husky defense returns its dynamic duo of three-year starters James and Schilling in the middle. James, a 2006 All-American and three-time M.A.C. Hermann Trophy candidate, has started every game in his career and logged more minutes than any other field player during this time. This experience, combined with his inherent understanding of the game makes the two-time BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year one of the strongest backfield presences in the country.
Schilling’s style of player is often more strategic and calculated, but certainly no less effective. He has started each of the last 47 games at center back.
"Karl and Julius are undoubtedly two of the best players at their positions," Reid said. "They compliment each other so well and have the ability to lead the rest of the defensive unit and the team from the defensive end. If they can pull the backfield together, we have a chance to get it back to the level where we should be."
The pair will receive support from sophomore Kwame Watson-Siriboe (Chino Hills, Calif.), as he receives increased playing time off the bench in the middle.
On the left flank, Holden emerged as a strong contender during the spring season. The sophomore defender will split time between the back and defensive midfield after seeing action in 15 games last season.
Joining him on the left side are freshmen Greg King (Queensland, Australia) and Jordan Hale (Falmouth, Maine). King comes in with a wealth of national team experience, while Hale holds enormous potential as Maine’s Gatorade Player of the Year and 2006 NSCAA High School All-American.
Sophomore Roberto Sgueglia (Schenectady, N.Y.) and junior transfer Oscar Castillo (El Monte, Calif.) will be their counterparts on the right side. Sgueglia has shown dramatic improvement and progress in the last year, while Castillo brings a competitiveness and fire to the position after two years of experience at Mt. San Antonio College in California.
The experienced defensive core of James and Schilling will play an integral role in supporting this year’s goalkeeper – whoever it may be. Heading into the preseason, there is an unprecedented four-way battle for the starting spot.
"For the first time in my 10 years here, the starting job really is completely wide open," Reid said. "All four are incredibly talented and there is absolutely no frontrunner at this point."
Sophomore Matt Sangeloty (Farmington, Conn.) played every minute of the 2006 season, tallying 57 saves and five shutouts through 19 games. Redshirt freshman Josh Ford (Liverpool, N.Y.) practiced under the starter to gain experience last season and is in a position to contribute in his first year of action. Reid says he is encouraged by Ford’s progress in the last year and is eager to see how he fits in when it counts.
Though new to the scene, freshman Tim Gebhardt (Center Moriches, N.Y.) and junior transfer Martin Nieuwoudt (Pretoria, South Africa) each bring their own strengths to the race. Gebhardt is heralded as a young keeper with loads of potential, while Niewoudt comes in with a wealth of experience from both the University of Pretoria and South African national teams.
As always, the Huskies are set to play one of the toughest schedules in the country. In addition to a grueling 11-game conference slate, UConn will take on six opponents in exhibition and regular-season play that participated in the 2006 NCAA Tournament.
UConn begins the regular season with Canisius on Aug. 31 before taking on Stony Brook Sept. 2 in a rematch of the 2005 NCAA Tournament second round game that the Huskies won 2-0. The following weekend marks the return of the UConn/adidas Classic and contests against South Carolina and Florida International on Sept. 7 and 8. South Florida rounds out the tourney field, yet the Huskies and Bulls will not face off until two weeks later when UConn makes its first-ever trip to Tampa. After the tournament, a Sept. 12 match vs. Hofstra serves as the final warm-up before conference action ensues.
To open BIG EAST conference action, UConn welcomes Georgetown to Morrone Stadium. The Huskies have won each of the last five meetings with the Hoyas, allowing just two goals since the 2002 season. Reid’s squad then heads out to Tampa, Fla., and Chicago, Ill., for the first road games of the season, where it will face South Florida and DePaul, respectively. UConn has not seen either team in the regular season since the two schools were added to the conference in 2005; however, the Huskies are 4-0 all-time against the Bulls with the last meeting coming in the 2005 BIG EAST Championship game. UConn came away with the 1-0 win to capture its second-straight conference crown.
Following the brief road swing, the Huskies return to Morrone Stadium to wrap up the month of September and begin October with five straight home contests. Though they return to the friendly confines of Storrs, the competition will be anything but. Defending BIG EAST Champion and long-time rival St. John’s takes the field Sept. 28, followed by conference match-ups with Syracuse, Pittsburgh and Providence, three teams that UConn swept last season. The homestand is also punctuated with a contest against in-state foe Hartford on Oct. 3.
A two-game conference road swing to Notre Dame and West Virginia marks two of UConn’s toughest matches of the season. The Irish advanced to the quarterfinals in the 2006 NCAA Tournament, while the Mountaineers had their most successful season to date a year ago. The Huskies’ Oct. 19 appearance in Morgantown, W.Va., will be broadcast on Fox Soccer Channel as part of the Game of the Week series, marking the third consecutive year that UConn has been featured.
Another road contest at nearby Yale will be the final non-conference game of the year before the Huskies wrap up the regular season with a home game against Marquette and away trip to Seton Hall.
The 2007 BIG EAST Men’s Soccer Championship will feature the top 12 of the league’s 16 teams. The top six teams in each division, seeded by conference point total, qualify for the conference championship. The top two teams in each division earn a first round bye to the quarterfinals. The first round and quarterfinal games will be held on the campus of the higher seeded team.
First round games will be held on Nov. 7-8, with the Quarterfinals following on Nov. 10-11. UConn will then host the semifinals (Nov. 16) and the championship game (Nov. 18) for the 17th time in the league’s 26-year history. The champion receives the league’s automatic bid to the 48-team NCAA Division I Men’s Soccer Championship, which begins Nov. 23.
