University of Connecticut Athletics
Season Preview: Men's Soccer
8/14/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
STORRS, Conn. - During the University of Connecticut men’s soccer team’s spring break training trip to Florida in March, the coaches handed out bracelets that were emblazoned with the phrase “Unfinished Business.” In the months leading up to the start of the season, few players, coaches or staff members removed the blue rubber band, instead choosing to have the constant reminder of the impending season and everything that was expected to be accomplished.
The expectations are nothing out of the ordinary. Each and every year, the Huskies aim to finish in the top of the BIG EAST Blue Division, contend for the conference title and make a run for the NCAA College Cup. Many may have thought that last year was “the year,” but with the core group of returning letterwinners and a group of promising freshmen, the 2008 season looks nothing but promising.
For the second straight year, head coach Ray Reid returns nine starters, all of whom had breakout seasons in 2007. Led by captains Dori Arad (Hahotrim, Israel), Karl Schilling (Canton, Conn.), Toni Stahl (Tuusula, Finland) and O’Brian White (Scarborough, Ontario), this group of returners account for 55 percent of scoring for the 2007 BIG EAST Champion and NCAA quarterfinalist Huskies.
As always, the 17 returning players will be joined by a wealth of talented newcomers, including Jordan Branco (Norton, Mass.), a NSCAA High School All-American and local product Sean Weir (New Milford, Conn.).
The Forwards
If a team is only going to boast three true forwards, one of them may as well be the defending M.A.C. Hermann Trophy winner and First Team All-American. White returns for his senior season after leading the NCAA in scoring a year ago with 23 goals and seven assists.
He is once again expected to pace the Husky attack, but will receive support from a pair of fellow forwards, as well as several midfielders.
Fellow senior Caesar Lopez (Orlando, Fla.) is expected to see increased playing time after participating in a career-high six games last season.
The two experienced players are joined by Australian striker Andrew McKie (Sydney, Australia) up front. McKie comes to Storrs after a standout high school and club career.
The Midfielders
The midfield will undoubtedly be a different place without graduated seniors Ryan Cordeiro and Chukwudi Chijindu, who combined for 12 goals and 23 assists last season, but captains Arad and Stahl are mature and experienced enough now to easily handle the transition.
Arad came out of nowhere in the postseason, tallying four goals through the BIG EAST and NCAA tournaments to help propel the surging Huskies. In his fourth year as a starter, Arad is expected to continually step up this season
Stahl is considered the anchor of the defensive midfield and the key factor in the Huskies’ transition game. He has started in all 41 career games, earning 2007 First Team All-BIG EAST and all-tournament team honors.
Akeem Priestley (Kingston, Jamaica) and Mike Pezza (Jackson, N.J.) are both among the offensive threats in the Husky midfield, having tied for third on the team in scoring. Pezza led the nation in assists, tallying 19 with 10 coming on game-winning tallies, while Priestley had a career-high 18 points off four goals and 13 assists.
Junior Joe Boa (Brookfield, Conn.) and sophomores Robert Brickley (Wethersfield, Conn.) and Shawn Nicklaw (San Diego, Calif.) round out the group of midfielders with previous game experience. All three are expected to play larger roles in the coming season after seeing quality spurts of activity last year.
Ryan Stinnett (Woodbridge, Va.), who redshirted last season, will be joined by six incoming freshmen in jockeying for playing time. Branco and Marco Zanfardino (Hillsborough, N.J.), a St. Benedict’s product, are among the most decorated incoming players. Zanfardino joins high school teammate Pezza as the ninth student-athlete to hail from St. Benedict’s Prep in New Jersey.
Joe Carelli (Marcellus, N.Y.), Tony Cascio (Gilbert, Ariz.) and Robert Olivieri (Roanoke, Texas) are each expected to play an integral role in their first season with the Huskies.
The Defenders
For the last four seasons, UConn’s defense has been synonomous with Julius James. The 2007 All-American and Senior CLASS Award finalist anchored the UConn defense that posted 14 shutouts, including four in the postseason, and a 0.53 goals-against average in 2007.
In an effort to fill James’ shoes, Kwame Watson-Siriboe (Chino Hills, N.Y.) will need to become a stronger presence in the middle, while Oscar Castillo (El Monte, Calif.) and Greg King (Queensland, Australia) must hold their own on the wings.
With James, the trio started together in each of the last 21 games of the year, averaging 88 minutes between them.
After redshirting last season due to injury, Schilling will be an integral part of the reformation of the defensive unit. He started in 53 consecutive games dating back to his freshman year before injuring his knee against South Carolina and will be an experienced voice in his fifth-year of action.
The crew will also get help from junior transfer Cruz Hernandez (Pomona, Calif.), a high school and junior college teammate of Castillo.
They will all be joined by freshmen Devon Thomas (Malabar Arima, Trinidad) and Weir in the generally strong UConn backfield.
The Goalkeepers
If everything goes according to plan, one position that does not have any question marks is at goalkeeper. Josh Ford (Liverpool, N.Y.) firmly established himself as the go-to guy last season as he finished the season in a tie for first in all-time wins (20) and second in shutouts (14) in a single season, while being named to the Third Team All-BIG EAST and earning BIG EAST Tournament Defensive MVP recognition.
Matt Sangeloty (Farmington, Conn.) also has a year of experience under his belt after serving as the starting keeper during the 2006 season. Sangeloty played every minute of the the 2006 season, tallying 57 saves and five shutouts through 19 games.
Though he did not see any playing time last season, redshirt-freshman Tim Gebhardt (Center Moriches, N.Y.) has a year of experience behind him and is heralded as a young keeper with loads of potential.
UConn now welcomes a fourth keeper into the mix. After an illustrious high school career, incoming true freshman Andrew Hoffer (Naperville, Ill.) will look to gain experience throughout the coming year as he adjusts to soccer in the BIG EAST.
The Schedule
UConn’s 18-match schedule features eight teams that participated in the 2007 NCAA Tournament and 11 home games in Joseph J. Morrone Stadium.
After exhibition contests at Michigan (Aug. 16) and against Hofstra (Aug. 23), the Huskies officially open the 2008 season with the UConn/adidas Challenge Weekend, Aug. 29-31. UConn and St. Peter's will square off Friday, Aug. 29 at 7:00 p.m., followed by a Sunday, Aug. 31 contest vs. Tulsa at 7:00. Tulsa was the Conference USA champion a year ago before advancing to the second round of the NCAA Tournament and falling to Central Connecticut.
Home games against Stony Brook and Boston University take up week 2 for the Huskies on Sept. 3 and 6, respectively. They then head out on the road for the first time of the regular season, traveling to St. Louis for a Saturday night game on Sept. 13. The Billikens are coached by former Husky great Dan Donigan, who lettered for Joe Morrone in 1985-88 and won the 1988 Adi Dassler Award.
Back in Storrs, the BIG EAST portion of the schedule opens with weekend games against Louisville (Sept. 19) and Cincinnati (Sept. 21), marking just the second meeting against both teams in the regular season since they joined the conference in 2005.
Four of the next five BIG EAST games take place on the road during what will be one of the most challenging stretches of the season. The Huskies travel to take on the New York teams, battling St. John's on Sept. 26 before venturing north to play Syracuse Sept. 28.
They then return home to face West Virginia on Friday night, Oct. 3. Last season, the Mountaineers foiled UConn's No. 1 ranking by handing the Huskies just their second loss of the season in Morgantown.
Road contests at nearby Providence (Oct. 8) and against Georgetown (Oct. 11) in the nation's capital follow before UConn briefly returns home again for a mid-week non-conference match vs. Dartmouth on Oct. 15. A trip to Milwaukee, Wis., follows to take on Marquette on Oct. 18.
The final non-conference game of the season will be against in-state rival Yale on Oct. 22 in Storrs before the Huskies battle Notre Dame Oct. 25 for Blue Division bragging rights. In 2007, the Fighting Irish and UConn played to a 3-3 tie in South Bend before eventually sharing the divisional title at season's end.
On Oct. 28, the Huskies and Pittsburgh square off in the Steel City, followed by a Halloween night regular-season finale vs. Seton Hall back in Storrs.
