Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Men's Soccer Set to Begin New Era
8/25/2008 8:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Aug. 25, 2008
LEWISBURG, Pa. -- The Bucknell men's soccer team scrimmaged a strong York College side on Friday in a final live tuneup prior to Friday night's season opener at Buffalo. Facing a veteran team coming off back-to-back Division III Elite Eight runs, the Bison shook off some early struggles and prevailed 2-0 at Varsity Soccer Field.
Head coach Brendan Nash said he was a about 51 percent/49 percent satisfied/dissatisfied with his team's performance, noting that it was a "typical first time out for a young team," with plenty of positives and plenty left to work on before the opener.
On Friday the Bison will take on a Buffalo team that last season finsihed 10-7-2 and lost to No. 17 Akron in the Mid-American Conference championship match. The Bulls return top scorer Dan Bulley, who netted eight goals in 2007, including one in a 2-2 draw with Bucknell at Varsity Soccer Field. Conor O'Brien tallied both Bison goals in that contest.
Friday's game will also be Buffalo's season opener. The Bison will then stay in the Buffalo area to take on Canisius on Sunday afternoon.
In Friday's scrimmage, York controlled the first 10 minutes of action, as freshman goalkeeper Tommy Caso turned aside two tricky shots to keep the match scoreless. Bucknell's first good chance came in the 12th minute, when freshman Luke Joyner, who had a strong outing, sent a cross to Jason Soto on the right side, but Soto fired just wide.
Four minutes later Joyner's own header slipped just wide, and in the 27th minute Alex Russo got a good look in front of the goal but sent his shot over the crossbar. Russo got robbed by the Spartans keeper from point-blank range a few minutes later, and in the 37th minute Ross Liberati just missed on a header after a nice cross from Tommy McCabe.
The Bison used all three goalkeepers for 30 minutes each, and just before halftime Will Byrne made a great stop on a free kick to keep it a scoreless game at the half. Freshman Nader Swatarie cleared a ball off the goal line to save a goal seven minutes into the first half, and moments later Bucknell finally took command.
Byrne's long punt went untouched and bounded all the way to the top of the York penalty area, where a hustling Anthony Ferraro chipped it over the keeper's head for a 1-0 Bison lead.
Bucknell controlled play over the next 37 minutes, generating a number of good chances. The Bison tacked on the insurance goal with 5:01 remaining when Alex Maisel won a loose ball just inside the box and nudged it over to Soto, who finished from about eight yards out.
For more on the scrimmage, check out the video highlights and postgame interviews on Bison Vision, as well as the photo gallery.
Below is a more complete season outlook as the countdown to opening night nears.
It's a new era for the Bucknell men's soccer program. The Bison had virtually the same team each of the last two years, but this season's roster will feature eight new faces that will help offset the loss of one of the Patriot League's most productive senior classes in recent memory. The seven-person class earned more than 300 combined starts over the last four years and helped the Bison to a solid 33-28-18 record and the program's first NCAA Tournament berth in more than 30 years while facing a formidable slate of opponents.
Those same difficult foes will still be on the other side of the field, but a new stable of Bison will now be featured on the Bucknell half of the pitch.
While plenty of returning players have seen significant minutes in the past, they will be counted on to fill new roles with the graduation of five starters.
“People who were role players in the past can't be role players this year,” commented head coach Brendan Nash, whose .537 career winning percentage tops the 79-year-old program's list. “We need to get consistent minutes and depend more on players like (Jason) Soto, (Chris) Hennings, (Anthony) Ferraro, (Travis) Rand and (Sean) King than we have in the past.”
While those players will be important to the success of the squad in 2008, team co-captains Conor O'Brien, Mark Schmiegel and Patrick Selwood will be counted on to lead the squad. For the second time in three years two juniors will serve as captain (O'Brien, Selwood) and it is a trend Nash cites as an example of the Patriot League's strength.
“The fact we have two juniors as captains says a lot about the strength of the Patriot League and where it is headed,” mentioned Nash. “We have been recruiting better players due to the strength of the league and with our outstanding facilities. I see plenty of our current players having the ability to be named captain as juniors.”
The lone senior to earn the captaincy is Schmiegel, who has started all 60 games since setting foot on campus in 2005. The Middletown, N.J., native became an offensive force last year, eclipsing his point total from his first two years with career highs in goals (4) and assists (3).
“Mark is the hardest working player in the Patriot League,” Nash lauded. “He is also the most underrated, but we still need more offense from him this year.”
O'Brien will also be counted on to shoulder the offensive load. He paced the team with seven goals and 19 points and tied for the team lead with five assists as a sophomore. Those numbers helped him earn Second Team All-Patriot League honors. He was one of five Bison to be named all-league, but is the only returning player honored.
“Conor will be our go-to guy this year,” predicted Nash. “We will be as successful as Conor is and our offense will run through him.”
Selwood will be one of the anchors in the backfield along with sophomore Ross Liberati. A defender who has 23 starts over his first two years, Selwood was solid last year, keying a defense that allowed 0.84 goals per game.
Liberati, who made a splash offensively with four goals against Patriot League opponents as a rookie, will join Selwood at center back. The Warwick, Md., native moved around to different positions in 2007, but Nash expects him to fully entrench himself on the defensive side of the field for the next three years.
“Patrick will help us out quite a bit in the back,” mentioned Nash. “We have some experience back there with Matt Hittson and Dirk Swaneveld both starting the last couple of years, but Patrick and Ross will hold down the middle.
“Ross has a huge upside, the biggest in the whole program. He is a big guy who is aggressive and tough to beat in the air.”
Another player with some height and the ability to score is lanky senior Alex Russo. After finishing second on the squad with 13 points as a sophomore, he dropped off to six points last year. However, his 20 career points (7g, 6a) rank second among Bison entering the 2008 campaign and he has the ability to be a solid playmaker from his midfield position.
Senior Anthony Ferraro and junior Chris Hennings should also help out on the offensive end thanks to their speed and experience. Ferraro is a veteran of 59 games and has scored at least one goal each year, while Hennings has appeared in 32 matches over his first two seasons.
“Alex, Anthony and Chris all have potential,” remarked Nash. “They can make things happen. They just have to know when to be selfish and score a goal for themselves and when to set up others.”
Adding to the list of veterans who should step into larger roles this year are Hittson, who enters his senior season having racked up 23 career starts, and classmate Dirk Swaneveld, who is a veteran of 46 games and has earned 38 starts. They should hold down outside defender positions.
Senior Jason Soto, junior Sean King and sophomore Travis Rand should also provide plenty of solid minutes in 2008.
One of the biggest question marks for the Bison heading into the 2008 season is at the goalkeeper position. After six years of All-Patriot League players Adam Edwards and Joey Kuterbach holding down the position, Nash must turn to a new face. Junior Will Byrne is the only goalie on the roster with collegiate experience. He was in net for close to 50 minutes in relief of Kuterbach in the second game of last year. The only other goalkeepers on the roster are both freshmen. Tommy Caso, who was impressive during the preseason after earning Second Team All-State in Maryland as a senior at McDonogh High School, and Marc Hartmann will vie for time in net.
While Nash and his coaching staff, which includes third-year assistant Cam Ormsby and second-year volunteer assistant Pete Ellis, must replace a talented graduating class, there are plenty of veterans on the roster who know the hard work that is expected of them.
“We need to work hard and that is a strength of this team,” commented Nash. “The guys have shown they are willing to make the necessary sacrifices.”
In addition to the strong work ethic the veterans are used to, speed is an important part of the squad's make up. In fact, Nash hopes to spread other teams out a little more than in the past to take advantage of that speed. That transformation began last year when, after a number of years of being predominantly a defensive squad, Bucknell netted 27 goals. It was the most goals for the Bison since they piled up 31 in 2003.
While Bucknell's offense picked up in 2007, the defense did not suffer. The Bison limited opponents to just 16 goals in 19 contests and Kuterbach recorded a career high-tying eight shutouts, just two shy of the program record.
Both the offense and defense should continue to impress in 2008 as the Bison incorporate their nine newcomers into the fold. Among the freshmen most likely to make an impact are Luke Joyner, Ryan Sappington and Nader Sawtarie. Joyner and Sappington are listed as midfielders, while Sawtarie should help out in the backfield and midfield.
