Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Men's Soccer Kicks off 2012 Campaign at VCU Invitational
8/23/2012 8:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Aug. 23, 2012
LEWISBURG, Pa. -- Following a productive preseason training camp, the Bucknell men's soccer team kicks off its 2012 season this weekend at the VCU/Nike Classic at Sports Backers Stadium in Richmond, Va. The Bison will take on the host Rams on Friday at 7 p.m., and then they will battle Butler Sunday at 1 p.m. Friday night's match will be webcast live at vcuathletics.com, and live statistical updates will be available for both games this weekend.
Just two seasons removed from winning back-to-back Patriot League championships, Bucknell was picked sixth in this year's PL preseason coaches' poll. Senior Brendan Burgdorf and junior Mayowa Alli were both Preseason All-Patriot League selections.
This weekend's matches begin a run of five straight games away from home to begin the season. The Bison won't play their home opener until Sept. 14 against Adelphi, although they did play a strong Monmouth team to a 0-0 deadlock in an exhibition game at Emmitt Field last Saturday.
VCU, picked third in the Atlantic 10 preseason poll behind 2011 national runner-up Charlotte and Xavier, dropped a 2-1 decision at No. 21 UAB in an exhibition game on Sunday. The Rams, who have moved to the A-10 from the Colonial Athletic Association, finished 11-9 overall and 6-5 in the CAA last season. Dave Gifford's squad was nationally ranked for a time last year, and he welcomes back 11-goal scorer Jason Johnson and Freshman All-American Monge Solano.
Like VCU, Butler is also a brand new member of the Atlantic 10 in 2012-13. The Bulldogs finished 7-8-3 overall and 2-4-2 in the Horizon League a year ago. Oddly, they were 7-3-2 in road and neutral-site games but 0-5-1 at home. Coach Paul Snape's squad played an exhibition game against Oakland last weekend and came away with a 2-2 draw. Austin Oldham had a goal and an assist, and freshman Jeff Adkins also scored in that game for Butler. Oldham topped the squad with seven goals and 17 points in 2011.
Bucknell has never before played VCU or Butler in men's soccer.
Below is a more detailed season outlook for Bucknell.
The veterans on the Bucknell men's soccer team have experienced both ends of the emotional spectrum so far in their collegiate careers. The Bison captured back-to-back Patriot League championships in 2009 and 2010, and the current seniors were part of a team that won an NCAA Tournament first-round game at Princeton in 2009. Last year, however, despite some bright moments in non-league play, Bucknell slipped to 2-5-0 in the Patriot League and missed out on the postseason. Now this returning group is using that as motivation to get back to the top of the table in 2012.
Brendan Nash is back for his 13th season as head coach, and he is intrigued to see how his team responds this fall. The Bison did take a significant graduation hit, losing five starters from last year's squad, but that is offset by a very promising freshman class that appears will contribute at least two opening-day starters as well as a number of other key reserves.
Bucknell's biggest losses come in the defensive half, including the goalkeeper tandem of Tommy Caso and Marc Hartmann along with starting backs Andrew Powell and Nader Sawtarie. All-Patriot League midfielder Luke Joyner and versatile midfielder Ryan Sappington were also four-year contributors. Despite the losses, Nash is left with a talented and notably multi-dimensional group that he believes will be able to find results in a number of different ways.
"Preseason and the early part of the schedule is going to be all about finding the right combinations that we are going to need to be successful in Patriot League play," said Nash, whose 123 career victories rank No. 2 all-time at Bucknell. "We are certainly not going to sacrifice winning our non-league games, but we need to identify what kind of team we want to be. And I see that as more of a strength than a problem, because it means that we can utilize different formations and different combinations, adjusting to whatever we want to do or what our opponent is trying to do."
On paper, losing two senior goalkeepers who have accounted for about 98 percent of the team's minutes over the last four years seems problematic. But one look at the stable of young keepers in camp this fall should allay those fears. Freshman Mike Lansing is the probable opening-day starter. An imposing presence at 6'4" with a long wingspan, Lansing has displayed tremendous confidence and composure for a freshman, to go along with tremendous athleticism. He was outstanding in a 0-0 exhibition draw against a very good Monmouth team. Fellow 6'4" rookie Clarke Fox has also looked strong this preseason, as has last year's Georgia 4A Player of the Year Vaughn Moore. Junior Orman Kimbrough is the veteran of the unit, with 2:06 of field time in his career so far.
"It has been great having four keepers on the team, the most in my tenure here," said Nash. "Mike Lansing has a chance to be a special player. He is very mature and has not been afraid to take charge. He easily passed our fitness test, running a 4.4 40-yard dash. Clarke, Vaughn and Orman give us great depth, and it has been a great training environment with them and our new goalkeeper coach Matt Haney. It has been much tougher to score in training, which is helping our whole team. And having Matt here is really a psychological benefit to our keepers. They can go to him for technical advice, watch video and really gain a better understanding for the position. It's been a big enhancement to the program."
Nash acknowledges that the Bison must be better defensively than last season, when the team conceded 11 goals in seven Patriot League matches. By contrast, in the 2009 championship season, Bucknell allowed less than a goal per game for the entire season and set a school record with 12 shutouts.
Powell and Sawtarie were both strong and fast in the heart of the back four last season, and Nash has done some reshuffling in the back heading into 2012. First Team All-Patriot League defender Mayowa Alli moves from the left side to one of the center back positions. Alli is one of the biggest two-way threats in the Patriot League. Last season he started every game at left back and still managed to lead the team and rank second in the league in scoring with seven goals. A terror on set pieces due to his tremendous leaping ability, Alli, won two Patriot League Offensive Player of the Week awards last season, in addition to one weekly defensive honor. Eight of his 10 career goals have come off his head. The 2010 Patriot League Rookie of the Year also has a tremendous throw-in, and he will still be utilized in that capacity.
Sophomore Brian Ward started every game last season in a holding defensive midfield position, and this year he moves to left back. Senior co-captain Collin Costello brings a physical presence to the center back position. Costello had not seen much field time until late last season, but he was impressive in five appearances, including two starts. The right back position is still open for competition as the season draws near. Senior Jermaine Jarrett is the most experienced of the candidates, having been a starter since his freshman campaign. Freshman Connor Willings has drawn good early reviews from the coaching staff, and Nash says that he might even have a stronger throw than Alli. Sophomore John Miller is also battling for that position, while sophomores Mark Leibensperger and Rafael Enriquez-Hesles and freshman Mark Kramarchuk provide solid depth.
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"How well the back four defends will define how successful our season ends up," Nash predicted. "We have a lot of confidence in our goalkeepers, even though we are young there, but we need to make sure we are a lot tighter in the back. We are not afraid to give up shots, but we need to make sure they are low-percentage shots."
The midfield presents the biggest puzzle for the coaching staff, not because of a lack of talent, but because so many of the Bison midfielders are versatile enough to play on the left, right or center. Nash anticipates using multiple combinations and formations early in the season to see what works best.
There is very little question about senior co-captain Brendan Burgdorf, who was named to the MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List for the second straight year. The former Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year enters his final campaign with 17 goals and 10 assists in his career, although only two of those goals came in 2011 as he was forced to spend more time playing farther away from the opponent's goal. Nash hopes to be able to get Burgdorf forward much more frequently this year to utilize his size and speed.
Much of that depends on the play of junior Josh Butzke and freshman Chris Thorsheim in the center of the field. Butzke will likely slide into Ward's former holding midfield spot, while Thorsheim will patrol the center mid position. Thorsheim has drawn some early comparisons to former Bison all-star and current pro Conor O'Brien, and Nash says that he has shown very good chemistry linking up with Burgdorf during the preseason.
Seniors Vinny Cinotti and CK Kumah, junior Joe Meyer and sophomore Jonathan Grad are the most experienced candidates for the two wing positions. Kumah has 61 career appearances and has scored some big goals for the Bison in his career. Cinotti can also play outside back, and he brings instant energy when he steps on the pitch. Meyer has started 16 matches among his 36 career appearances, and last year he picked up three assists on re-starts, all finished by Alli. Grad won a Patriot League Rookie of the Week Award last season after picking up a goal and an assist in a 3-2 win over Navy. Freshman Mark Figgie is also battling for playing time.
Senior co-captain Josh Plump is going to be counted on for goal-scoring up top. Plump is a speed-burner with 10 career goals, and he will certainly be a target this year. Hard-working sophomore Pat Plourde gives the Bison a size presence at 6'1", 205 pounds. Sophomore Conor Keeley is a smart player who is adept at finding pockets in the defense. Freshman Jesse Klug is a pure finisher who came out of the Seattle Sounders' Academy program. Klug was set back by an illness early in camp, but by the end of preseason Nash was raving about his ability to put the ball in the net. The majority of Bucknell's goals came from set pieces last year, and this group is determined to finish better from the run of play.
"We are very deep up top," said Nash. "We can play guys to meet our opponents' weaknesses. Depth is going to be very important all over the field. We want to keep the intensity high for 90 minutes. Our theme is `work.' We play a very competitive schedule and we have the talent to get back to where we want to be, but talent is nothing without hard work."
