UDPride Discussion Forums    
     

Go Back   UDPride Discussion Forums > LATEST ARTICLES > UDPride Articles

UDPride Articles Published content from your UDPride staff

» Log in
User Name:

Password:

Not a member yet?
Register Now!
» Advertisement
Comment
 
Article Tools Display Modes
2015 UD Mens Soccer Preview
2015 UD Mens Soccer Preview
Published by Chris R
08-26-2015
Smile 2015 UD Mens Soccer Preview

Last year’s UD men’s soccer season was a struggle from start to finish as nothing came easy for Head Coach Dennis Currier and the Flyers. UD started the year 0-2 but rebounded later in the non-conference schedule with a well-earned tie versus UAB and a win against in-state rival Ohio State. As the A10 schedule commenced, UD trucked nationally-ranked Davidson at Baujan Field and before long the Flyers were 6-3-3 and re-asserting themselves as a possible postseason candidate. But the mojo hit the skids in the last month of the season and the cumulative result was disappointing.

The Flyers won just two of their last eight matches of the season, alongside three draws and three defeats – the last one coming in the first round of the A10 Tournament to eventual tourney runner-up Rhode Island. The final tally was a 7-7-5 campaign which meant another year without hardware of any kind, let alone a trip to the NCAA tournament. Dayton hasn’t reached the postseason since 2008 and there’s only so much patience seasoned Flyer soccer fans can cough up. Is the program improving, treading water, or falling behind? Past seasons have produced quality teams but were often train-wrecked by soft scheduling or late-season collapses that snuffed out any legitimate postseason opportunity – either automatic or at-large.

The 2015 season is an opportunity to take a step forward and that’s precisely what the program needs to remain relevant. In order to do just that, the Flyers need to win important matches in the conscience of the national soccer community. More than that however, UD needs to finish the year in top form. The A10 coaches pegged the Flyers 6th out of 13 teams in the preseason poll, so there are skeptics everywhere that want to see UD step up and surprise rather than disappoint.

DEPARTURES


Sophomore forward Brian Richards (4gls, 1ast) transferred to Hartford in the offseason. Redshirted as a freshman after sustaining a leg injury early in the year, Richards rebounded last year and started 15 games in 17 appearances with 676 overall minutes played. He finished fourth on the team in points and gave UD some solid speed and athleticism in the attack. But he never truly “busted out” after showing so much promise prior to his injury, and elected to take his career elsewhere.

Redshirt junior Ryan Peterson (3gls, 1ast) started two matches in 19 appearances and elected to graduate rather than return for a fifth season. Peterson finished fifth in total points and had moments in his career where things clicked, but no one was spared from last season’s up-and-down performances.

Senior GK Chris Froschauer started every game and played every minute in the first three years of his career, but transferred to Ohio State in the offseason. One of the bright spots in Dayton soccer over the last three seasons, Froschauer was probably the best player at his position and one of the top goalkeepers in the A10. Last year wasn’t his best season, but it was still respectable and his absence will be felt in front of the net until UD hands the keys to someone else.

Greg Enstone (3gls) started two matches in 17 appearances, but never duplicated the 10 goals and two assists from his junior year that earned him 2nd Team A10 honors. The British import brought toughness and physicality to the central third of the pitch.

Graduate senior Daniel Spencer (1gl, 1ast) started one match in 14 appearances, while senior Ryan Lyn failed to appear in any matches a year ago. Goalkeepers Nate Brown and Matthew Markiewicz did not play as freshmen and elected not to return.

The departures are not program-crushing. While some solid talent exits, the taps ran hot and cold for a lot of the players, no more so than last year when the Flyers struggled to find any individual or collective consistency. Froschauer leaves the biggest footprint however and goalkeeping is perhaps the most important position on the field.

RETURNEES

Graduate senior Amass Amankona is usually the smallest player on the field, but at 5’7” he finds ways to be a possession midfielder, distributor, and goal scorer in spite of his size. A preseason All-A10 nominee, Amankona returns as the team leader in points (5gls, 8asts) and started all 19 matches last year. He’s also an iron man on the pitch, accumulating the most minutes played of any field player (1787). His presence on the field is a must-have for the Flyers because of his quick pace and ability to open up the field for other teammates. But the size problem never goes away. Against more talented teams with bigger/more physical players, Amankona can be neutralized and lose his effectiveness. Amankona punches above his weight class every night, but there’s a ceiling to everything and UD is always mindful of it.

Like Amankona, junior MF/F James Haupt (6gls, 4asts) started all 19 matches last year – one of just three field players to earn that distinction. Haupt is a physical body with a high motor and might be the closest thing Coach Currier has to a consistent performer against all types of opponents. Haupt must play at an All-Conference level in 2015 for the Flyers to achieve anything significant. At the very least, he has the respect of other A10 foes as Haupt was named to the preseason All-A10 squad earlier in the week.

Rafael Gamboa, a 5-8 junior, finished 3rd in points last year (2gls, 7asts) and started all 18 matches he appeared. Gamboa is a right-time/right-place player with a knack for making things happen during transition periods of the game. Like Amankona, there’s a size disadvantage he must overcome against most opponents, but that’s more or less mediated by his work rate and additional help from his teammates.

Senior Maik Schoonderwoerd has parlayed his career as a catch-all player capable of fitting anywhere on the field. He started his career as a defender, moved into the offense, spent more time in the back line, and has returned to the attack for his senior year. Standing 6’6”, the Dutch giant provides Dayton with their tallest and most-imposing physical presence on the field. He’s got good pace, can dispossess, win balls in the air, and track back as needed to defend a counter or help out in the box. Schoonderwoerd is a player without a position and that’s more of a compliment to his skills than a knock on his game. Dayton may have more talented players on both sides of the ball, but few are as well-rounded.

Michael Fraska (1gl, 2asts), Kissima Bojang (2gls), and Brian Bates are a trio of seniors most likely to carve out further playing time in the offense. Fraska rarely started in 2014 but played starter minutes, while Bojang started every match he played. Bates typically started and played about half the match. All three bring experience but all three also need to take a step forward and be more than just complimentary pieces. Fellow senior Anthony Keene (3 appearances) will also duke it out for playing time.

Redshirt freshmen Nick Hagenkord and Zach Kavanaugh did not appear in any 2014 matches but should get a second chance. Junior Tommy Harr had yet to play in his first two seasons but scored in the exhibition win over Butler earlier in the week. He’s got upside. Senior Alex Amankwaah played just 177 minutes last year but has the flexibility to play in the midfield or back line.

Defensively, UD returns 6’1” junior Lalas Abubakar, a preseason All-A10 nominee. The native of Ghana finished second on the team in minutes played (field players) and brings a wealth of speed, athleticism, and physicality to the Flyer back line. Abubakar is not flashy but has a consistent work ethic that reminds fans of Randy Dennis or Danny Clanton.

Sophomore Dillon Nino and Michael Brezovsky are promising back-line players that saw good minutes in the preseason. Nino started 17 matches a year ago while Brezovsky totaled 500 minutes overall. Senior Andrew Lightner started 18 matches last year at left fullback and uses his 6’3” frame to muck things up for opposing forwards. Lightner’s challenge remains consistency and that will be the deciding factor in how much be plays this year.

Junior Ben Emery appeared in 14 matches last year and started three.

Sophomores Brandon Moore, Lance Gaspar, Connor Ballantyne, and Aidan Bean saw limited minutes or redshirted altogether. There’s nowhere to go but up which is good news for each of them.

With the departure of Chris Froschauer in goal, Beavercreek native Justin Saliba is the heir apparent between the pipes. The junior did not play in his first two seasons but his patience was rewarded. At 6’5”, Saliba has the size to be imposing and downright lethal on high balls in the box. The challenge for newly-appointed goalkeepers is decision-making. Saliba must demonstrate good technical ability and assertiveness when coming off his line, charge through-balls effectively, and provide solid distribution with his throws and free kicks.

NEWCOMERS


Continuing the theme at goalkeeper, Wright State transfer Anthony Flowers provides size (6’2”) and much-needed depth with the departure of the aforementioned goalkeepers in the offseason. The New Albany, OH, product has three years of eligibility.

Also wearing mittens is Danish import Oliver Hansen and Nathan Wisbey. Hansen (6’3”) is a sophomore while Wisbey (6’0”) is a freshman and former all-state player from Illinois.

Shoring up the back line is Coletun Long, a transfer from Niagara University. The 6’2” junior appeared in 18 games a year ago for the Purple Eagles. Fellow transfer Carlos Sendin is a senior transfer from West Virginia Tech with a ton of promise after playing well in the preseason. Sendin scored twice against Butler and has a knack for making plays on set pieces. Creighton transfer Blake McNelis is a 6’2” sophomore from Colorado Springs who saw limited minutes as a freshman for the Blue Jays.

The midfield and attacking positions received recruiting reinforcements as well.

Kennedy Nwabia is a 6’4” forward from Virginia that looks like Kendall Pollard in shorts and cleats. The imposing striker brings the size of a target forward and saw quality minutes in the preseason. St. Louis-native Shane Strunk, Illinois-native Cameron Fragassi, and Kettering Fairmont grad Elijah Redman bolster the midfield and front line as attacking players that can learn from the upperclassman and grow up over time.

While none of the newcomers need to be All-World right away, chances are a few will surprise. For now, we’ll take our chances with the older transfers and let the young pups learn at their own pace.

SCHEDULE


The Flyer scheduling model has been diabolical over the last several seasons – either child-like in competition or just barely acceptable. The 2015 schedule is a definite upgrade, but it remains to be seen what order of magnitude. Here’s what we know:

UD kicks off the season this weekend with two strong non-conference opponents versus Radford and James Madison in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Both programs are strong mid-majors with postseason success and should be a good early litmus test to see where the Flyers stand. Radford finished #46 in the RPI last year (12-5-3) while JMU finished #69 (8-6-4). To feel satisfied, UD needs to finish 1-1 on the trip, but 1-0-1 or better is a sign that fans might want to pay closer attention to this team.

The home opener is Sept. 2nd against Cleveland State (#157, 6-12-1), followed by a two-game road trip to Marquette (#51, 8-6-4) and High Point (#101, 10-8-2). The Flyers lost to High Point 2-1 last year.

Dayton returns home for two games, first against Oakland on Sept. 12th and then Northern Kentucky on Sept. 18th. The Grizzlies (#72, 10-7-3) and Norse (#175, 6-10-4) are recurring names on the Flyer schedule.

A road match at Western Michigan (#100, 8-7-4) on Sept. 20th is followed by home match on Sept. 23rd against BGSU (#64, 14-6-1). The Flyers travel to Ohio State (#32, 9-8-5) to round out the non-conference portion of the schedule.

The A10 season opener is Oct. 3rd at Duquesne, followed by a match at A10 favorite St. Louis on Oct. 7th. UD returns home for a game against St. Joseph’s three days later, then hit the road for a match on Oct. 14th against George Mason. Home games against LaSalle and UMass follow. Dayton travels to Fordham at the end of October, while the season finale is at Baujan Field on Nov. 7th against VCU.

Overall, the non-conference schedule has a handful of Top-100 RPI teams to supply the Flyers with some respectable wins – provided the Flyers can win them of course. There are no real saucy, name-brand opponents however, so the body of work must be done under the radar against those strong opponents from mid-major conferences that typically do better than other schools from the Power-5. Still, it would be nice to put a few carrots on the schedule like Maryland a year ago to give Dayton a chance to earn a victory against someone the nation will take notice of. We’re still skeptical there’s enough meat on the bone – unless the A10 schedule makes up for it.

The A10 is tough and the Billikens are once again the favorite. The Flyers did fairly well against the top teams in the league last year, but stumbled against opponents they should have tied or beaten. For things to go right, Dayton needs to win most of their non-conference matches and finish well above .500 in the A10 – preferably in the top three positions. Anything less and NCAA at-large consideration will be difficult to come by.

THE FLYERS WILL BE SUCCESSFUL IF….


…Dayton can defend the box all season. With a new goalkeeper and emerging back line, there’s promise and concern. Outscoring opponents is difficult at the elite D-I level however. The best teams know how to keep the score down. UD must do the same and limit their GAA to around 1.00, giving their offense a chance to win matches with two goals a night. Winning matches 5-4 like the exhibition against Butler is not a recipe for long-term success.

…Amankona, Haupt, Schoonderwoerd, and others step up and become difference-makers against the best teams on the schedule. We already know UD’s best players can perform against teams at or below the waterline, but can the go-to players excel against the best teams and talents on the schedule? In order for UD to be better than average, the better-than-average players must be great when matched up against greatness.

…the Flyers get off to a fast start and keep their foot on the pedal. Last year was a roller coaster and lack of consistency cost Dayton late in the year. Parity in men’s soccer is just too good anymore to flush attainable results down the toilet because of inconsistent play. The Flyers must win all of their home games and pick off a couple important road matches in league play.

…the ground game isn’t abandoned. The Flyers have a tendency to fall in love with the long ball, gifting away possession almost indiscriminately at times and making it too easy for opponents to defend. The other team cannot score without the ball. Dayton must focus on controlling more possession and probing the opposition’s weak points over 90 minutes, rather than swinging for the fence with a home-run ball. At lower levels of play that style can succeed with better athletes, but everyone is a great athlete at the D-I level. Tactics and patience must prevail.

THE FLYERS WILL STRUGGLE IF…


…the long ball becomes Dayton’s main offensive weapon. It’s been tried. It’s never consistently worked against the good teams. It’s a sign that Dayton is taking the easy way out rather than relying on their skills to out-soccer a great soccer team.

…goalkeeping is an ongoing weakness. Saliba has a lot on his shoulders. Chris Froschauer was UD’s best defender for three seasons and it’s Saliba’s turn to make his own mark on the program. He doesn’t need to be spectacular – just steady and consistent. If that’s not there, Dayton may look at the other goalkeepers to provide it.

…UD starts slow and never develops an identity. Something must define this team for the 2015 Flyers to be great, whether its work ethic, speed, athleticism, depth, ball pressure, set-piece lethality, or defense. UD must find a common thread and embrace it. That’s been lacking over the last several years and partially responsible for the up-and-down performances. Fans rarely see the same Flyer team twice.

OUR PREDICTIONS


The Flyers were picked 6th in the preseason A10 poll and that’s about right all things considered. Dayton surrendered just 18 goals last year – a great stat. But the Flyers must parlay those numbers into victories against the top teams on the schedule. Mopping up on the worst teams on the schedule by 5-1 scores does not abdicate the 1-0 or 2-1 losses to the toughest opponents. Consistency is everything.

The margins are exceedingly thin in men’s soccer – far more so than the women’s game. The difference between winning and losing is played between the notes and often off-key. Like special teams in football, soccer intangibles can win and lose matches.

Something has to give in 2015. The A10 coaches placed three Dayton players on the preseason All-A10 squad, tied with league-favorite St. Louis for most in the league. Individually, the Flyers are earning respect. As a team however, the 6th place prediction is not nearly as complimentary. Either folks think UD is underachieving given the talent or these same people are vastly underselling the Flyers.

We think it’s a little of both. There’s some quality talent on the roster and that includes some of the best size and physical tools of any team in the conference. What the Flyers lack however are dynamic, game-changing players that can do things against the top teams in the nation and not just the better teams in the A10. To be an NCAA tournament team, coaches must be able to point to the bona-fide superstars on their roster. We’re talking about talents like Chris Rolfe, Denny Clanton, Alex Torda, and Omar Jarun. Yet even these stars on far more talented Flyer teams failed to reach the NCAA tournament. It’s tough to “go dancing” with even studs like these, but at times it feels impossible without them.

For now, we’ll take a wait-and-see approach to this year’s team. The Flyers are not far away from being the kind of team they want to be, but the ledge of despair is equidistant. We think the A10 coaches were fair in their preseason assessment and a middle-of-the-pack A10 finish is probably the safest bet. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to conclude that such a finish also puts a damper on UD’s NCAA tournament chances – either at-large or automatic. Qualifying for the A10 tournament is a realistic expectation and from there anything can happen – especially if UD is on a performance uptick. But the Flyers can’t limp in. And the Flyers can’t limp into the start of the 2015 season either.

In some respects this season is like last season and most of the seasons prior: waiting for greatness. Fans keep waiting, but the skid marks continue in spite of the optimism. At some point the program needs to elevate or re-assess the program goals altogether. Fans would like to see a big step forward, but no more so than the players and coaches. Their mission, if they choose to accept it, is to make those forward steps a reality.

Prediction:
A10: 6th Place
A10 Tournament: Quarterfinals
NCAA: None
__________________

Hot shooting hides a multitude of sins.
Make everyone else's "one day" your "day one".
Article Tools
Comment

Article Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v3.2.1

All times are GMT -4. The time now is 05:34 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.6
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Advertisement System V2.6 By   Branden

Article powered by GARS 2.1.8m ©2005-2006

     
 
Copyright 1996-2012 UDPride.com. All Rights Reserved.