2006 PAC Men's Soccer Preview

The 2005 PAC Men's Soccer Tournament championship game saw top seed Washington & Jefferson fall to Grove City 2-1 via two penalty kicks of PAC Player of the Year Bob McNees. Grove City won its first-ever outright PAC soccer title in Dr. Don Lyle's final season as head coach of the Wolverines. Despite not winning the conference tournament, Washington & Jefferson, who has won two of the last three championships, received its first bid in school history for the 2005 NCAA Playoffs where they met John Carroll. The 2006 PAC season is sure to be one of quality and excitement as nine first team All-PAC honorees return and 18 second team and honorable mention teams return. The PAC welcomes Saint Vincent to conference play adding more excitement for the upcoming season. Saint Vincent is entering the PAC after a successful final season competing in the NAIA, making it to the regional playoff semifinals. 

BETHANY BISON (12-6-1 Overall, 8-3-1 PAC in 2005)

A deep and experienced roster has the Bethany College men’s soccer team looking towards a return to the top of the Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) in 2006.

A total of nine starters and 18 lettermen return from last year’s 12-6-1 team for head coach Kosmas Mouratidis, who is entering his sixth year at the helm of the Bison program with a 51-47-8 overall record. Bethany actually started last year with 11 wins in their first 14 matches, but dropped four of the last five, with three of those defeats coming by 1-0 scores.

“Last season was good but not great,” said Mouratidis. “We started strongly but tailed off towards the end because we couldn’t seem to finish in the important games. But we knew we were in every game and with another year of experience, we know now we have to be able to take advantage of any opportunity we have.

“Looking towards this season, replacing Lavel Williams (two-time All-Region player) and Daniel Stockdale will not be easy,” said Mouratidis. “However, we have a good recruiting class coming in and with the returning players ready to step up, we should have a good chance at improving upon last year’s result.”

One of the top positions for the Bison this season figures to be goalkeeper, as junior Kosta Floros returns. A First Team All-PAC performer a year ago, he recorded eight shutouts, the most by a Bison keeper since 2000, and posted a 0.77 goals-against average. Depth will come from sophomore Chad Perry, who saw time in two games last fall, including one start.

“Our keepers are solid and we are happy with our depth,” said Mouratidis. “Floros is back after earning All-PAC last year and had a good off-season training, so we expect another strong year from him. Perry is a good second keeper who can step in at any time. Overall, we are looking forward to another successful season from our keepers.”

A solid line of experienced defenders will be playing in front of the Bison keepers this fall. Leading this group will be a pair of juniors in Telly Mantziouras, a Second Team All-PAC pick a year ago, and John Zervos, a two-time All-PAC selection. Add in senior Ethan Berthschinger, junior George Aivalis and sophomore Nikolas Yacobi and a good collection of recruits, BC should hold team’s scoring opportunities to a minimum.

“We are very encouraged by our defenders,” said Mouratidis. “Not only do we have five solid veterans returning, but the addition of three good freshmen will give us great depth and should allow us to at least duplicate last year’s success.”

The midfield is where the Bison will be their most experienced. Headlining this unit is senior Sean Esterbauer (left), who led Bethany with six goals and 14 points on his way to a First Team All-PAC selection. Two other Honorable Mention All-PAC picks are back as well in sophomores Greg Lani, who had three assists last year, and Philip Opassinis, who tallied one goal and two assists a year ago.

Four other returnees will see time in the midfield as well, including senior Ramon Franklyn, juniors Marc Auger and Aston Duporte and sophomore Mike Aivalis.  In addition, a strong group of newcomers will not only make the midfield deep but also very competitive in camp.

“We have seven experience players returning, so we expect the midfield to be a stable, solid group,” said Mouratidis. “And with some of the freshmen coming in to provide a spark, this area should be more energized than it was last year.”

Up front, the Bison have sophomore Ashkan Alavy back after he scored five goals and notched 13 points in his first season. Other experienced forwards include senior Steve Haylett and sophomore Andrew McPherson, who will compete with several recruits to provide a lift to BC’s scoring efforts up top.

“Alavy, McPherson and Haylett provide us with good experience at forward,” said Mouratidis. “Ashkan is as clever of a player as there is and compliments others very well. But I also think there could be a couple surprises with the freshmen to make us even stronger.”

Heading into the campaign with such an experienced squad, there are expectations for the Bison to not only return to the top of the PAC but also make a run at going back to the NCAA Tournament. However, to meet both of those goals could really depend on how Bethany starts the year against a tougher schedule than last year.

“Our first goal is to improve last year’s record, but that will be a challenge with a substantially more difficult schedule this year,” said Mouratidis. “After that, we want to be in the hunt for the PAC title in the first week of November and let things fall where they may from there. We’d like to be an NCAA team this year but it could really depend on how we start and if we can get some momentum built up going into conference play.”

GROVE CITY WOLVERINES (13-6-5 Overall, 8-2-2 PAC in 2005)
The 2006 season will represent the start of a new era in the Grove City College men’s soccer program as assistant coach Michael Dreves takes over as head coach. But there are still more than just a few familiar faces on the Wolverine roster as Grove City prepares to defend its Presidents’ Athletic Conference title.

Grove City returns eight starters and 14 lettermen from last year’s squad that won the PAC and advanced to the finals of the Eastern College Athletic Conference Southern Championship Tournament.

Six seniors will lead the Wolverines this season. Five have started on a regular basis over the past three years and all six seniors have been significant contributors to Grove City’s successes.

Senior forward Bob McNees (right) is the returning PAC Player of the Year after leading the conference with 19 goals in 2005. A three-year starter and two-time First Team All-PAC pick, McNees currently has 46 career goals. He needs three goals to become Grove City’s all-time leading scorer.

Senior defenders Brendan McCommas and Stuart McCommas are three-year starters at outside back. The identical twin brothers have helped Grove City accumulate 27 shutouts over the past three seasons.

Seniors Jonathan Breese and Jonathan Mahtani are both returning starters at midfielder. Breese moved into the starting lineup midway through his sophomore season and has helped Grove City to a 21-7-6 record in that span. He earned Second Team All-PAC in 2005. Mahtani became a full-time starter at wing in 2005, appearing in 21 matches before being sidelined by a late-season injury.

Meanwhile, senior Ian Lamborn made 18 appearances as a reserve in 2005 and will contend for a starting post this season.

Grove City also returns five junior lettermen, including two full-time starters. Junior goalkeeper Michael Manahan earned Second Team All-PAC in 2005 after limiting foes to a 0.83 goals-against average in his first year as a starter. Junior sweeper Tommy Bresson has started all 44 matches in his career and received PAC Honorable Mention last year.

Also back for the Wolverines are junior wings Chad Ashby and Eli Lamborn. Ashby started nine matches last year while Lamborn made seven starts.

Junior forward Barry Snyder started 11 matches in 2005 and is a two-year letterman. He tied for third on the team with two assists last season.

Sophomores Jack Adams, Matt Sol and Robert Terhune all lettered last season as reserves and/or part-time starters. Adams and Terhune will challenge for starting spots at defender while Sol will look to secure a spot at midfield.

Several other veterans will be looking to break into the lineup this year, including juniors Dustin Heath, Nick Lassor and Dan Ragonesi.

The Wolverines open the 2006 season with eight consecutive home matches. Grove City opens the season against Medaille Sept. 1. Presidents’ Athletic Conference play will begin Sept. 9 against visiting Waynesburg.

THIEL TOMCATS (3-13-2 Overall, 2-8-2 PAC in 2005)

The 2006 version of the Thiel College men’s soccer team has its sights set on improving upon their overall record of 3-13-2 and 2-8-2 Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) mark in 2005. 

The Tomcats suffered seven of their 13 losses by one goal in 2005, with six of those losses coming by a 2-1 margin.  A highlight of last season was their 0-0 draw against eventual conference champion Grove City College on Oct. 21.

Absent from the program this season are two of Thiel’s most well-known names in forward Nikola Vasilev and goalkeeper Ryan Lewis, who have both been embraced by Division I programs.  Vasilev, the program’s all-time leading scorer with 24 goals and 54 points, will finish his final two seasons as a member of the St. Bonaventure program while Lewis will finish his career at Penn State University.

Leading the returning players are senior midfielder Travis Reges (left) and junior midfielder Frank Ily.  Reges, an all-PAC honorable mention performer in 2005, has started 38 of 39 career games while Ily has started all 35 career contests.  Both Reges and Ily have been named captains for the 2006 campaign.

“Both Travis and Frank are respected players on the team that have the responsibility of developing a squad comprised of mostly freshmen and sophomores.  We are looking for both Travis and Frank to continue to lead on the field as well as off," said third-year head coach Kevin Wilhelm.

Sophomore midfielder Tony Zigo also returns as an all-PAC selection after earning honorable mention honors as a freshman.  Zigo was third on the squad last season in points with five (1 goal, 3 assists).  Sophomore forward Dorran Coley and sophomore back Michael Ryan also return after logging significant minutes last season.  Coley was second on the squad in scoring with six points (2 goals, 2 assists) in 11 starts while Ryan tallied a pair of goals in 15 starts. 

“Tony, Dorran and Mike all had great years as freshman.  It will be interesting to see how much they can produce this year, now that their expectations are higher," said Wilhelm.

Thiel returns three of its most dependable defensive players in sophomore midfielder Jesse George, sophomore back Nathan Knox and sophomore midfielder Elliot Wreh-Wilson.  George, Knox and Wreh-Wilson each started all 18 games in 2005.     

“It is important that these three have an aggressive season and desire the ball.  I am looking forward to seeing how much they can add to the organization of the team after playing in our system for a year," said Wilhelm.

A talented class of freshmen has been added to the mix, with each of them being expected to make an impact on the team from the opening of camp into the season. 

“This is the second year in a row that we believe we have raised the level of the team with our freshman class.  It is early days, but everyone knows that all spots are up for grabs.  The best 11 will start.  If a freshman performs he will get his chances," said Wilhelm.

The Tomcats open their season at Hilbert College on Friday, Sept. 1 at 3 p.m. 

THOMAS MORE SAINTS (5-9-3 Overall, 3-7-2 PAC in 2005)

The Thomas More Saints experienced growing pains last season and are hoping that experience will benefit them in the 2006 season.

Seven freshmen have become six sophomores and they are hoping that will translate into more wins. However, despite their difficulties, Thomas More still was in position to qualify for the Presidents’ Athletic Conference tournament with a regular season finale victory.

Unfortunately, they couldn’t pull out the road win but the confidence of being in the race for the entire season will bode well this season.

One of the sophomores forced into a huge role late season was goalkeeper Ben Graham. He spent all but five minutes in goal for the Saints, posting a 5-9-3 record with three shutouts. His skill was personified in the Saints’ 1-0 shutout win over regionally-ranked Transylvania. However, there were times where his youth was evident as well. For the season, he posted a 1.75 goals against average and a save percentage of .760.

With all of the minutes logged, his conditioning level increased with each outing. Following the off-season work, Graham appears ready to lead the Saints defensively. But, he will have some competition in the form of 17-year old sophomore Nick Rosenbauer. The youngster spent most of his freshman season just getting acclimated to his new surroundings. He spent the majority of the off-season in the weight room and working on the technical side of his trade.

Assisting the goalkeepers in keeping the ball out of the back of the net will be a trio of defenders. Seniors Brandon Reilman and Nate Thrift, along with sophomore Bryan Dattilo (right) will be the primary defenders for the Saints.

They combined for 43 starts last year; giving Thomas More added experience along the back row. The experience will be paramount in the early going as the Saints must replace more than half of their scoring and shot attempts for 2006.

Senior forward Corey Paff could be looked upon to pick up the majority of the scoring. He comes into the season with just four career goals. He plays well with his back to the net and he is great target on set offensive plays. Sophomore midfielder Tyler Smith is the leading returning scorer with three goals and will add a scoring punch on the Saints frontline.

Freshman forward Ryan Westkamp brings a scoring pedigree to the Thomas More program. The MVP of the Northern Kentucky All-Star game and one of the top forwards in the area will be expected to pay immediate dividends. There is a belief that his speed and work ethic will immediately translate into collegiate success.

Senior Jon Rudnick has always provided the team with grit and persistence, but will be asked to carry some of the scoring load this season.

Sophomore Jason Cooper and freshman John Wallace will also press for minutes up front.

There is an aura of toughness in the midfield with three-year starter senior Erik Kramer returning for his final season. After missing half of last season due to an injury, Kramer is ready to be an imposing force on both ends of the field.

For the past four seasons, there hasn’t been a more determined player on the Thomas More roster.

After missing all of last season due to an injury, Division I transfer Ben Mollozzi is eager to make his presence felt on the Thomas More middle line. With Smith and high school teammate, sophomore David Megel, there is a great deal of technical ability in the midfield. Last season, Megel scored two goals with one assists.

Thomas More opens its season Friday, September 1 at Anderson University.

WASHINGTON & JEFFERSON PRESIDENTS (15-6-0 Overall, 11-1-0 PAC in 2005)

WAYNESBURG YELLOW JACKETS (5-12-1 Overall, 2-9-1 PAC in 2005)

The Waynesburg Yellow Jackets look to build on experience as they return nine starters and twenty-one players for the 2005 season that saw them in a tie for seventh place in the Presidents' Athletic Conference. Head coach Carl Dei Cas is looking to improve from the 5-12-1 record the Yellow Jackets had in his first season at the helm.

Leading the way for the Yellow Jackets on the offensive side of the ball will be junior Michael Wilson (left). Wilson is the top returning offensive threat having scored nine goals and notching two assists last season.  Senior mid fielder David Peters will also provide some of the scoring punch for the Jackets this season after scoring five goals and handing out five assists a year ago. Fellow senior Ross Philips also returns after tallying three assists in 2005.

Junior Todd Schollaert and senior David Thorn will also bring experience to mid field for Waynesburg. Combine last season they took thirty shots for the Yellow Jackets and had a part in six goals in 2005.

On the defensive side of the field the Yellow Jackets will return three starters from the 2005 team. Senior Matt Cross, junior Mike Taylor, and sophomore Kyle Williams will help stand guard for a new goalkeeper.

Goalkeeper Matt Lamp will be replaced this season after making 88 saves in his senior season. Sophomore Brad Davis is the only returning goalkeeper from last year’s roster and could take control of the defense for the Jackets.

New to the Yellow Jackets in 2006 will be ten incoming players looking to make their presence felt on the field.

The Yellow Jackets begin play Friday and Saturday, September 1 and 2 at Frostburg State.
 

WESTMINSTER TITANS (8-12-0 Overall, 4-8-0 PAC in 2005)

The Westminster College men’s soccer team took its share of lumps last season, having to deal with injuries and thrusting several freshmen into the starting lineup.

That’s all in the past now.

The Titans enter the 2006 season with overwhelming depth and the anticipated return of one of their leaders.

“We have more of a solid nucleus of players,” said ninth-year head coach Girish Thakar. “So the expectations are very high.”

Eight freshmen started games during the 2005 season as injuries took their toll on the Titans, who finished 8-12 and 4-8 for fourth place in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC).

The most notable injury was to midfielder Garret Horvath, the team’s leading scorer two years ago in 2004 with six goals and eight assists for a team-high 20 points. Horvath preserved eligibility sitting out all but one game last year and will compete as a junior in 2006.

He will be joined by last year’s leading scorer, senior forward Blake Ordell, who amassed 15 points for the second straight season. Ordell’s seven goals and one assist in 2005 helped earn him a spot on the PAC first team, along with classmate Todd Atwood (right) who returns to the Titans’ lineup in 2006 as a defender.
 

Ordell and Atwood make up a total of nine returning starters and 13 returning letterman for Westminster.

The returning starters are senior dominated as, in addition to Ordell and Atwood, forward Mark Sadler, midfielder Sam Robinson, and goalkeeper Anthony Beilstein are all back after starting games in 2005.

Sadler, who started 14 of 20 games, was the team’s third-leading goal scorer with four, behind Ordell (7) and Atwood (5). Robinson and Beilstein platooned in the starting lineup last year with 11 and nine starts, respectively. The Titans were 3-3 with Beilstein minding the net as he allowed 14 goals (1.59 average) and made 42 saves (.750). Beilstein shared time in net with two others, including returnee Chris Passione, who was 1-3 in net with a .806 save percentage and a 1.37 goal-against average in three starts and six appearances.

Junior returning starters include forward Andy Saporito and defender Benn Knauff. Saporito started 15 games and netted two goals to go with three assists (seven points), earned honorable mention for the all-PAC team last year. Knauff was one of only seven players to see action in all 20 games last year while starting 18 contests.

While there were eight first-year players who started games for the Titans in 2005, two of them were regulars in the lineup on the back line. Sophomore defenders Chris Ellwanger and Justin Rivas return after starting all 20 games last year.

Westminster may be a more experienced team than it was a year ago, but one thing that has Thakar even more excited is the depth. The 2006 Titans will be one of the largest teams during Thakar’s tenure, as he welcomes18 freshmen to camp and a roster nearly swelling to 40 players.

“It’s going to be one of the biggest squads we’ve had here,” Thakar added, “and there’s going to be a lot of competition in a lot of areas.”

SAINT VINCENT BEARCATS (12-8-1 Overall in 2005)

Coming off of its most successful season in over 20 years, the Bearcats will have to turn to a number of new faces in order to replicate this success in 2006.

Last season, coach Keith Harmon's squad finished 12-8-1, advancing to the American Mideast Conference/NAIA Region IX semifinals- the furthest a Bearcat squad has gone in the post season since 1984.

Gone from a year ago are six main contributors- forward Dave Suski, midfielder Chris Stern, defenders Scott Gross and Shea Simpson, multi-positioned Mike Schreck, and goalie C.J. Cameron.

Suski scored 16 goals to go with 10 assists last season, finishing his four year career as the school's all-time leading scorer.  Stern scored seven goals and assisted on four, while Gross scored six times and Simpson added three goals and seven assists.  Schreck saw time at defender, midfield, and forward, scoring two goals with five assists.  All five were four-year starters and multiple All-AMC selections.

In his lone season in the Bearcat uniform, Cameron was also named All-AMC Honorable Mention after starting 19 games, allowing just 25 goals, and recording seven shutouts. 

As the Bearcats leave the NAIA and begin competing at the NCAA Division-III level in the Presidents' Athletic Conference, Harmon believes that a number of new faces need to step up in order to fill the shoes of the six departed.

"We have holes completely down the middle of the field," he said.  The challenge is to replace everyone that left."

He feels that a trio of seniors holds the key to success for the 2006 squad.

"Bradd Picone, Matt Hanley, and Jarrod Weaver have to provide leadership to take us to the next level," he said.

Picone (left), a physical senior defender, has started all but one game during his three-year career, and scored two goals with three assists while anchoring the back line a year ago.

Hanley, a midfielder/defender, missed the first half of last season due to injury, but came back strong to start the final nine games through the Bearcats' playoff stretch.  During his first two seasons at SVC, he started 37 consecutive games, scoring five goals with four assists.

Weaver, another defender, started all 21 games last season, scoring once while adding a pair of helpers.  His speed and footwork should nicely complement Picone's physical play in front of the net. 

Joining Weaver and Picone at defense are a trio of sophomores- Scott Nellis, Ibra Fancher, and Andrew Bianco. 


"The core of our defense, Hanley, Picone, and Weaver, is well seasoned," Harmon said.  "Plus, we have a bunch of very talented sophomores."

Another player mentioned by Harmon who could make a strong defensive impact is incoming freshman Matt Fecik, who, according to the coach, “can play all four positions in the back.”

Time at the midfield positions will also be hotly contested.

At center-mid, two incumbents, juniors Jason Zielinski and Mark Mastriano, will battle, along with Fecik's twin brother, Ben.

Outside-mid, like defense, is well seasoned, as a trio of seniors with considerable experience, Nick Kozak, Jim Boland, and Steve Davidovich, return.

Kozak was plagued with injury over the past two seasons, but, when healthy, has proven very productive, seeing time in 48 games in his career, scoring six goals.

Boland started in 11 games while appearing in all 21 last year, scoring twice while adding a pair of assists, while Davidovich made 14 appearances in 2005.

Junior Adam Karlovich, who returns to the Bearcats after sitting out last season, sophomore Ian Ramsey, and freshmen Jim Vargo and Zack Solis will also be vying for time at midfield.

At forward, sophomore Dave Lauteri returns after a fine freshman campaign in which he scored six goals with three assists, despite missing the final six games of the year with a rib injury.

Joining Lauteri in front of the net looks to be freshman Luis Rodriguez, a native of Honduras, who, according to Harmon, possesses excellent speed and ball skills.  Ben Fecik may also see time up front.

A trio of veterans, including senior Greg Walsh and sophomores Rob Scudder and Brandon Bower, will look to replace Cameron in the nets.

"It's a three-way battle right now," Harmon said of the keeper situation.  "It could be any one of them."

All in all, a total of 14 freshmen and one transfer, defender Adam Crone, dot the roster, and Harmon sees this as a benefit.

"With all of these newcomers," he said, "it will add a very competitive atmosphere to camp.  Like I said, there are a lot of spots with no established starter."

As the Bearcats make the move to the PAC, Harmon feels that it is imperative to set a winning tone right away.

"It's important for us to establish a winning tradition right off the bat," he said.

He believes Bethany and Washington & Jefferson are the two early front runners in the competitive PAC.

While the Bearcats are ineligible to qualify for post-season play in the PAC and NCAA, Saint Vincent will have the opportunity to do so in the East Coast Athletic Conference (ECAC), a conglomeration of over 150 Division III schools throughout the Northeast.

"We'd love to win 15 games this season," said Harmon, "and, obviously, we'd love to get an at-large into the ECAC playoffs."

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