Men's Soccer Preview, Part 8: Green Bay

Aug. 23, 2007

It's hard not to be excited for the start of the 2007 Green Bay men's soccer season. The squad was predicted to finish second in the Horizon League race in a preseason poll of league coaches, leading to believe Green Bay is on the watch of its competition.

Despite losing All-American forward Joshua Okoampa from last season's impressive 14-6-0 side, Green Bay has more than enough strengths heading into this fall. Nine starters return and 15 letterwinners come back to bring excitement to Santaga Stadium in 2007.

Head coach Tom Poitras is eager to see how his squad will match up against some of the best teams in the region, and the country, with a challenging schedule for his veteran team. With a balance of experience, youthful energy and just a touch of luck, Green Bay could return to the NCAA tournament for the first time in 20 years.

FORWARDS
Junior Tosaint Ricketts leads the way in the attack, as the Canadian Junior National Team member is coming off a fantastic summer. As a member of Canada's U-20 FIFA World Cup side, Ricketts turned heads with a hat trick in a friendly against the United States in June. A second-team all-Horizon League performer last year, Ricketts is expected to shoulder a majority of the Green Bay attack either from the front line or from the wing midfield position.

Francois Basty showed flashes of brilliance last season as a freshman, but a foot injury had him shelved for a majority of the year. The sophomore from France is back to full strength this season and will press for a starting role thanks to his size and finesse.

Sophomore Ilya Ksenidi rounds out the returnees at the forward position. Ksenidi saw limited action last year, but after a solid spring and summer season, the Wisconsin native will press for playing time in 2007.

Joining the front line as freshmen this year are newcomers Josh Bautch, Casey Berg, Scott Raymonds and Kevin Crombie. All four are coming off stellar Wisconsin prep careers and will bring depth to the attack while pressing for minutes on the pitch.

MIDFIELDERS
Experience abounds in the Green Bay midfield, with senior Dan O'Brien headlining the list of Phoenix returnees. O'Brien, a second-team all-league pick and all-region honoree in his first season at Green Bay last year, tied for the team lead in assists (6) while also scoring four goals to finish third on the team in scoring. A crafty player with great soccer sense, O'Brien will be a player Green Bay relies heavily on this season.

Joining O'Brien in the center of the midfield is sophomore David Znaty. An all-league newcomer and tournament team selection, Znaty showed plenty of determination in his rookie campaign. Despite suffering an injury early on that limited his time, Znaty went on to finish fourth on the team in scoring.

Senior Lati Ziba has been a mainstay for the Phoenix in the defensive midfield role for the past three years, and 2007 will be no different. Ziba, who took the field for all 20 games last year while making 18 starts, will be a critical component for Green Bay this year as the Phoenix continues to build up a staunch defense.

On the outside, junior Mike McCormack is on the verge of a breakout season after a solid sophomore campaign. McCormack was fifth on the team in scoring last year despite making just one start in 20 games. He can aid the Phoenix not only on the outside but as a forward.

Versatile junior Ray Hibbler, who has seen time in his Phoenix career as a forward, midfielder and defender, will vie for a starting spot as an outside midfielder this fall. Hibbler's athletic ability and speed give Green Bay a dimension to its attack that will be difficult to defend.

Bringing depth to the Green Bay midfield are sophomores René Mendez, Jacob Rouse and Ryan Shandley. Mendez had a strong season as a rookie last fall, taking the field for 15 matches and making three starts while Shandley made five appearances last fall. Rouse redshirted the 2006 season and retained three years of eligibility.

A quartet of newcomers will battle for minutes in the middle of the park. David Prochazka comes to Green Bay from Sweden, while Minnesota natives Mike Voigtlander and Dan Krueger join Wisconsin product JC Banks as candidates for time in the midfield. <>Of note, Voigtlander becomes the first second-generation player in Green Bay Athletics history to participate in the same sport, as his father, Rick, was a letterwinner for Green Bay soccer from 1978-81.

DEFENDERS
Although the team's goals-against average was slightly higher last year than it was in 2005, Green Bay has plenty of seasoned veterans returning to its defense to aim to drop that number this fall. Four-year starter Glenn Herzog returns for his senior campaign, as his strength in the air and his nose to join the attack gives Green Bay versatility on the right side.

Two seasons of starting experience have made both Steven Hennessy and Tyler Rosenberg mainstays on the Green Bay back line. Since their arrival, the tandem has combined for 68 starts, while Rosenberg has started every match of his Phoenix career. Both bring their own niche to the defense, as Hennessy is a strong man-marker while Rosenberg is a force in the air.

Two newcomers are expected to vie immediately for a starting role in the defense in Brian Buckmire and Cameron Iserman. Buckmire, a 6-3 defender from Toronto, is coming off a strong prep career in Ontario. Iserman was a third-team all-state selection in high school and is from the vaunted Vardar Soccer Club in Michigan.

GOALKEEPERS
With a pair of experienced goalkeepers, it's hard to say who is the frontrunner for the starting nod between the Green Bay pipes. Senior Josh Loyd had the majority of starts in 2006 as junior Adam Stikl sat a majority of the year with a hand injury.

Stikl boasts the best goals-against average between the two goalkeepers, as he owns a 1.18 GAA for his career in 13 matches. However, Loyd has almost twice as many minutes in goal with a 1.27 career GAA. While one may emerge as the front runner, it is possible both goalkeepers could split time this fall.

THE SCHEDULE
A daunting schedule lies ahead for Green Bay soccer in 2007. Four 2006 NCAA tournament teams will challenge the Phoenix, while three Big Ten Conference squads are on tap for Green Bay this fall.

For the first time since 1997, Green Bay will host two Big Ten schools at Santaga Stadium, as Wisconsin (Sept. 20) and Ohio State (Sept. 29) head north to Green Bay. The Phoenix will also take on NCAA Elite Eight team Northwestern this season, marking the first time since 2001 that three Big Ten foes will face Green Bay.

For the sixth straight year, the Phoenix will host the Green Bay Nike Classic. Green Bay entertains Albany, Denver and Evansville. The home tournament starts a string of four straight home matches for the Phoenix and five of six games at Santaga Stadium. During the stretch, Green Bay will entertain Wisconsin Sept. 20 and Ohio State Sept. 29.

Overall, nine home dates are in store for the Phoenix, the most for Green Bay since head coach Tom Poitras' inaugural season in 2004. Along with its home tournament and its Big Ten competition, the Phoenix will take on Western Michigan and Horizon League foes Cleveland State, Detroit, UIC and Milwaukee at Santaga Stadium.

On the road, Green Bay will face Horizon League newcomer Valparaiso Sept. 26 to begin league play. The Phoenix will also challenge Wright State, Butler and Loyola in October away games.

Tough competition is slated for the team as the regular season concludes, as three of its final four opponents (UIC, at Loyola, at Northwestern) all competed in the 2006 NCAA tournament. The other foe in that stretch, Milwaukee, has gone to five of the last six NCAA tournaments.

The 2007 Horizon League Championship takes on a new format in 2007, similar to the format used for the Horizon League Men's Basketball Championship. Play begins Friday, Nov. 9 with first round action between the No. 4 through No. 9 seeds at the higher-seeded site. Second round action Sunday, Nov. 11 features the No. 6/7 winner at the No. 3 seed, while the No. 4/9 winner takes on the No. 5/8 winner at the highest seed. Semifinal and final action will be held at the No. 1 seed on Nov. 16 and 18, respectively.

Story provided by Green Bay Office of Sports Information