Men's Soccer Weekly Release #1

Aug. 21, 2006

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News From Around the League -- Team Capsules

Detroit Titans
(2005: 12-6-2 overall, 6-1-0 Horizon League)
Detroit enters the season as the preseason favorite among the League coaches, edging UW-Milwaukee and UIC for the top spot in the League poll.

The Titans claimed the regular-season crown last fall, compiling a 6-1-0 loop mark to end UW-Milwaukee's four-year reign as the League's regular-season titlist. The Titans' 2006 roster features the reigning League Defensive Player of the Year in senior defender Jason Massoglia (who also scored eight goals last fall to tie for fifth place on the League charts) and the Goalkeeper of the Year in sophomore Sasha Boskovic (1.06 goals-against average and seven shutouts in 2005), but Titan coach Morris Lupenec must find another scoring threat after the departure of Andrew Ornoch, who signed a contract to play professionally in Hungary.

The League's Player of the Year in 2005, Ornoch topped the circuit with ten goals and 25 points. Detroit now will rely heavily on senior midfielder Vahid Assadpour (four goals plus a League-high ten assists) and a defense which recorded seven shutouts last year.

Detroit attempts to avenge last year's League championship loss when the Titans host UW-Milwaukee on Sept. 15. The Titans also host UIC in another critical early-season League battle on Sept. 24.

UW-Milwaukee Panthers
(2005: 14-4-5 overall, 4-2-1 Horizon League)
UW-Milwaukee returns nine starters from the group that won a fourth consecutive League title last fall. The Panthers posted three consecutive 1-0 shutouts at last year's League Championship, and then added a 2-0 victory over Bradley in the first round of the NCAA Championship before being eliminated in penalty kicks by eventual national runner-up New Mexico.

Jon Coleman takes the reins in Milwaukee after mentor Louis Bennett's departure to cross-town rival Marquette, inheriting a roster which includes nine starters from last year's squad. One of those two lost starters is Neil Dombrowski, whose nine goals were one behind the League leaders (Detroit's Andrew Ornoch and Joshua Okoampa of UW-Green Bay), but seniors Steve Sperl (six goals, 16 points in 2005) and Craig Mallace (four goals and a League-leading ten assists) lead the way for UWM while Grant Fernstrum attempts to repeat his performance from last fall when he had ten shutouts and led the nation with a 0.47 goals-against average. Junior defender Steve Bode earned First-Team All-League honors for his work in front of Fernstrum, along with his five goals and 11 points.

The Panthers don't have any favors on the schedule, having to play Detroit (Sept. 15) and UIC (Oct. 3) on the road to open their League slate.

UIC Flames
(2005: 10-5-2 overall, 4-2-1 Horizon League)
UIC tied for second place in the League standings during the regular season but the Flames ended the year on a disappointing note following a 3-0 loss to UW-Green Bay to open the League tournament. That setback erased some of the enthusiasm created when UIC defeated a pair of teams ranked in the national top 25 (2-0 vs. then-No. 24 Loyola Marymount on Sept. 3 and 2-1 at then-No. 22 Creighton on Oct. 5). Still, second-year boss John Trask has the top seven scorers and two goalkeepers back.

Junior midfielder Pavle Dundjer (seven goals plus eight assists) and senior forward Tonci Skroce (eight goals and three helpers) form one of the most potent scoring tandems in the League. Dundjer and UW-Green Bay's Joshua Okoampa are the League's top returning starters (22 points apiece in 2005), while Skroce netted five match-winners including three overtime markers a year ago. Junior midfielder Cesar Zambrano added four goals and set up four other strikes. All three were First-Team All-League picks in 2005.

Junior midfielder Pawel Pigas and senior forward Eric Cervantes lead the supporting cast for UIC. Each registered two goals and two assists last season, while junior Jeff Engelbrecht anchors UIC's goalkeeping efforts after posting five shutouts a year ago.

UW-Green Bay Phoenix
(2005: 9-10-0 overall, 3-4-0 Horizon League)
UW-Green Bay posted its highest victory total in five years last fall, and nine starters from that group return this year. UWGB was the only team to win its first-round match on the road in last year's League Championship, knocking off UIC 3-0 in the quarterfinals.

For the Phoenix to improve on last year's overall ledger, the Phoenix looks to an attack led by First-Team All-League honoree Joshua Okoampa. The senior forward has 22 career goals and tied for third place on last year's League charts with 22 points (ten goals plus two assists).

Sophomore forward Tosaint Ricketts hit the net four times in 2005, while senior midfielder Glenn Herzog added a pair of goals along with three assists. Sophomores Ray Hibbler and Tyler Rosenberg each had two goals in 2005, but Phoenix sideline boss Tom Poitras must find a way to replace the playmaking talents of Bati Tola, who had seven assists as a senior last fall.

In goal, Adam Stikl (0.86 goals-against average) and Josh Loyd (1.31 GAA) split time with the now-departed Matias Wilson, with each logging at least 476 minutes of experience in net. Stikl registered his biggest win of the year with a 1-0 decision over instate rival UW-Milwaukee on Oct. 26, one of his two shutouts last season.

Wright State Raiders
(2005: 10-10-0 overall, 4-3-0 Horizon League)
The Raiders endured a roller-coaster season in 2005, dropping four of their first five matches before posting a pair of four-match winning streaks around a similar four-contest losing skid in early October. Wright State reached the semifinals of the League Championship before falling 2-1 to Detroit. WSU had been the only team to defeat the Titans in League play, posting a 1-0 triumph in the Motor City on Sept. 23.

Midfielder Tony Labudovski returns for his senior campaign after earning First-Team All-League honors with nine goals and 20 points a year ago. Sophomore Josh Grossman contributed five goals and set up three other strikes, but the Raiders must replace the graduated trio of Jason Tackis (eight assists), Dana York (four goals), and Paul-Anthony Perez (two goals, two assists) for another extended run in the League championship.

Seniors Jonah Baskin and Jake Slemker anchor the Raider back line, along with sophomore Anthony Smerk. The three defenders combined to help Wright State post a 1.50 goals-against average with five shutouts in 2005.

Butler Bulldogs
(2005: 9-10-0 overall, 2-5-0 Horizon League)
Butler raced out to a 9-2-0 start before a wave of injuries hit the Bulldog roster, as only two players started all 19 matches a year ago. In addition, Butler must replace a total of six starters in 2006.

Goalkeeper Frank Peabody was one of those injured BU standouts, missing six matches due to an elbow injury in the middle of the year. At the time of his ailment, Peabody led the nation in goals-against average and save percentage, but Butler never fully recovered down the stretch, losing its final eight contests of the year. Peabody finished his junior campaign with a 0.73 goals-against mark and six shutouts but Butler scored only 18 goals in 2005, including only three during the season-ending slide which culminated in a 1-0 loss to UW-Milwaukee in the quarterfinals of the League Championship.

Sophomore forward Eduardo Garcia (four goals and two assists) and senior striker John DeVae (three goals and two helpers) anchor the attack for first-year coach Kelly Findley this fall. Findley takes the reins after five years as an assistant/associate at UNC Charlotte.

Loyola Ramblers
(2005: 7-9-2 overall, 4-3-0 Horizon League)
Loyola features the League's reigning Newcomer of the Year in sophomore midfielder Keum Sung Kim, who hit the net six times with five assists (17 points) as a freshman to garner First-Team All-League recognition in 2005. Kim was selected to Soccer America's National Team of the Week after posting a pair of two-goal performances in wins over crosstown rival DePaul and Bowling Green.

Senior forward Matt Marek and senior midfielder Javier Lopez each added four goals, providing depth to Loyola coach Brendan Eitz's attack. The trio of Kim, Marek and Lopez accounted for more than half of the team's 27 goals last season.

Brad Sommer and Sean Bond combined for a 1.78 GAA while splitting time in net for the Ramblers, whose four League wins tied the mark for the most ever by a Loyola squad.

An extra year of experience could prove beneficial for the Ramblers. Six of the team's nine losses came by one goal apiece last fall. LU also played sven overtime matches (including three in a row at mid-season), going 3-2-2 in those outings.

Cleveland State Vikings
(2005: 0-17-1 overall, 0-7-0 Horizon League)
Ali Kazemaini returns to the campus where he was an All-America selection 20 years ago, taking the reins of the Viking program after a successful 14-year run at John Carroll College.

His new task includes resurrecting a program which was outscored 65-18 a year ago. To meet that challenge, Kazemaini looks to a pair of sophomores in forward Nenad Stojkovic (five goals, 11 points) and midfielder Steve Trapp (two goals plus four assists) to step up with a cast of newcomers in 2006. The Vikings' opening roster features 12 freshmen and only two seniors.

Sophomore defender Steve Trapp started 16 matches for CSU a year ago, leading the team with four assists among his eight points. Two additional veterans return to action after sitting out the 2005 campaign. Senior forward David Stewart registred six goals and three assists in his first two seasons, while junior frontliner Seth Matisak hit the net three times in 2004.

Three Vikings will battle for the chance to replace goalkeeper Anthony DeMarco, who led the League with 105 saves last season.

Valparaiso Crusaders
(2005: 6-10-2 overall)
Valparaiso, which officially joins the Horizon League in 2007, makes its final trip through the Mid-Continent Conference in 2006. Senior forward D.J. Catrow led Valpo with six goals and six assists a year ago, with senior forward Jon Brighton and sophomore forward Paul Leitelt adding five and four goals, respectively.

The Crusaders logged six shutouts in 2005, the most by a Valpo squad since 1987. Junior goalkeeper Sean McGinnis takes over as the starter, and will rely on a back line bolstered by junior defender Tyler Pagano.

Crusader boss Mis' Mrak has coached more Mid-Con matches than any other mentor in that conference's history. He begins his 16th season at the school this fall.

Horizon League Teams Claim State Bragging Rights

Two Horizon League members remain continued to outclass their Division I in-state rivals in 2005, posting the best records and capturing unofficial championships within their home states.

UW-Milwaukee ranked 23rd in the final NSCAA/adidas poll of the year, winning the Horizon League tournament title and defeating Bradley University 2-0 in the opening round of the NCAA summit. The Panthers' 14-5-3 ledger was the best among Wisconsin's four Division I men's soccer programs and left UWM as the only team from the Badger State to reach double figures in the victory column. UW-Green Bay was next in line among Wisconsin schools with a 9-10-0 overall ledger.

Regular-season League titlist Detroit claimed the best mark among the five Michigan schools sponsoring D-I men's soccer. The Titans' 12-6-2 ledger last fall put UDM at the top of that list, outclassing Oakland (10-9-0) for top honors in the Wolverine State.

Butler finished third in Indiana at 9-10-0 despite ending the year on an eight-match losing skid. BU was 9-2-0 in early October before a series of injuries to key players.

UIC held the third position in Illinois, posting a 10-5-2 record to rank behind only Bradley and Northern Illinois in the Land of Lincoln.For updated records and scores throughout the 2006 season, log on to the NSCAA's Web site at www.nscaa.com/scoreboard.html.

Wisconsin Schools
UW-Milwaukee14-4-5
UW-Green Bay9-10-0
Wisconsin8-11-0
Marquette5-11-1

Michigan Schools
Detroit12-6-2
Oakland10-9-0
Western Michigan9-9-2
Michigan State8-6-5
Michigan8-10-1

Indiana Schools
Indiana13-3-6
Notre Dame12-8-3
Butler9-10-0
Valparaiso6-10-2
IUPUI5-11-1
IPFW3-17-0
Evansville2-14-1

Illinois Schools
Bradley15-6-1
Northern Illinois11-6-2
UIC10-5-2
Northwestern9-7-2
Loyola7-9-2
Western Illinois6-10-4
Eastern Illinois5-9-3
DePaul4-11-2

Ohio Schools
Akron18- 1-4
Dayton11- 5-4
Ohio State11-8-2
Cincinnati10-7-2
Wright State10-10-0
Xavier4-10-5
Bowling Green4-13-2
Cleveland State0-17-1

Source: NSCAA records