Rutgers Men's Soccer Season Preview
Jul 31 | Men's Soccer
"Depth" is the key word Bob Reasso uses when he speaks about his 2006 squad. The Scarlet Knights return all 11 starters from the 2005 season which provides Reasso and his coaching staff with experience, options, and of course, depth.
"I believe this is our deepest team since the 1990s. Bringing everyone back [from last season] is a huge bonus and we now have a lot more versatility and a lot more experience."
The 2005 team finished the season strong, going 6-2-2 down the stretch after beginning the season 2-6-0.
"I don't think there's any question we were one of the better teams in the BIG EAST over the course of the last month [of the 2005 season]," he said.
The Scarlet Knights posted an 8-8-3 record last season and had several big wins against tough opponents. The team scored a season-high five goals against St. Peter's with five different players contributing goals and followed this win with an impressive 3-0 victory against BIG EAST opponent, USF. RU ended its regular season with a 1-1 tie at nationally-ranked St. John's before falling at West Virginia in double overtime in the first round of the BIG EAST Tournament.
Fortunately, all of RU's starters who helped end the regular season on a positive note return for the 2006 campaign and look to continue the winning trend. Team captains Brinker Dailey, Bart Koffeman, and Nick LaBrocca will help lead a deep, veteran squad. While Reasso knows his team faces a difficult schedule, he admits he's excited to see this team play.
"Position by position, I think we have more experience and more talent. I'm looking forward to seeing what this team can do."
Rutgers has depth at nearly every position and has many players who can play multiple positions.
Goal
Rutgers has many more options in goal this season. However, after splitting time in goal his sophomore season, junior Matt Van Oekel is expected to be the Scarlet Knights' starting goalkeeper. In 11 starts, Van Oekel made 32 saves and recorded three shutouts, including one against BIG EAST opponent, USF.
Sophomore goalie Amir Haghshenas started as a freshman two years ago at Iona College before transferring to Rutgers for the 2005 season. He redshirted in 2005 and is slated to be Van Oekel's backup in goal this season. Dylan Hastings, a sophomore transfer from Kean University, may see some action in goal, as well. Hastings started seven games in goal last season for Kean. Haghshenas and Hastings are the two candidates who could challenge Van Oekel for significant time in goal.
Redshirt freshman Jake Weinberg and true freshman Ravi Gill will also provide Reasso with more backup alternatives.
Reasso knows the group may lack experience, but says that last season "Van Oekel worked hard and elevated himself to another level" and Reasso likes the options his team has in goal.
Backs
The Rutgers defense had a solid season in 2005, allowing just five goals in the final seven games of the season and the team's key defensive players return this season. There are several defenders who can start in the back and who also have the ability to play other positions, giving Reasso flexibility with his lineup.
Captains Dailey and Koffeman will help anchor the defense. Both will be fourth year starters and second year captains who provide the team with valuable skills and strong leadership. Kyle Grato emerged last spring as a strong defender and his technical ability allows him to play other positions, including midfield.
Jake Martenson will see playing time on defense but is another versatile player who can play multiple positions. Kevin O'Connor will stay at the wingback position after making a successful transition last season from center forward. Redshirt sophomore Ryan Breznitsky will also factor in at either the back or holding midfield positions. After he missed the spring season with compartment syndrome in both legs, he was operated upon and has made a complete recovery. Senior Sean Cameron and junior Joe Lyonnais will help round out RU's defensive unit. Cameron is another versatile player who can play any position on the field. Lyonnais is slotted to play back but could also see action at the midfield position.
Freshman Patrick Tolomeo could see some minutes at wingback. Fredrik Kongsli, a 21 year-old freshman from Norway, joins the team and should fill the role of another wingback. Finally, transfer Tim McRae will join the defense as a redshirt sophomore. McRae transferred from Southern Methodist University after contributing three assists and playing solid defense for an SMU team that reached the 2005 NCAA Tournament semi-finals. Tolomeo, Kongsli, and McRae can all play midfield positions, as well.
Midfield
Nick LaBrocca, a three-time All-BIG EAST player, is expected to play a large role in the midfield. Now a senior, he is in his fourth season as a starter for the Scarlet Knights and second as a captain. LaBrocca was second on the team in 2005 with five goals and Reasso knows that LaBrocca, if he stays healthy, will play a vital role in the team's success this season, as well.
"Nick is so important to this team and we need him to stay healthy. There are other players who can fill his role but no one who can really replace him."
Reasso believes junior Chris Moore could be a national player-of-the-year candidate and the team will rely on him to fill the right or left wing positions.
"His athleticism, speed, and skill make him invaluable to the team," Reasso says. "Chris is right up there with the finest players we've had at Rutgers."
Many players on the team have the athletic ability to fill several roles in the midfield, including Martenson and Koffeman. Reasso can also rely on Alieu Terry, Tomislav Barisic, and Adam Lloyd to fill multiple midfield positions.
"Terry is a gifted athlete who can play multiple positions and Tomislav is a very special player with a great deal of experience," Reasso says. "Lloyd is another talented athlete who saw a lot of playing time as a freshman and should be a big contributor for us again this season."
Tae Wong Rho, a junior transfer, joined the team in the spring. A versatile and veteran player, Reasso expects Rho to fill several offensive positions.
Forward
The team's leading scorer in 2005, Adam Sternberger, returns at the forward position. A redshirt junior, Sternberger returned from injuries in his first two years with Rutgers and led the team with eight goals, including a team-high five game-winning goals.
Injuries have also plagued forward Zach Simi, but he returns for his junior year after scoring three goals in nine starts last season. He will be the team's true forward and Reasso hopes his strong, aggressive play will draw the attention of opposing centerbacks, allowing Sternberger to continue scoring goals.
Several newcomers should also see time at forward. Charlie Cox and Joey Sorrentino are two players who, despite being freshmen, have a wealth of soccer experience. Cox, a native of North Yorkshire, England, is an intimidating presence at 6-4 and Sorrentino's international playing experience with the U-17 National Team will provide Rutgers' with a strong threat against opposing defenses.
Schedule
Reasso and his staff take pride in the fact that their team continually plays difficult schedules and maintains success despite such difficult matchups. The 2006 schedule is no different. "The BIG EAST has grown into a monster conference in size but also in strength, proven by the fact that seven teams went to the NCAA Tournament in 2005," Reasso said.
All of the Scarlet Knights' conference games should be competitive ones. RU will face 2005 BIG EAST champion University of Connecticut early in the season [Sept. 8] and will play Georgetown [Sept. 17] and DePaul [Sept. 23] soon after. Rival St. John's will travel to Rutgers on October 7 where Reasso will coach against his former player and two-time All-American at Rutgers, Dave Masur, now the head coach at St. John's.
Even RU's out-of-conference games will be tough. Rutgers will begin the season on the West Coast in late August. The Knights will play San Diego University [Aug. 25] and then Reasso will coach against another of his former players, Lev Kirshner, now the head coach at San Diego State [Aug. 27]. Both West Coast teams are "exceptional opponents," says Reasso. Lehigh [Sept. 1], Princeton [Sept. 20], and Penn [Oct. 11] are also among the Knights' out-of-conference matchups and all of them "are tough, well-coached teams."
The Scarlet Knights will play eight of its 17 games on its home turf, Yurcak Field. In addition, Rutgers will once again host the semi-final and final games of the BIG EAST Tournament [Nov. 3 and 5].
It can be difficult for any fall athlete to get into playing shape by the start of the season with such short preseason camps, but Reasso and his coaching staff have stressed to their team how important it is to enter preseason in shape, especially since the team kicks off its regular season on the West Coast with two games in three days. To help prepare his team for the grueling start to the season, Reasso has scheduled three scrimmages against challenging opponents: Fairleigh Dickinson, Northwestern, and Penn State.
