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Men's Soccer Season Preview
CHESTERTOWN, MD -- After fielding extremely young squads each of the past two seasons, the 2010 Washington College men's soccer team is comprised of a more experienced group ready for the challenge of climbing up the Centennial Conference standings.
This year's roster features a total of 10 juniors and seniors, up from six last season. More than half of the 2008 team was made up of freshmen, 13 of 24, and 2009's edition of the Shoremen nearly matched that number with 12 first-year players on a 26-man roster. Six freshmen dot this year's 26-man roster, a ratio more in line with the norm. In all, nine players who started at least nine games last season return for 2010, the most returning starters fifth-year head coach Drew Hoffman has been able to call upon thus far during his tenure.
Heading the Shoremen's list of upperclassmen are captains Chris Phipps (Newark, DE/St. Mark's) and Danny Wood (Lancaster, PA/Lampeter-Strasburg). Phipps, a junior goalkeeper, earned team Most Valuable Player and All-Centennial Conference second-team honors in 2009, leading the conference in saves per game (8.06) and making 15 starts in 16 games. Wood, a senior defender, has been a stalwart in the back for the Shoremen since his freshman season, making 40 starts in 42 games, and registering a career-best five shots last year.
Wood is one member of the Shoremen's four-man senior class. Midfielder Gavin Rayburn (Bel Air, MD/John Carroll) leads all active Shoremen in career games (49) and career starts (45) and tallied one goal and one assist on 13 shots in 16 starts last season. James Bedrock (Waldwick, NJ/Waldwick) has split time as both a goalkeeper and field player during his collegiate career and is expected to primarily play midfield and defense this season. He scored his first collegiate goal last season while playing in a toal of 14 games. Defender Duncan Leech (Silver Run, MD/Winters Mill) played in a career-best seven games in 2009 and was the male winner of Washington College's Elizabeth "Bo" Blanchard Memorial Sportsmanship Award.
Phipps is joined in the junior class by forwards Michael Vanaskie (Lancaster, PA/Cocalico) and Jordan Haas (Wyomissing, PA/Wilson), defenders Colin Kidwell (Potomac, MD/Winston Churchill) and Cody Abbott (West Chester, PA/Westtown School), and midfielder Nick Anderson (Lincroft, NJ/Middletown South). Vanaskie and Haas each played in all 17 games a year ago with Vanaskie registering one goal, two assists, and six shots while making seven starts and Haas tallying one goal on eight shots while making four starts. Kidwell played and started in 14 games while recording five shots, while Abbott played in 10 games, double the total from his freshman year. Anderson, who played in seven games as a freshman in 2008, is returning to the team following a one-year absence.
With ten members, the Shoremen's sophomore class is by far their largest and, in terms of experience, is not the typical group of sophomores. Of the eight current sophomores who got on the field for WC as freshmen last season, seven played in at least 12 games and made at least eight starts.
Midfielder/defender Ryan Duffy (Philadelphia, PA/Chestnut Hill Academy) and midfielder Justin Geho (Westminster, MD/Cardinal Gibbons) were the only two Shoremen to start all 17 games last season. Duffy scored one goal on seven shots as a freshman, while Geho led the team in shots with 26. Midfielder/defender Tim Marcin (Wilmington, DE/Concord), defender Robert Gavora (Falls Church, VA/Flint Hill School), and forward Matt Sedney (Ridgefield, CT/Ridgefield) each played in all 17 games. Marcin scored two goals, tallied one assist, and registered 17 shots while making 16 starts, Gavora notched three shots and made nine starts, and Sendey scored one goal, recorded one assist, tallied 15 shots, and made eight starts.
Midfielder/defender Brandon George (Baltimore, MD/Calvert Hall) was named the Shoremen's Most Improved Player as a freshman after scoring one goal on four shots in 15 games, 10 of them starts. George's college and high school classmate, midfielder/defender Trevor Wittman (Baltimore, MD/Calvert Hall) had one assist and three shots while making 11 starts in 12 games. Goalkeeper Tyler Cabot (Hightstown, NJ/Peddie School) made eight saves in six reserve appearances last season. Defenders Matt Streeter (Huntingtown, MD/Huntingtown), who was sidelined with an injury his entire freshman season, and Bradford Boyer (Lutherville, MD/Boys' Latin) played club soccer as a freshman last year at Miami (OH) University.
This year's half-dozen freshmen are heavy on the offense as five of the six first-year students are listed on the roster as forwards or forward/midfielders - Chris Nardo (Middlesex, NJ/Middlesex), Sam Wild (Chalfont, PA/Central Bucks West), Josh Goheen (Bel Air, MD/John Carroll), and twins Trevor Francis (Bel Air, MD/Calvert Hall) and Tyler Francis (Bel Air, MD/Calvert Hall). Sal Melillo (Nutley, NJ/Don Bosco Prep) is the lone freshman defender.
On the sidelines, Hoffman welcomes back second-year assistant coach Brian Schultz and fifth-year assistant Briggs Cunningham. The only Washington College fall-season team to open at home this year, the Shoremen will kick off the 2010 season under the Roy Kirby, Jr. Stadium lights Saturday, September 4th, with a 7:00 p.m. game against Penn-State Brandywine. The Shoremen's first road game will be at Eastern Shore rival Salisbury University four days later. Games against the host team and Bridgewater College at the Randolph-Macon Select Tournament, a road game at Catholic, and home games against Goucher, Widener, and Wesley complete the Shoremen's non-conference schedule. WC begins Centennial Conference play Saturday, September 18th, with a 3:30 p.m. game at Dickinson.
