Aug. 27, 2008
For Kentucky head coach Ian Collins, who enters his 15th season at the helm of the Wildcat men’s soccer program, the expectations for success never change.
And why should they?
Those expectations have yielded four conference championships, four NCAA Tournament appearances, two All-America selections and a seamless transition into Conference USA. And things are no different this year, as the Wildcats look to build off of a 2007 season that was filled with a number of memorable highlights.
“We have high expectations,” Collins detailed. “We have a good solid group of returning players plus some very talented incoming players, so our expectations remain the same. We want to win Conference USA, get into the NCAA Tournament and make a deep run in the postseason. I don’t think coming off a disappointing season makes the expectations drop, in fact we are very excited about the upcoming year.”
A year removed from a third-place finish in the rugged Conference USA, Kentucky spent the 2007 season running out an injury depleted team, which at times was missing as many as 14 members of the regular playing rotation.
While the vast number of injuries certainly had an effect on the team’s performance, it did help prepare younger players for the physical and emotional challenges of collegiate soccer.
“We had some guys to play that maybe weren’t ready to play at the time that have really developed into nice players,” Collins said. “Guys like C.J. Tappel, Tyler Burns and Torey Beiro; For them it was a beneficial year. Obviously, it was a disappointing year with all the injuries and that we didn’t perform up to a level we expect. Those guys got to play every minute of every match and a lot of other guys got some good experience, so hopefully that will benefit them.”
While Collins can find the positives of UK’s 2007 season, his eyes are fixed on the future. A future that looks bright and is stocked with a number of talented returnees, including three of the better players in all of college soccer – junior defender Barry Rice, junior midfielder Jase Griffiths and goalkeeper Dan Williams.
“We expect the competition to be much higher this year on the team and the level of talent will be very good,” Collins said.
The Forwards
UK must replace 30 percent of its goal scoring and 35 percent of its assists from a year ago after losing second-leading scorer, forward Aaron Swanson, who netted five goals on the year. Though Swanson’s effect on the team was prolific, the Wildcats lost only two more goals on the season and, thus, return much of the offensive productivity from a year ago.
“The biggest difference to be between last year and this year is the attacking end of the field, Collins said. “We have a lot more weapons then we did in 2007. We have a lot more quality weapons all over the field and we are a much better team with better personnel. The attitude of the team in the spring was fantastic and now everyone is looking to get us back to where we belong.”
Tim Crone leads the way after totaling five goals and an assist in 15 games a year ago. A quick, athletic forward, Crone had the game of his career while leading UK to an upset of then-No. 1 SMU in 2007. Crone came off the bench and needed just 30 seconds to erase a 1-0 Mustang lead with a header, later giving UK the monumental win with his second goal of the game.
“Tim Crone did a great job last year and he didn’t get a whole lot of help up front,” Collins said. “There were a lot of injuries and things didn’t really pan out offensively along with him on the front line. Tim is back and he is healthy after he played the end of last year with a sports hernia, but he is back and recovered fully and we expect big things from him.”
Crone, a 5-foot-7 junior from Cincinnati, will join redshirt senior Michael Strong in leading several fresh faces in the UK front line, including Brazilian talented freshman Marco dos Santos and junior college transfer Sam Vernalls.
“We’ve got several other players we think are going to be very good – a Brazilian, Marco dos Santos, who had to sit out last year to gain eligibility, possesses all the tools of a great striker,” Collins said. “He has great pace, he is great in the air, he has good feet, he runs at people and is tricky. We think he is going to be a prime-time player for us.”
Vernalls comes to UK after spending two years playing for Northern Oklahoma College, where he earned first-team junior college All-America honors and conference player of the year accolades. In 2007, Vernalls set the school record for goals scored in a season (28), finishing his two-year career with a record 49 goals.
“Also another guy we think is a prime-time player is an English lad, Sam Vernalls,” Collins explained. “Sam was a first-team All-American in junior college and he scored 40-50 goals during his junior college career. Sam is a very smart player; He understands the game and is a pure finisher.”
Strong, a 5-foot-7 forward from San Antonio comes back to UK after sitting out the 2007 season with a redshirt. A player with 28 career points, 11 goals and six assists, Strong brings a veteran presence to the front line.
“Michael Strong is back and he is a guy that has scored a number of goals for us,” Collins said. “Michael is a guy that has unbelievable pace and he brings experience.”
One of the more heralded incoming freshmen for the UK roster is forward Taylor White, a 6-foot-3, 205-pounder from Marietta, Ga.
“We have several newcomers, including a freshman named Taylor White from Atlanta,” Collins said. “I wouldn’t be surprised to see Taylor on the under-20 national team very soon. He was a starting player for region three, just a big physical presence, 6-foot-3, 200 lbs., holds the ball well and has good pace.”
The Midfield
Another area of the field decimated by injuries in 2007, the midfield, appears to have all the elements necessary to help UK push towards its goals and expectations.
The midfield will be led by returning veterans Masmui Turnbull and Griffiths. Turnbull, a second-team C-USA selection in 2007, returns as UK’s leading assist man the past two years, totaling seven assists in each 2006 and 2007. Turnbull finished with nine points, adding a goal on nine shots.
“Masumi Turnbull is back for his fourth year and he is just a really steady and solid player,” Collins said. “He really flourished again in the spring and I think we will see him again in the spring.”
Griffiths, a junior from Bracknell, England, battled injuries much of the year, not seeing action until six games deep in the season. The junior will be seeking to return to the form that saw him score four goals and dish out six assists as a true freshman in 2006.
“Jason Griffiths will hopefully be healthy – he missed the majority of the season last year and never really recovered from a sports hernia,” Collins said. “Jase is a great player, I think one of the best players in the league. He will be a major driving force in the midfield just like his freshman year.”
Griffiths and Turnbull will be joined by several familiar faces in the midfield, as Tyler Burns, Lucas Carden, Chad Hagerty, Jirijoonas Kanth, Bingy Lara, Issam Sawtarie, Cody Smith, and C.J. Tappel all bolster the midfield outlook.
“Bingy Lara, it is his last year and he has really developed and pushed on well,” Collins said. “Chad Hagerty, C.J. Tappel and Tyler Burns are among the players who gained valuable experience last year and we expect big things from them.
“Tyler Burns, I think he will be a major impact in the midfield. It is going to be very competitive because we like to play three or four in the midfield, so I think it is going to be tough to get in the game, which is what we want.”
Tappel, a 2007 C-USA All-Freshman Team selection, scored one goal on the season and added a beautiful assist in UK’s upset of SMU in November.
“Issam Sawtarie is one of the fastest players in Conference USA,” Collins said. “He took a little time to settle down but he has had a great spring and can either play right back, midfield or up front, but he has major speed. It is going to be interesting to see how he comes along. J.J. Kanth, he has gotten better after his first year, another guy who has gained valuable experience. Lucas Carden, played in his first year last year and he got some good playing time.
“After a year here, traditionally, players get better, so we are glad they got some experience. I think we are going to have a lot of competition.”
A few newcomers have the ability to step in to the midfield and have an impact, including George Davis IV, Shaun Deliberato, Mark Lavery and Thomas Zimmerman.
“We have a new lad from Bowling Green State University, George Davis, the first time he played with us was in the spring and he was fantastic,” Collins said. “George is a really positive player who really runs at people. We have some other parts to that and we are going to have a very competitive situation in the midfield. Thomas Zimmerman and Shaun Deliberato are a pair that have tremendous ability.”
The Defense
At the cornerstone of the philosophy of the UK program is a physical and athletic defense. That will again be the case in 2008, as Rice returns as the reigning C-USA Defensive Player of the Year.
Arguably the best defender in the collegiate game, Rice led UK in nearly every category in 2007. With UK searching for reliable goal-scoring options in the face of numerous injuries, Rice stepped up to lead the way, scoring seven goals and adding an assist, and leading the conference with three game-winners. Rice scored nearly all of his goals off set pieces, with six of his seven goals coming off headers from a free or corner kick.
“There is no question about it, Barry is one of the top 10 players in the country,” Collins detailed. “Barry is a guy that has really matured since his freshman year. I don’t think we have seen the best of him yet. I think mentally, he is putting it together, he is starting to understand the level at which he needs to train to make it as a professional and to get to where he wants to get to, which he can do. His leadership skills have really blossomed. I think Barry for sure has the talent to go a long way and we are hoping he is going to lead the team a long way as well.”
Rice will be joined on the backline by several talented players, including returnees Reid Baker and Stephen Beiro.
“I think Torey Beiro has turned into a really good player,” Collins said. “He came in under the radar last year, played a ton of games and he played when he was hurt. A tough, physical player, he had a great spring too so expect for him to be a major physical presence on the back. Reid Baker had to sit out a year because of transfer and then he got hurt and that was the first time he has played in two years. He did a good job – he is a big strong powerful player and I think people will really enjoy seeing him play.”
The defensive side of the field is one position where several newcomers will be counted on to make an impact, including Greg Goldbach, Tim Muessig, Cameron Reilly, Jordan Rose, Kyle Smith and Brad Walker.
“I think we have a lot of guys coming in who can make an impact defensively,” Collins said. “Cameron Riley and Kyle Smith, are two players out of Chicago, who are very good defenders. Jordan Rose, out of Ohio is a big lad, 6-foot-3 who can really play. Mark Lavery is versatile, he can play right back or can play wide as well. We have a lad coming in from Western Kentucky, Tim Muessig who is a Lexington Dunbar boy and has really developed since his high school days. I expect him to be a major impact on the back.
“We are going to have a few new faces, but I think Barry will lead the charge. There are some really good players and we are going to have to figure out who plays where, but I am pretty excited about it.”
Goalkeepers
Junior keeper Dan Williams returns in between the pipes for UK, giving the Wildcats one of the top goalkeepers in college soccer.
Williams has started since showing up as a freshman, starting 33 games in goal in two years, allowing a combined 1.38 goals against average. Williams stepped in immediately in 2006 and ranked third in the conference with a 0.84 goals against average, the fifth-best total in UK history. 2007 was different for Williams, who had to maintain some stability in goal despite an ever-changing defensive line, crippled by injuries.
“Dan has really matured, he is developing from when he got here,” Collins said. “He has obviously had two really good years for us. He has the potential and the talent to be one of the best goalkeepers in the country and go on to make a career out of playing. He is really starting to put it all together mentally and physically. We expect big things from him and I believe he expects big things from himself. He is a very driven guy and we are looking forward to see how far he can go with it.”
Williams will be charged with tutoring several young keepers who may be asked to take the reigns, including freshmen Patrick Martineau and Joseph Peglow. Also, UK returns senior Grant Ward, a veteran presence, who has been a fixture on the UK roster since arriving as a freshman in 2005.
“Grant Ward coming back gives us some veteran leadership,” Collins said. “Patrick Marteineu and Joey Peglow are a pair of freshman who have a lot of potential.”
Schedule
As always, UK will face one of the more difficult schedules in the nation, facing the gauntlet that is C-USA, along with a challenging non-conference slate.
“We are really excited about the schedule we have put together for 2008,” Collins said. “As always, we will play some of the best teams in the collegiate ranks both in Lexington and on the road. I think our fans will enjoy the games here in Lexington.”
UK will face off with five teams that advanced to the 2007 NCAA Tournament, with a total of nine home dates – eight regular-season dates and an exhibition match against West Virginia. The Wildcats will again present a challenging home schedule in 2008 with high-profile home games against Michigan, Xavier, South Carolina, Central Florida, Florida International and Memphis.
Kentucky will open its season with a road exhibition game at Dayton on Aug. 18, before wrapping up its preseason with an Aug. 23 matchup with 2007 NCAA Tournament team WVU. The Wildcats kick off their regular season with the annual Kentucky Invitational, hosting Detroit, Evansville and Central Arkansas in a four-team field. UK will face Central Arkansas in the season opener on Friday, Aug. 29 before squaring off with Detroit on Aug. 31.
“The challenging non-conference schedule should prepare us for the demands of a very difficult conference slate,” Collins said. “C-USA is a difficult and demanding conference and we will have to be prepared for the challenges of facing top level teams every game.”
September brings a challenging west-coast trip to face national soccer powers UC-Santa Barbara and Cal-Poly. UK faces UC-Santa Barbara on Sept. 5, before facing Cal Poly on Sunday, Sept. 7.
“Our trip to California is going to be a great experience, a real good chance to face some of the top competition in the nation and experience electric atmospheres,” Collins detailed. “UCSB and Cal Poly both have tremendous crowd support, presenting us a challenging road environment.”
After a road game at Cincinnati, UK hosts Michigan (Sept. 17) and Alabama A&M (Sept. 21), before traveling to Asheville, N.C., for a non-conference tilt with UNC-Asheville.
Kentucky opens C-USA play with an Oct. 1 matchup at Marshall, returning home to host Xavier in a non-conference game on Oct. 4. The Wildcats return to its conference season with a road showdown with Tulsa on Oct. 8 and a crucial home game with South Carolina on Oct. 12. After a trip to UAB, the site of the 2007 C-USA Tournament, Kentucky hosts Central Florida (Oct. 22) and Florida International (Oct. 25). In its final non-conference game of the year, Kentucky travels to rival Indiana for a 7 p.m. Oct. 29 match in Bloomington, Ind.
UK will wrap up its regular season with a road C-USA game at conference front-runner SMU, a team the Wildcats defeated a year ago, UK’s first-ever win over a top-ranked foe. Memphis will come to the UK Soccer Complex on Nov. 7 to close the regular season. The Conference USA Tournament, held in Dallas, Texas, will be held Nov. 12-16.
“There are no easy games, none, our league is now fulfilling its potential as one of the top leagues in the country,” Collins concluded. “It is fulfilling its potential now, the league was really young last year but now it is going to be a great year, a very difficult year, but I think we have some great players. We are excited about the potential, the attitude and we will see where we can go.”
