Lehigh University Athletics
Mountain Hawks eyeing league title in 2010
8/30/2010 10:58:00 PM | Men's Soccer
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – As the Lehigh men's soccer team battles through the heat of preseason camp, the approaching season offers the chance to finally translate hard work into game action. The squad is hungry following a trip to the Patriot League tournament in 2009, and with eight starters returning this season, head coach Dean Koski and the Mountain Hawks are once again poised to make a run at the league title in 2010. If the finish to last year's season is any indication, big things could be in store for the Brown and White this fall. Lehigh ran off a six-game unbeaten streak (4-0-2) to end the 2009 campaign, falling in the league semifinals on penalty kicks against American. Along the way, the Mountain Hawks knocked off eventual league champion Bucknell and cruised to a 4-1 victory over Army on senior night. Despite the hot finish, Koski knows that it will be a challenge to channel the momentum from last year.
“It's hard to build off how you finish,” said Koski, who enters his 19th season. “We'll talk about it, but the guys know this is a different team. Hopefully the guys who were there last year will grow from that experience.”
With 19 letterwinners returning, Lehigh will have plenty of experience to draw upon. The team's three seniors, center back James Graf, keeper Jonathan Nydell and midfielder Matt Thaeder each bring a different dynamic to the table. Graf, who will serve as the Mountain Hawks' captain, is the unquestioned leader of the defense and will be leaned on heavily for his experience. A two-year starter between the posts, Nydell will look to build on a stellar 2009 campaign in which he posted four shutouts and allowed less than a goal per game. Thaeder balances the team's defensive leadership by providing a veteran presence in the offensive zone as well.
After the graduation of the versatile Adam Welch, the Mountain Hawks' offense will take on a slightly new look in 2010. The team boasts a mixture of returning threats and new weapons, including sophomore Austin Decker who netted five goals in his first year with the Brown and White. Juniors Joe Puleo (five points) and Ayo Olasupo (one point) will also be back to add depth and experience to the unit. Freshman James Meyerkord (Florissant, Mo.) will join the forward ranks as well after a standout career at Chaminade College Preparatory, during which he scored goals in the 2006, '08 and '09 club state championship games. Despite the graduation of Welch and midfielder Adam Gazda, Koski believes the Mountain Hawks have plenty of offensive depth entering the season.
“Every year we graduate goal scorers, but we always find ways to score within our system,” Koski said. “We probably have four, five, six guys who are very capable goal scorers. There's not really one guy, we just have good depth as a team.”
Joining Thaeder in the midfield, the Mountain Hawks return a nucleus of experienced players, including juniors Steven Avena, Neal Melchionni and Daniel Odenwelder. Avena made 12 starts in 2009 and found the back of the net against Delaware on September 15 for his first career goal. Melchionni started in 17 contests and registered five points on a goal and three assists last year, while Odenwelder chipped in with over 650 minutes in 2009. Rounding out the group of returning midfielders will be juniors Christopher Rabey and Mark Whitmeyer as well as sophomores Cameron Omsberg and Matt Weaver. New to the mix in 2010 will be freshmen Ben Borin (Cheyenne, Wyo.), Kyle Lucas (Falmouth, Maine) and Ben Wysocki (Lower Makefield, Pa.), a trio that will look to challenge the upperclassmen for regular playing time.“We don't have a Gazda or a [Jesse] Schram on this year's team,” Koski said about the midfield. “We do, however, have a very capable corps of players that can fill the shoes of our graduated seniors.”
Led by Graf, the defensive unit should be one of Lehigh's strongest points in 2010. A stalwart center back, Graf also tacked on four goals last season to finish fourth on the team with nine points. Junior Kevin Strunk will join Graf in the middle and will add another veteran presence to the backline after starting in all 18 games last year. Fellow junior Jordie Ciuffetelli will provide versatility to the unit as a player who can chip in offensively (three assists in 2009) as well as defensively. Junior Matt Kosik and sophomores Will Addis, Rob Nowlan and Matt Weaver will give Koski an even deeper pool of returning defenders, while freshman Brian Powers (Yardley, Pa.) brings a new set of talents to the team's disposal. Following a season in which the Mountain Hawks conceded only 18 goals in 18 games, Koski recognizes that success goes hand in hand with good defense.
“In a conference as tough as the Patriot League, if we're yielding more than a goal per game, we'll struggle to get results,” Koski admitted. “We'll be fine if we do what we do best. That means staying true to who we are, being good defensively, being disciplined on and off the field, communicating effectively and competing every day.”
The defense will be aided by the return of Nydell between the posts. In 38 career starts, Nydell owns a 1.05 goals against average and has kept 11 clean sheets.
“It's important to have someone the team trusts back there,” Koski said about Nydell. “He's very capable of leading the team from the back.”
Lehigh will also have two other capable goalkeepers on the depth chart in sophomore Taylor Sulmonetti and freshman Ciaran Nugent (Canton, Mass.). Both were accomplished shot-stoppers in high school as Sulmonetti was a part of the Georgia 5A high school state championship team in 2008, while Nugent led the Buckingham Browne and Nichols School to league championships in 2007 and '09.
The Brown and White will tackle a difficult schedule in 2010 that includes a competitive slate of non-league opponents in addition to the always-challenging Patriot League docket. Lehigh will open the season against Big East foe Rutgers at the Ulrich Sports Complex on September 1, part of a four-game homestand to open the 2010 campaign. The Mountain Hawks are also scheduled to participate in the College of Charleston Tournament in Charleston, S.C. on September 17-19 against hosts College of Charleston and Furman. Lehigh will welcome rival Lafayette to Bethlehem for the conference home-opener on October 2 and will also play host to national powerhouse Maryland ten days later.
“We have to take our schedule one game at a time,” Koski said. “We have to get our team organized first before we turn our attention to our opponents.”
The 2010 Patriot League tournament is set to take place on November 12 at the location of the tournament's highest seed, while the NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Championship is set for December 10-12 in Santa Barbara, Calif.
Wednesday's season opener against Rutgers will be the 51st all-time meeting between the two teams, with Rutgers holding a 26-20-4 edge overall. The last time the squads met was in 2007 when the Mountain Hawks prevailed in overtime by a score of 2-1 at the Ulrich Sports Complex. Wednesday's game is scheduled for 7 p.m. and live stats and video will be available at Lehighsports.com.
Wednesday's season opener against Rutgers will be the 51st all-time meeting between the two teams, with Rutgers holding a 26-20-4 edge overall. The last time the squads met was in 2007 when the Mountain Hawks prevailed in overtime by a score of 2-1 at the Ulrich Sports Complex. Wednesday's game is scheduled for 7 p.m. and live stats and video will be available at Lehighsports.com.
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