Men’s Soccer Prepares For Season-Opening Scrimmage – Ohio State Buckeyes
8/13/2001 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Aug. 13, 2001
%^$COLUMBUS, Ohio–The Ohio State men’s soccer team opens camp Tuesday in preparation for its scrimmage with Butler at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium. The event is the first to take place in the recently completed venue and also is the first night game in Ohio State soccer history. The Butler match is included in the squad’s 20 scheduled matches this season, however, statistics from the match will not count toward regular season totals.%^$
%^$“Looking To Repeat” In 2001
%^$Fresh off the best season in its history, the Ohio State men’s soccer team has more noble aspirations in 2001 than moving up in the rankings, repeating as Big Ten champions or advancing to the second round of the NCAA tournament. John Bluem has no postseason predictions for his squad, which includes 17 returning players and 10 newcomers. He hopes instead the Buckeyes will focus on learning their roles as individuals so they can maintain consistency through a schedule that includes five Top 25 squads from last year, three of which were in the Top 5–No. 2 Creighton, No. 3 Southern Methodist and No. 4 Indiana.%^$
%^$The Buckeyes Have a “New” Home
%^$Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium opened its doors in the fall of 1999. Since then it has been home to the Ohio State men’s and women’s soccer teams in the fall and the men’s and women’s lacrosse and track teams in the spring. The stadium is one of the finest collegiate soccer facilities in the nation. The playing surface (Kentucky bluegrass) is a regulation 65 x 110. Since last season, construction was completed on an elevated grandstand–with seating available for an additional 8,000 spectators–concourse level and a working press box. Surrounded by a wrought iron fence with brick piers, the stadium also houses locker rooms and offices for the men’s and women’s soccer, men’s tennis, men’s and women’s lacrosse, field hockey and softball programs.%^$
%^$Bluem Returns For Fifth Year
%^$Now entering his fifth year at the helm of Ohio State men’s soccer, John Bluem, the 2000 Ohio and Great Lakes Region Coach of the Year, led his Buckeyes to the best finish in the program’s 47-year history in 2000. In four years as mentor, Bluem has compiled a 42-29-9 (.581) record and is 13-9-3 (.580) in Big Ten play. He was the 1999 Big Ten Coach of the Year. His career record of 128-56-21 (.676) includes six seasons at Fresno State, where his squads averaged 14 wins per season and qualified for NCAA postseason play four times. Bluem is the 19th winningist active coach in Division I men’s soccer.%^$
%^$Scouting Butler
%^$Former Butler assistant coach Joe Sochacki asssumes his new role at the helm of the Bulldog program this year. Sochacki served as Butler’s top assistant for the past four seasons, including one year under Todd Bramble. Bramble led the Bulldogs to a 6-13-0 overall record in 2000 (3-4 in the Midwestern Collegiate Conference).%^$
%^$Last Time Out
%^$The Buckeyes are 2-3-2 (.429) in their all-time series with the Bulldogs. Ohio State won the last meeting, 2-1, in 1999 at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium.%^$
%^$The 2001 Buckeyes
%^$Ohio State returns seven starters from its record-breaking team of a year ago. They include third-year starting goalkeeper senior Kerry Thompson, who earned all-conference, all-state and Big Ten Player of the week honors last season while carrying an 0.83 goals-against average (12th-best in the nation). Chad Brown will compete with Thompson for time in net. Senior Daryl Brazeau, a 2000 First Team All-Big Ten selection, will be joined in the backfield by fellow defenders Todd Grossnickle and Sam Migliano.%^$
%^$John Tomaino returns from an injury-laden sophomore outing to lead a seasoned group of returning midfielders, including Tony Earp, Andy Kreinbrink, Jake Traeger, Matt McCune, A.J. Weber and David Ridenhour.%^$
%^$Justin Cook, the leading scorer and 2000 Big Ten Freshman of the Year, will be the driving force behind the Buckeyes’ offensive attack in 2001. Cook’s supporting cast includes Jason Ryan, Joshua Rathweg and Carlos Castro.%^$
%^$Newcomers make up a sizeable portion of the 2001 squad. Jason Wimmert will join Josh Wilson in adding depth to the goalkeeping corps. Bolstering the defense are freshmen Eric Schwebach and Connor Senn. The 2001 recruiting class also boasts four midfielders–Pete Withers, Sammy Tamporello, Jonathan Rogers and Reid Traeger. Withers, a left-footed attacking midfielder, is the first OSU recruit to have played on a U.S. National Team.%^$
%^$Finally, Sasha Barber, Andy Rosenband and Adam Schauer, all transfers to Ohio State in 2001 and all midfielders, are talented, experienced and versatile.%^$
%^$Captains Announced
%^$Seniors Daryl Brazeau, Andy Kreinbrink and Kerry Thompson have been named co-captains for the 2001 season. Brazeau led the defense in only his first season and was a 2000 All-Big Ten First Team selection. Kreinbrink was the Buckeyes’ Most Improved Player as a junior following an outstanding postseason. Thompson started all 21 matches in net, compiling 1,958.7 minutes and allowing only 18 goals. He recorded nine shutouts, second-most in a season for a Buckeye keeper.%^$
%^$Ohio State Finishes In Top 25
%^$In 2000, the Buckeyes were ranked as high as No. 12 in the National Soccer Coaches’ Association of America Top 25 poll and No. 1 in the NSCAA Great Lakes region poll. The Top 25 ranking was a first for the Buckeyes, who stayed there an impressive eight-consecutive weeks and finished at No. 18. The NSCAA will release its preseason rankings Wednesday.%^$
%^$Crew Stadium Site of College Cup
%^$The NCAA Division I Men’s Soccer Committee announced Columbus Crew Stadium has been selected to play host to the 2003 NCAA College Cup. The event marks the second time in three years the Men’s Division I soccer championship will be held in the state of Ohio. Crew Stadium also is the site of the 2001 College Cup, Dec. 14 and 16, 2001. Tickets for the 2001 College Cup are available by phone at 1-877-CREW-FAN (273-9326) or at the Crew Stadium ticket office.%^$
%^$Next Up For The Buckeyes
%^$The Buckeyes will play an exhibition match against Southern Methodist. The Mustangs invade Crew Stadium at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 24 for the College Cup Preview having lost just one player from their final four team of a year ago. Tickets are $5 and are available at the Crew Stadium ticket office.%^$
%^$Ohio State opens the 2001 campaign at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 31 against West Virginia at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium. Fans can purchase individual match tickets at the gate, by calling 292-2624 or 1-800-GO-BUCKS or online at www.hangonsloopy.com.
