No. 10 Men’s Soccer Travels To Play Akron, Wisconsin – Ohio State Buckeyes
9/26/2001 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Sept. 26, 2001
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COLUMBUS, Ohio-The No. 10 Ohio State men’s soccer team (6-0-1 overall, 1-0-0 in the Big Ten) plays its second and third road matches of the year this week. Wednesday, the Buckeyes visit the defending MAC Champion Akron Zips for a 7:15 p.m. showdown between two of the state’s best programs. Sunday, OSU travels to Madison for its second Big Ten test when the Buckeyes square off with the Badgers at 1 p.m.
Into The Top 10
For the first time in program history, the Buckeyes are ranked in the Top 10. OSU is ranked 10th in the NSCAA/adidas Men’s Division I National Poll this week. The rankings were released Sept. 24 by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America. Two other Big Ten schools-No. 6 Indiana and No. 8 Penn State-are ranked in the Top 10. Four of Ohio State’s 2001 opponents are ranked-No. 1 Southern Methodist, No. 2 St. John’s, No. 6 Indiana and No. 8 Penn State. The Buckeyes’ Aug. 24th exhibition with No. 1 SMU ended in a scoreless tie.
Prior to this week, the Buckeyes’ highest ranking was No. 12, during the NCAA tournament last year. OSU finished the 2000 season ranked No. 18.
Big Ten Honors
The Big Ten conference announced Monday it has selected Kerry Thompson as its co-defensive player of the week for men’s soccer. The senior goalkeeper is undefeated (5-0-1) after logging nearly 500 minutes in net. He has allowed only three goals and was named MVP of the Ohio State/NIKE Classic this past weekend as OSU won the four-team tournament. Sept. 21, against the 2000 national runner-up No. 14 Creighton, Thompson recorded six saves. The Buckeyes triumphed, 4-1. Sept. 23, he notched three saves and his second shutout of the young season as OSU dropped SW Missouri State, 1-0. Thompson shares the honor with freshman goalkeeper Joe Zawacki of Michigan. Best Start Since 1977
With a 6-0-1 record, the Buckeyes are off to their best start since 1977. Their current record is the second-best start in program history. In ’77, the Buckeyes began the season 7-0-0 before losing to Wooster, 1-0. That squad finished the season with a 10-4-0 mark.
More Rankings Updates
The NSCAA/adidas regional rankings also were released Sept. 24. Ohio State is second in the Great Lakes region behind Indiana. The Buckeyes are at No. 15 in the Collegesoccernews.com Poll and No. 16 in the Soccer America Poll this week.
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 NSCAA 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 Ohio State
After finishing 12-5-4 last season, the defending Big Ten champion Buckeyes are ranked No. 10 and are off to a blitzing start at 6-0-1 and 1-0-0 in the conference. The young Buckeyes-there are only three seniors-are led by junior Andy Rosenband. The Wake Forest transfer has made his presence felt, leading the squad with 14 points (5 goals, 4 assists). Senior netminder Kerry Thompson anchors the Ohio State defense with a staunch 0.55 goals- against average.
The Buckeyes-Last Time Out
Sam Migliano tallied his second goal of the year-both have been gamewinners-in OSU’s dramatic 1-0 win over SW Missouri State Sunday. Andy Rosenband sent a pass to Migliano who in turn sent a looping header over backtracking SMS goalkeeper Matt Pickens. The ball deflected off of Pickens’ gloves before falling into the net.
One goal was all the Buckeyes would need as Kerry Thompson and the rest of the Buckeye defenders made the lead stand. Thompson, who later was named tournament MVP, preserved the win when he snuffed out a breakaway attempt by SMS’ Jamal Sutton with under nine minutes to play.
The 1-0 win, coupled with OSU’s 4-1 thumping of Creighton two days earlier, made the Buckeyes tournament champs.
All Tournament Team
Four members of the OSU squad-Andy Rosenband, Tony Earp, Andy Kreinbrink and Kerry Thompson-were named to the Ohio State/NIKE Classic All-Tournament Team.
For the tournament, Rosenband netted one goal and had two assists. Earp tallied a goal and an assist. Kreinbrink did not record any points but set up many plays and was a solid contributor to the Buckeye offense from his midfield position. Tournament MVP Thompson recorded a shutout and had nine saves in two games.
Rosenband Rises To The Occasion
In only seven games as a Buckeye, junior transfer Andy Rosenband has equaled his two-year point total from when he was at Wake Forest. Rosenband leads the team in goals (five) and is co-leader in assists with Sammy Tamporello (four) giving him a team-high 14 points. In two years at Wake he saw action in 31 matches and finished with four goals and six assists for 14 points. He has five goals in seven matches, three of which were gamewinners. Rosenband leads the team in shots with 20 (12 on goal) and was the team leader in points in the Ohio State/NIKE Classic. Sept. 21, the Hammond Ind. native tallied a goal and an assist as the Buckeyes bounced 2000 national runner-up Creighton, 4-1. Sept. 23 against SW Missouri State, he assisted on Sam Migliano’s game-winning goal, ensuring OSU would keep the hardware from leaving Columbus.
Migliano Makes Them Count
Defender Sam Migliano did not score a goal last season but already has two this year. Both of his goals were gamewinners. Sept. 9, against Bowling Green, the sophomore scored the first goal of the game as OSU cruised to a 4-0 win. Sept. 23, Migliano struck again in the Buckeyes’ 1-0 win over SW Missouri State.
Scouting Akron
The Zips, led by coach Ken Lolla, are the defending Mid American Conference champions. Last season, UA went 7-7-3 and 4-2-0 in the MAC. The Zips have claimed six MAC tiles in the last decade and are 1-3-1 this year and 1-0-0 in the conference. The Zips’ record is deceiving as they opened their season with a 3-all tie against defending national champion Connecticut. They dropped their next three before rebounding to beat conference foe Buffalo, 1-0, Sept. 23.
The Zips are led by Torbjorn Birkeland and Orjan Bjaneso. Both hail from Bergen, Norway and are the top two point scorers for the Zips. Birkeland has played in all five games and has found the net twice on 12 shots. He has one assist to lead the team with five points. Bjaneso has played in four games and has two goals for four points.
UA has a plethora of goalkeepers with all three seeing at least 90 minutes of action this year. Dan Pinho has seen the most action with 210 minutes. He is 0-1-1 and has a 2.14 gaa. Kyle Milligan and Matt Balkanloo are the Zips’ other two keepers. Milligan is 1-0-0 and has not been scored on. Balkanloo is 0-2-0 giving up 2.00 goals a game.
Ohio State vs. Akron
The Buckeyes and Zips have met 23 times on the pitch. UA holds the upper hand in the all-time series with a 18-4-1 advantage. Last season the Buckeyes downed the Zips, 3-1, in Columbus.
The Zips-Last Time Out
After three consecutive losses, the Zips bested Buffalo, 1-0, on the road. Tim Cooper scored his first goal of the year in the first half and Kyle Milligan went the distance in net, making four saves.
Scouting Wisconsin
After finishing last season with a 10-9-1 record (3-3-0 in the Big Ten) the Badgers, led by coach Kalekeni Banda, are 6-1-0 this year and 0-0-0 in the conference.
Four of the Badgers’ six wins have come via shutout and the they have outscored their opponents, 15-3, in those games. Their lone blemish-a 6-0 defeat-came to No. 1-ranked Southern Methodist. OSU played SMU in a preseason exhibition match held at Columbus Crew Stadium. The game ended in a 0-0 draw.
Dominic DaPra leads the Badgers. In seven games, he has eight goals and two assists for a team-high 18 points. He has launched 37 shots, 20 more than second-place Aaron Lauber. Moriba Baker has been stellar in goal for the Badgers. On the year, he has three shutouts, a 1.19 gaa and has recorded 29 saves.
Ten of UW’s 15 goals have come in the second half, whereas the Badgers have yielded only four goals in the second stanza.
Ohio State vs. Wisconsin
The match Sunday is the 16th time the Buckeyes and Badgers will meet on the field. The all-time series is deadlocked at 7-7-2. Last season the teams split two games. UW won the regular season game 2-1, but OSU returned the favor in the first round of the Big Ten tournament with a 2-1 win.
The Badgers-Last Time Out
Sept. 23 the Badgers beat Texas Christian, 2-0, on the road. Aaron Lauber scored his fourth goal of the year early in the game and freshman David Martinez added an insurance goal right before the half. Baker recorded nine saves in the win.
Buckeyes in The Big Ten
Ohio State still sits atop the Big Ten standings (tied with Penn State and Indiana). The Buckeyes are 1-0-0 in the conference after beating Northwestern 2-1 (Sept. 2). Penn State has a 4-0 win over Michigan and Indiana dropped Michigan State, 3-0.
In team statistics as of Sept. 24, the Buckeyes are first in goals scored (19), first for assists (26), first in points (64) and second in goals allowed (4).
Andy Rosenband is second in points (14), goals scored (5) and assists (4) in the Big Ten (as of Sept. 24). Sammy Tamporello is tied with Rosenband for second in assists. Kerry Thompson is among the conference leaders in saves (20), shutouts (2) and goals-against average (0.55).
Buckeyes Get On The Board
Of Ohio State’s Top 5 scorers, three are first-year players. Rosenband leads with 14 points and Sammy Tamporello follows with eight (2G, 4A). Peter Withers, John Tomaino and Tony Earp are tied for third with seven points apiece from two goals and three assists.
Three Buckeye freshmen scored their first collegiate goals in the second weekend of play: Sammy Tamporello (Richardson, Texas/L.V. Berkner), Peter Withers (Portland, Ore./Jesuit) and Jonathan Rogers (Worthington, Ohio/Thomas Worthington) all tallied the first of their careers. Tamporello recorded Ohio State’s first goal Sept. 7 against Kentucky and Withers and Rogers both scored Sept. 9 in the Bowling Green match.
The Goalkeepers
Buckeye keeper Kerry Thompson is sporting a 0.55 gaa and only has allowed three goals in 494.10 minutes. The undefeated senior co-captain has 20 saves in six matches and has two shutouts (4-0 over Bowling Green and 1-0 over SW Missouri State).
Freshman Chad Brown has played 165:50 in net, has allowed one goal (0.54 gaa) and has two saves. Brown earned his first complete game shutout Sept. 17 against Denison (5-0).
Ohio State On Top Of Opponents
After seven matches, Ohio State is outshooting its opponents, 109-48, and is outscoring them, 19-4. The Buckeyes have taken 11 more corner kicks than their opponents (39-28).
Schauer Sidelined
Adam Schauer was involved in an automobile accident in early July and sustained a neck injury. The sophomore midfielder, who transferred from the University of Cincinnati following the 2000 academic year, likely will be out for the season.
Senior co-captain Daryl Brazeau is undergoing rehabilitation for an injury he sustained in the Bowling Green match. The OSU athletics medical staff is evaluating Brazeau’s condition and will release more information as it becomes available.
The Buckeyes Have A New Home
Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium opened its doors in Fall 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.
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.
Next Up For The Buckeyes
After the two matches this week, the Buckeyes are half way done with their longest road trip of the season. The Buckeyes next match is at Michigan State at 1 p.m. Oct. 7. OSU concludes the four-game test at Cleveland St, at 7 p.m. Oct. 10.
The Buckeyes are back at home Oct. 14 when Penn State returns for a 2 p.m. matchup.
