2004 Ohio State Men’s Soccer Preview – Ohio State Buckeyes
7/13/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
July 13, 2004
After averaging 11 wins from 1999-2002, the 2003 season was not what the Ohio State men’s soccer program had in mind. Several factors, among them injuries and the nation’s eighth-toughest schedule, kept the Buckeyes from accomplishing many of their goals last season. Those same factors could prove to take a 180-degree turn in 2004, however, and propel OSU back into the national scene and the NCAA tournament, where the program journeyed in 2000 and 2001 under the direction of head coach John Bluem, who is entering his eighth season this fall.
The Buckeyes posted a 4-12-4 record in 2003, but thanks to their strength of schedule that included 14 opponents ranked in the Top 25 at some point during the season, OSU was ranked in the upper half of the NCAA postseason Ratings Percentage Index at No. 97 out of 197. Collectively, Ohio State’s opponents posted a 215-126-47 overall record for a .615 winning percentage. The Buckeyes rarely went down without a fight, though, as nine of Ohio State’s 12 losses were by just one goal.
The experiences gained from facing those teams will only help the Buckeyes this season as Ohio State faces a schedule that could be even tougher than last season. OSU’s 2004 opponents were 195-106-49 overall in 2003 for a .627 winning percentage. Facing that tough schedule will be a squad that features almost as many new players, 10, as returning players, 12. However, Ohio State’s increased talent has Bluem, and the Buckeyes, ready for the challenge.
“We have good depth at all of the positions,” Bluem said. “And when it comes to our midfielders and forwards, we have the coaches’ dilemma of too many good players. I am excited about the freshmen that are coming in. I’m pleased with the seniors and the other upperclassmen. I think we’re going to be a good team that will really turn things around from last year.”
Bolstered by the return of All-Big Ten forward Justin Cook, who missed last season due to injury, and Akron transfer Kyle Veris, Bluem expects his offense to more than double its 2003 output of 13 goals. Therefore the focus in preseason will be to fill the void left by four graduated seniors that comprised one of the Big Ten’s best defenses. “All four seniors ended up being defenders (last year) and had very good careers here,” Bluem said of the departed Matt McCune, Sam Migliano, David Ridenhour and AJ Weber. “To defend in our conference you have to have some hard working, strong players. Finding a way to fill the shoes of those guys is going to be a big part of what our preseason will be all about. Which of these (returning) players will be able to step up and play defensively like you need to with the type of schedule that we have. The identification and training of those players is going to be very important.”
By design, the Buckeye coaching staff will head into the fall with a slightly smaller roster than that which ended the 2003 campaign.
“One of the reasons we narrowed the team down to 22 players this year is because we want to have training sessions and an atmosphere around this team that is competitive yet creates a group that has bonded well and plays well together and supports each other,” Bluem said.
Despite the smaller numbers, Ohio State has a roster that possesses much versatility, which will allow the Buckeyes to play with different lineups and in different shapes at various times depending on their opponent.
“Our system can be very versatile in how we play, whether it be a 4-4-2 zone, a 4-4-2 with a sweeper and a stopper, a 3-5-2 or a 3-4-3,” Bluem said. “We are going to have to experiment a little bit in some different shapes to see what works best. The goal is to get the best 10 players on the field. I think we’re going to be able to play a number of different systems, which will make us more dangerous and more flexible. If another team plays a certain way, we can adapt our system to theirs so that we are tactically prepared. We’ll have the types of players and the versatility to do that.”
FORWARDS
Much of the offensive firepower that had guided the Buckeyes to the NCAA tournament was not on the field in 2003 as Andy Rosenband graduated and was drafted by the Dallas Burn and Justin Cook was sidelined by a knee injury. With the return of Cook and junior Kevin Nugent and the addition of Veris, it will be hard to keep the Buckeyes out of the goal in 2004.
“With Justin Cook not playing last year, it (the offense) fell on Kevin Nugent’s shoulders as our most productive forward we had from the previous year,” Bluem said, noting Nugent also battled injuries last season. “Kevin really plays well off someone like Justin Cook or Kyle Veris because he’s always in the box and when the ball comes to him, he knocks it in. And with Cook and Veris doing the work he’s going to get a lot of opportunities to do that.”
Cook (53 career points) and Veris will get plenty of shots themselves as Ohio State’s offensive attack will be transformed in 2004.
“MLS coaches have been calling about Justin since he was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year and helped lead us to the Big Ten championship,” Bluem said. “In the spring he was able to play for us and what a dramatic difference it made in how dangerous we looked as a team. Justin is the type of player who unselfishly creates opportunities for other players. He draws so much attention and works so hard to create things up front that it creates space for those that play with him.”
Veris, who totaled 12 points in two seasons at Akron, sat out last year due to the transfer regulations but has two years of eligibility remaining. He played in 36 games, starting in 22, and made two trips to the NCAA tournament with the Zips.
“Kyle is a big, strong center forward,” Bluem said. “He’s versatile and could play in midfield, too. In the year we have had him here he has worked very hard in training even though he couldn’t play. He is a force and with him, Cook and Nugent we have a rotation of three forwards that all three will be very dangerous.”
Freshman Ryan Kustos will also figure into the mix at the forward position, and junior Reid Traeger and freshmen David Bauer and Eric Edwards have all previously seen time at forward but will begin the season at other positions.
“These freshmen, who in their own rights are all very good players and we are extremely pleased with the class on paper, are going to have to be patient,” Bluem said. “Playing time will be difficult to come by because of the quality of the people we have in front of them.”
MIDFIELDERS
Its most experienced position group, Ohio State returns its entire starting midfield this season. That returning experience will not only help set up scoring opportunities for the forwards but factor into taking some off the pressure of what will be a rookie defense.
“We are deep in midfield and very talented,” Bluem said. “Along with our front line, it is probably where we return our most experienced group. Pete Withers and Sammy Tamporello have basically been four-year starters for us and Adam Schauer started just about every game last year and Taylor Korpieski and Rob Strachan played a ton last season.”
As a freshman last season, Korpieski led the team in scoring with six points (two goals, two assists), while Withers also collected two goals.
“Last year Taylor Korpieski deservedly won the job as our attacking midfield player,” Bluem said. “He is creative and tricky and can get away from markers in the midfield with the ball. Taylor is a good possession player and can spread the ball around the field and involves people. We have him penciled in as the guy that pulls the strings for us in the midfield.”
Withers played several positions last season but could enter the 2004 campaign with a more defined role.
“Last year Pete played forward, attacking midfielder and left-sided midfielder,” Bluem said. “I think he understands that for the team to be successful this season he is the guy we need to play on the left side. Pete is good at other spots, but he is our best left-sided midfielder and it will be easier for him to play out there because of the quality of forwards we’ll have for him to play with and knock the ball into.”
One of Ohio State’s best one-on-one players, Tamporello also has a clearly defined role on the squad this season.
“Sammy will hold down the right side of the midfield for us,” Bluem said. “Similar to Peter Withers, Sammy needs to understand his best fit on this team, which is to play up and down the right flank and provide service to the center forwards. And now that we have center forwards that are really good, that is what we need him to do.”
Schauer is a versatile player that led the Buckeyes with 30 shots last year. He collected one goal and one assist and could add to that total in 2004 from anywhere on the field.
“Adam Schauer also played on the left side of the midfield last year and we had the luxury in that when we moved Pete Withers out of the left side we still had a talented player there in Schauer,” Bluem said. “Adam is a force in his own right and has great and unlimited potential. He can play other spots, including defensively, center midfield and even up top.”
A pair of sophomores, Brent Rohrer and Rob Strachan, played in nearly every match last season and are talented contributors.
“Strachan is versatile and is good in the defensive midfield, or at stopper, positioned in the back with game in front of him,” Bluem said. “Rohrer started every game last year in the midfield and although we’ve moved him to the back (defender position) he could still end up in the midfield.”
A trio of freshmen will add depth to the Buckeye midfield this fall and will develop quickly into contributors. Kyle Retzlaff will train on the left side of the midfield behind Withers and Schauer, while David Bauer will see action behind Tamporello on the right side. In the middle, Xavier Balc, the two-time Ohio High School Division I Player of the Year, could make his mark quickly at the collegiate level.
DEFENDERS
The Buckeye defense, which allowed just 1.16 goals per game last season (third in Big Ten), returns a pair of starters but will be Ohio State’s most untested group heading into the fall.
“In the preseason, the question mark may be who is going to step up and win the job as our defenders,” said Bluem. “Which players are going to show that they deserve to be on the field defensively and where are they going to play. That will be the main thing we need to resolve.
“We have added some new defenders and are going to have to make some adjustments and have people play in defensive roles that perhaps were midfielders last year or were forwards in high school when we recruited them but that we think can be defenders.”
Senior Eric Schwebach started 17 matches last season at left back and sophomore Dustin Kirby started all 20, the only freshman to do so, in the middle back.
“Eric Schwebach has basically played left back for four years for us,” Bluem said. “I think and hope very much that he will come in and have a great senior season. Dustin Kirby can play anywhere in the back. He had an outstanding freshman season and there is a very good chance he’ll be our sweeper or one of our central defenders.”
Three more candidates for starting spots in the back line are no strangers to the field. Brent Rohrer started 18 matches in the midfield last year as a freshman, while junior Jim Fisher played in five games and Reid Traeger played in seven games two seasons ago as a freshman.
“Brent Rohrer played in the midfield almost entirely last season but is a great defender,” Bluem said. “On paper we have already moved him into the back line but we know that he can play in the midfield if we need him there. He is perhaps our best player at marking another team’s player. He is disciplined enough to do that and is a tenacious, quick defender. Jim Fisher is a strong defender and we used him quite a bit in the spring, while Reid Traeger was on the team as a freshman and is a very strong, physical and athletic player.”
Freshmen Ben Oliver and Eric Edwards, along with junior college transfer Antonio Garcia, bring impressive credentials to the squad and will challenge for playing time.
GOALKEEPERS
Junior Ray Burse, who posted a 1.27 goals-against average last year in 17 matches, returns as Ohio State’s starting goalkeeper. He collected 52 saves in his first year in front of the net and spent the offseason training with the Columbus Crew. He will be backed up this fall by freshman Casey Latchem.
“Ray Burse is penciled in to be our goalkeeper, but he’ll be seriously challenged by Casey Latchem,” Bluem said. “Ray is getting stronger and more mature and making better decisions. He and Casey will challenge each other and we’ll have two competent goalkeepers.”
SCHEDULE
Three home exhibition matches will prove to be a good start to the season, which then begins the first weekend of September when a pair of Atlantic Coast Conference members visit Columbus for the Ohio State Classic.
“The preseason schedule is very good because they’re good opponents that play different styles, so we’ll get to play against different shapes and systems,” Bluem said. “We’re going to figure out the best way for us to play before we play two teams that will probably be ranked in the Top 10 in the preseason poll in Wake Forest and North Carolina. So those first five games can become very pivotal for us in terms of setting the standard of where this team is going to go and what it is going to accomplish.”
Facing top-ranked opponents will be nothing new for the Buckeyes, who last season faced a pair of teams, Indiana and Maryland, that advanced to the College Cup. Battling for a Big Ten title remains a top priority.
“The Big Ten was the second-rated conference in the nation last year behind the ACC, and we open with two ACC teams so that should set the stage for our own conference,” Bluem said. “The conference is outstanding. Every game can go either direction. Our players will be excited to play the quality of competition that we’re playing again this year. They’ll know that if we’re beating these teams it’s because we’re becoming a good team and we’re playing good soccer. You’re not going to beat the teams on our schedule if you’re not doing that.”
Following the three home exhibition matches and the Ohio State Classic Sept. 3-5, the Buckeyes will travel to two tournaments and close out September with non-conference opponents Bowling Green and Kentucky. Eight matches in October include five Big Ten contests, the first two of which will take place in Columbus. Five of OSU’s final six regular season matches will be on the road, with the lone home tilt being Oct. 24 vs. defending national champion Indiana.
“As our schedule starts to unfold and we see the results, I think it’ll be one that puts us right at the top in terms of strength of schedule,” Bluem said. “So by winning a fair number of games and finishing the season with a winning record we’ll have a realistic chance of making the NCAA tournament because of our strength of schedule.”
