2006 Men’s Soccer Season Outlook – Ohio State Buckeyes
7/19/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
July 19, 2006
The most successful era in Ohio State men’s soccer hopes to add another chapter in 2006. 10th-year head coach John Bluem and 17 returning letterwinners have been to the NCAA tournament four of the last six seasons, but a trip back to the postseason in 2006 would be the Buckeyes’ third in a row, which would mark a first for the program. Eight starters and five of the team’s top six scorers are back for that quest.
And speaking firsts, the Big Ten championship returns to OSU’s Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium in November for the first time since 2000 when the Buckeyes hosted and won the conference title for the first time in program history.
Ohio State went 11-8-2 overall last season and 3-2-1 in the Big Ten. A 5-1 start to the season included a win over UCLA and saw the Buckeyes climb as high as No. 11 in the national polls. A 4-0-1 streak late in the year, which included a historic tie at Indiana and a win over host Northwestern in the Big Ten tournament, helped catapult Ohio State into the NCAA tournament.
“What we’re trying to achieve here is consistency,” Bluem, the all-time wins leader in OSU history, said. “We want to be in the NCAA tournament every year. Four of the last six is a good start. Three in a row would be a first for Ohio State. It’s a lofty goal and it’s not going to be easy. Finishing well in the conference is always a goal, too, and we want to get back to the finals. That’s what we should be all about. We want to be playing our best soccer at the end of the season.”
MLS TAKES TWO BUCKEYES
Four seniors departed from last year’s team, two of which were selected in the third-round of the MLS draft last January. Goalkeeper Ray Burse was a three-year starter for the Buckeyes and went to Dallas as the first keeper picked in the draft, while defender Kyle Veris, a two-time first-team All-Big Ten pick was selected by Los Angeles.
Burse owned a 1.11 goals-against average in his career and totaled 13 shutouts, while Veris was the tall, physical standout in the OSU back line that led one of the Big Ten’s best defenses. In addition, senior forward Kevin Nugent, who scored four game-winning goals last year, departed and is on the practice squad of the Columbus Crew. Midfielder Reid Traeger also ended his eligibility after providing a spark in the midfield last season.
“We lost four players who all were instrumental in our success the last two years, and two of them are now on MLS rosters in Ray Burse and Kyle Veris,” Bluem said. “We need people to step up now. We might have more good players this season, but not as many special players. Special players impact the game on a regular basis. They are dangerous players and are the better players on the field every game. We need our good players to step up and become special players.”
TALENT RETURNS ACROSS THE FIELD
Nine players who started at least eight games are back for Ohio State, including five of the team’s Top 6 scorers from last year. Nugent led OSU in scoring with 20 points (8 goals, 4 assists) a year ago, but forward Xavier Balc, now a junior, was close behind with 18 (5 goals, 8 assists). Last year as a freshman, midfielder Danny Irizarry ranked third on the team in scoring with eight points (2 goals, 4 assists), followed by classmate Geoff Marsh (6 points, 2 goals, 2 assists) and juniors Eric Brunner (5 points, 2 goals, 1 assist) and Ryan Kustos (5 points, 1 goal, 3 assists).
Balc was a third-team all-region pick in 2005 and was responsible for the Buckeyes’ last eight goals of the season, either by scoring, assisting, or forcing an own goal. Irizarry was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team.
In the back, three starters return, including seniors Jim Fisher and Dustin Kirby and Brunner. Kirby, a second-team All-Big Ten pick last year, is in his fourth year as a starter, while Fisher is in his third and Brunner is in his second at Ohio State after playing his freshman year at Maryland.
In the midfield, returning starters include Irizarry and four-year starters Taylor Korpieski and Brent Rohrer, who was a second-team All-Big Ten pick in 2005. Combined, senior Rob Strachan and Marsh comprise the fourth starter, as the two combined for 18 starts last year.
Like Burse in goal and Veris in defense, replacing Nugent up top will not be easy. Balc and Kustos will aim to become Ohio State’s pair of strikers who will do much of the goal scoring.
GOALKEEPERS
Gone is Burse, but his understudy for the last two years, junior Casey Latchem, is poised to take over the starting job. A pair of newcomers will vie for the back-up job in redshirt sophomore transfer Byron Neal and freshman Corey March.
“Casey Latchem is our starter and we’re hopeful he’ll be as good as some of our good goalkeepers we have had in the past like Ray Burse, Kerry Thompson and Jon Lowery,” Bluem said. “For the last two years he has been as good as a starter but has been mainly sitting on the bench. Casey has had the opportunity to be a starter at different times and has proven capable and now will play on a regular basis. Now it’s his team and we hope he responds.”
DEFENDERS
Three of four starters are back, while talented backup Tim Gabel, now a sophomore, is penciled in to move into the fourth starting position this season. With Kirby, Brunner and Fisher all seasoned veterans, the OSU defense could once again be the strength of the team.
“Dustin, in my mind, is the leader of our defense,” Bluem said. “He is steady and has great positioning, which probably helps us the most. Jimmy is very solid at right back and last year gave us good stability there, which we expect him to do again this season. Eric is very versatile. He played left back most of last season but also played centrally and formed a good partnership with Dustin there, but he is very valuable at left back because he attacks so well.”
Battling with Gabel for the fourth starting spot are two sophomores, Patrick Roan and Scott Marguglio, and four incoming freshmen, including Doug Verhoff, Kyle West, Dele Adedapo and Adam Tenhundfeld.
MIDFIELDERS
Again this season, the Buckeyes have talent, depth and versatility in their midfield. The offensive creativity of Korpieski and Irizarry, the pace on the flank of Strachan and Marsh and the defending of Rohrer give Bluem a starting core that will play most of the minutes. That group will have no shortage for quality assistance, though. Nine players on the roster are listed as midfielders and several others have played there and could again this season.
“Brent has been the anchor of our midfield for a couple years now,” Bluem said. “Brent is a great ball winner and we’ll work with him to understand the defensive midfield position because he’s a great holding player and can protect the back four, then play the ball safely out of the back. Taylor is one of our most creative players in the attack and is a very good passer. Rob is our utility player who we trust very much and is solid and disciplined. Danny brings a lot of grit and determination and we count on his tough, physical play. Geoff is very quick, has a tremendous work rate and is an ideal flank player.”
In addition, senior Antonio Garcia played in all 21 games last year and again will be one of the first players off the bench if he is not in the starting lineup already. Junior Kyle Retzlaff and junior transfer Steven Traeger will contribute centrally or on the flank, and freshman Ben Frasher will work into the mix, as well.
FORWARDS
Taking over for 2004 All-American Justin Cook, Nugent led the Buckeyes in scoring last year, and it could be Balc’s turn to be the Buckeyes’ primary goal-scorer in 2006. Unlike Cook and Nugent, however, Balc is actually more of an attacking midfielder by nature, as is OSU’s other forward, Ryan Kustos.
“Xavier is a talent and we expect great things from him again,” Bluem said. “If he has a great season, both scoring goals and giving others goal opportunities, we will go a long way. Ryan has played an important role in our midfield in the past.”
Junior Eric Edwards, who scored a goal against the Columbus Crew last April in an exhibition match, also will contribute up top, as will incoming freshmen Andrew Magill and Luke Purpero.
THE SCHEDULE
For the first time since 2000 when the Buckeyes hosted and won the Big Ten championship, the 2006 league title will be decided in Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium in November. The Ohio State Classic Aug. 25-27 and a Saturday night home game Oct. 14 against seven-time national champion Indiana highlight the regular-season schedule.
“Hosting the Big Ten championship is always exciting,” Bluem said. “It’s definitely an advantage to host it and be able to play at home. We won it in 2000 and are very comfortable playing at home. And if we don’t win the automatic bid into the NCAA tournament, our schedule is designed to be strong enough to get us an at-large bid if we do well during the season.”
The Buckeyes went on a 10-day tour in Germany in June that included three exhibition matches and the chance to attend three World Cup matches.
“It was a tremendous thing for our returning players,” Bluem said. “It was a chance for us to play a few more games and bond and share some experiences. There will be enough time in between the trip and the start of preseason camp that there might not be much carry over as far as fitness goes, but it’s a reward for a job well done. It was a great trip and hopefully we transfer that good feeling into the fall.”
Ohio State will play two exhibition games before facing an 18-game regular-season schedule that includes seven teams that were NCAA tournament participants last season.
