No. 25 Ohio State to Face Phoenix in Green Bay Saturday – Ohio State Buckeyes
9/28/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Buckeyes (5-2-2) wrap up road stretch; Ohio State ranks 20th in the nation in scoring offense
SETTING THE SCENE
COLUMBUS, Ohio In the second of two road matches this week, the 25th-ranked Ohio State men’s soccer team takes on Wisconsin-Green Bay at 8 p.m. EST Saturday in Aldo Santaga Stadium. The Buckeyes (5-2-2) are ranked No. 4 in the NSCAA Great Lakes Region, while the Phoenix (5-2-2) is ranked No. 10.
After playing to a 1-1 tie at Akron Wednesday, the trip to Green Bay this weekend marks Ohio State’s seventh road game in its last eight outings. That trend will end next week when the Buckeyes begin a three-game homestand.
Ohio State is 2-2-0 all-time against Wisconsin-Green Bay, but only one of those meetings has been away from Columbus. That was a 6-0 Phoenix win at Santaga Stadium in 1995.
Wisconsin-Green Bay, which beat Ohio State at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium last year, 2-1, returns eight starters, but the Buckeyes’ first task must be to stop newcomer JC Banks. The freshman has a team-high four goals already this season.
Ohio State’s three-game home stretch beginning at 7.30 p.m. Wednesday against Cal State Bakersfield.
BUCKEYES IN THE POLLS
The Buckeyes are ranked as high as No. 25 in the nation this week (Soccer Times). Among the other three national polls, Ohio State is ranked No. 30 by College Soccer News. The Buckeyes are No. 26 in the NSCAA Top 25 and do not appear in the Soccer America Top 25. Ohio State is ranked fourth in the NSCAA Great Lakes Region behind Notre Dame, Northwestern and Michigan. Akron is No. 7.
BUCKEYES GETTING OFFENSIVE
Ohio State ranks third in the Big Ten and 20th nationally in goals scored per game with 2.0 (18 goals in nine games). The Buckeyes lead the Big Ten in assists (22) and rank second in corner kicks (57) and shots per game (16.78).
OHIO STATE AT A GLANCE
Ohio State has out-shot eight of nine opponents this season and leads that category overall 151-91 (16.8-10.1 per game). The Buckeyes’ shots on goal advantage is 60-33 and the corner kick lead is 57-33.
Eleven different Buckeyes have already scored a goal and four players have two goals, including senior Xavier Balc (also has six assists), sophomore Andrew Magill (two assists), senior Eric Brunner (both game-winners) and senior Ryan Kustos. Junior Geoff Marsh has four assists.
Senior goalkeeper Casey Latchem owns a 1.22 goals-against average and four shutouts in eight outings this season and has collected 20 saves.
The Buckeyes finished 11-7-3 overall last season and owned a final RPI of No. 28, but were surprisingly not selected for the NCAA tournament. Ohio State dropped a 1-0 decision to Indiana in the Big Ten championship game and was ranked No. 5 in the NSCAA Great Lakes Region. The Buckeyes went 8-2-1 in their last 11 games of the 2006 season, with their only two losses coming to Indiana.
The Buckeyes outscored their opponents 26-17 in 2006 and led the opposition in shots (351-242), shots on goal (128-93) and corner kicks (97-80).
Last season, Balc led the Big Ten in points (23), assists (9) and shots (75). His seven goals tied for the league-lead. Goalkeeper Casey Latchem led the Big Ten with 10 shutouts last year and posted a 0.79 goals-against average, which was the second-best season in Ohio State history.
SCOUTING THE PHOENIX
Taking a five-match unbeaten streak into the match against Ohio State Saturday, Wisconsin-Green Bay (5-2-2, 1-0-0 Horizon League) is 3-0-1 at home this season. Eight starters are back for the Phoenix from its 2006 team that went 14-6-0. Wisconsin-Green Bay is led by freshman JC Banks, who recently scored his third goal in the last two games and his first-career game-winning goal in the shutout win over Valparaiso. The Phoenix has not allowed a goal in its last three games, a stretch that began with a 0-0 tie at home against Wisconsin Sept. 20.
BUCKEYES-PHOENIX CONNECTIONS
Ohio State senior midfielder Kyle Retzlaff is from Brookfield, Wis., a suburb of Milwaukee, and was a teammate of Wisconsin-Green Bay freshman forward Scott Raymonds at East High School. Retzlaff is the only current Buckeye from Wisconsin and knows most of the 13 Phoenix who are from Wisconsin, including 10 from the greater Milwaukee area.
Ohio State sophomore forward Andrew Magill and UW-GB Mike McCormack are both from Downers Grove, Ill. Magill went to North H.S., while McCormack went to South.
ESQUE VOUS PARLEZ FRANCAIS?
Ohio State freshman forward Nowa Thiam lived in Paris for several years and speaks in French with family and some friends. Saturday night, however, he could speak in French with Wisconsin-Green Bay sophomore forward Francois Basty, who is from Beauzelle, France.
NOTING THE ALL-TIME SERIES
Ohio State is 2-2-0 all-time against Wisconsin-Green Bay. The Buckeyes hold a 2-1-0 record against the Phoenix in Columbus and have played only once in Green Bay, falling 6-0 in 1995 at Santaga Stadium. Last year, despite out-shooting the Phoenix 23-8, Wisconsin-Green Bay handed Ohio State its first home loss of the 2006 season, 2-1.
ERIC BRUNNER – HERMANN AND LOWE’S CLASS UPDATE
Senior defender Eric Brunner is on the watch list for two national awards. He was named to the Missouri Athletic Club’s Hermann Trophy preseason watch list Aug. 8 and was named a candidate for the Lowe’s CLASS Award Sept. 24.
Brunner earned a spot on the Top Drawer Soccer National Team of the Week Sept. 10 after being named the MVP of the Penn State Nike Classic Sept. 9. He owns two goals this season, both of which were game-winners (9/9 vs. William and Mary and 9/16 vs. Cal State Fullerton).
Brunner was named the Big Ten defensive player of the week Sept. 3 as the Buckeyes posted two shutouts and won the title of the Ohio State Wolstein Classic (beat No. 13 West Virginia, tied Syracuse).
A 6-foot, 4-inch central defender, Brunner was a 2006 first-team All-Big Ten selection and is the first Buckeye to appear on a watch list for the trophy given annually to the player of the year in NCAA Div. I soccer. He was named a preseason third-team All-American by College Soccer News.
BUCKEYES IN THE BIG TEN STATS
Ohio State leads the Big Ten in assists (22, 2.44 per game) and ranks second in points (58, 6.44 per game) and shots (151, 16.78 per game). The Buckeyes rank third in goals (17, 2.12 per game). Individually, Xavier Balc leads the Big Ten in assists (6, .77 per game) and ranks third in shots (29, 3.22 per game).
BIG TEN OFF TO FAST START
As of Sept. 27, the Big Ten is a combined 37-11-10 (.724). In national polls, Northwestern is currently No. 3, Michigan is No. 10, Indiana is No. 19 and Ohio State is No. 25. In addition, unranked Michigan State is 5-0-2 and Wisconsin was 5-2-2.
BALC’S FOUR ASSISTS SET RECORD
Senior forward Xavier Balc notched an Ohio State-record four assists Sept. 16 in the Buckeyes’ 6-1 win over Cal State Fullerton at the UCLA Soccer Classic. The previous record of three assists in one game was set by John Tomaino against Wisconsin in 1999. Balc already owns the Ohio State career assists record with 27 and ranks fourth all-time in points with 61 (17 goals).
Balc was named to the Top Drawer Soccer national team of the week Sept. 17. He is tied for fourth among the national assists leaders.
ANOTHER TOUGH SCHEDULE
Ohio State’s 5-2-2 record to begin the season has come against quality opponents that are a combined 36-21-10 (.612). The wins include over then-13th-ranked West Virginia (now No. 8, 5-2-0, won at Maryland and Duke) then-No. 25 Old Dominion (now 2-4-1), William and Mary (now 2-3-2, tied North Carolina and Virginia Tech) and Cal State Fullerton (now 3-3-0). The Buckeyes have lost at now-17th ranked UCLA, tied Syracuse (now 4-1-3), lost to now-No. 3 Northwestern (6-0-1) and drew a 1-1 tie at Akron (now 5-2-1).
Although results from exhibition matches do not factor into a team’s record, note that Ohio State played to a 2-2 tie at now-No. 13 Creighton and beat then-No. 25 Rutgers, 1-0. Creighton owns a win over Indiana and a tie with UCLA this season.
IN THE RECORD BOOK
Senior Xavier Balc is Ohio State’s all-time leader in career assists (27) and shots (203). He is tied for eighth all-time in goals (17) and ranks fourth in points (61). In 2006, Balc set an OSU record for shots in a season with 75 and his nine assists were one shy of the single-season record.
Goalkeeper Casey Latchem collected 10 shutouts in 2006, which were one shy of the single-season record. His 16 career shutouts rank third all-time (Dave Scheer ranks second with 19).
BLUEM IN 11TH SEASON AT OSU
Eleventh-year head coach John Bluem has guided the Buckeyes to two Big Ten titles this decade and all four of the program’s NCAA tournament appearances (2000, 2001, 2004, 2005). His 2004 squad topped No. 11 Memphis and No. 9 Notre Dame in the postseason to advance to the Sweet 16.’ Bluem owns a record of 106-79-25 (.564) at Ohio State. His win total and win percentage are school records. Overall, his career record stands at 192-106-36 (.630), which includes six seasons at Fresno State.
OSU 3RD IN PRESEASON POLL
The Big Ten preseason coaches’ poll was released Aug. 17 and the Buckeyes checked in at No. 3 below Indiana and Northwestern. It marked the fifth-consecutive season the Hoosiers were picked to win the league after winning their 11th conference title last year with a 1-0 win over Ohio State in the Big Ten championship game.
AWARD WINNERS RETURN
Ohio State had three first-team All-Big Ten selections in 2006 and two are back this season. Defender Eric Brunner, who is on the MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List, and Xavier Balc, who is already the school’s all-time assists leader, return in 2007.
Senior goalkeeper Casey Latchem and junior midfielder Geoff Marsh were both selected to the Big Ten All-Tournament team last year. Two current Buckeyes were named to the Big Ten All-Freshmen Team in their careers – Balc and junior Danny Irizarry.
OSU WINNING AT .676 RATE IN JOMS
Ohio State won eight games (8-3-1) in Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium in 2006, the most in a single season since the facility opened in 1999. Overall, the Buckeyes are 46-20-11 (.677) in the Jesse. OSU’s best winning percentage at JOMS was in 2002 with a 7-1-1 record (.833) and facility-best six-game winning streak. The Buckeyes set two stadium attendance records in 2006, one for a men’s and women’s soccer doubleheader (2,307 vs. Louisville Oct. 11) and the other for a single-session men’s soccer game (1,363 vs. Indiana Oct. 14).
BALC, BRUNNER PLAY FOR PDL TITLE
Ohio State teammates Eric Brunner and Xavier Balc were teammates this past summer for the Michigan Bucks in the Premier Development League and helped lead their team to the PDL championship game in Laredo, Texas, Aug. 11.
BUCKEYES IN THE MLS
Seven Buckeyes have been Major League Soccer draft picks since 2003. Last January in the supplemental draft, defender Dustin Kirby was selected by Real Salt Lake. In the 2006 SuperDraft third round, defender Kyle Veris was taken at No. 25 overall by the L.A. Galaxy and goalkeeper Ray Burse Jr. was selected at No. 30 by F.C. Dallas and was the first goalkeeper picked.
In the 2003 draft, forward Andy Rosenband and defender Jake Traeger (brother of current Buckeye Steven Traeger) were taken in the seventh round, while in 2005 forward Justin Cook and midfielder Sammy Tamporello were taken in the supplemental draft.
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Contact: Tim Stried, stried.3@osu.edu
