Looking at the Binghamton University men’s soccer team’s roster this year, even head coach Paul Marco had to admit that not only is the team young in class, but young in experience as well. Only senior and second-year captain Ryan Walter, along with one other player, have multiple years of collegiate-level experience going into this season.
Along with a healthy combination of returnee leadership and team bonding, however, the Bearcats were able to translate their success both in the preseason and off the field into their first win of the regular season last week at Bucknell University. With goals and assists from junior forwards Jake Keegan and Adam Whitehead, Marco is very optimistic about their upcoming schedule.
“The returning guys have done a great job leading, and the young guys have done a great job following,” Marco said. “I think that we have been moving in the right direction and pretty much every day we have taken another step forward.”
Next up, the Bearcats (1-0-0) will head to Morgantown, Va. for the West Virginia University Nike Classic, an event in which Binghamton has not fared well in the past two of three seasons. First up on the Bearcats’ schedule is Marco’s alma mater and tournament host, West Virginia. The No. 10 team in the country, the Mountaineers (1-1-0) have long been a power in the Big East and will aim to record their second win of the season against Binghamton.
Up to this point, WVU has played only nationally ranked teams, beating then-No. 11 University of Virginia 1-0, and losing to No. 4 University of Maryland 3-1. In the win against Virginia, junior defender Eric Schoenle not only helped WVU keep Virginia to three shots (none of which were on goal) but also headed in the game-winning goal with only 23 seconds remaining in the first half with the help of a corner assist from junior Shadow Sebele, earning Schoenle Big East Defensive Player of the Week honors.
This season, the Mountaineers were picked to finish third in Blue Division of the Big East Preseason Poll after finishing 2010 with a loss to eventual national champion Akron in the second round of the NCAA tournament. The team returns nine notable starters for the 2011 season, including senior forward Franck Tayou, whose nine goals last season (including a team-best five game-winners) led the Mountaineers. Returning to the helm of West Virginia is sixth-year coach Marlon LeBlanc, who has successfully led the Mountaineers to three NCAA tournaments and a top-25 ranking in each of the last five seasons.
“I’m looking forward to going back; and the excitement for Friday night’s game will be at a high, but I think our guys will respond quite well to the challenge,” Marco said. “I like our opportunities [against West Virginia].”
Following WVU tonight, the Bearcats will battle the Atlantic Soccer Conference’s Houston Baptist University on Sunday afternoon. Coming off a successful conference season in 2010, the Huskies (0-1-0) won their regular season battle but were unable to win the conference tournament, losing to the Adelphi University Panthers in the Conference Championship.
Last Saturday, HBU suffered a 5-2 loss to Air Force, in which senior Richard Ojeda and freshman Zack Pierce each recorded a goal. This season, the Huskies return many team leaders, including sophomore forward Kristopher Tyrpak, whose nine goals last season led the Huskies. Coming back for his sixth season of coaching is Steve Jones, who has led the team in its recent transition to the Division I level.
“These are both very athletic teams,” Marco said. “They have a couple of areas that we have been discussing that I think that we can try and get after and we’ve got a couple of players on our team who will give them some problems and challenges that hopefully, they will not be able to solve.”
Following the tournament, Marco set some goals for his team in this new regular season.
“To allow ourselves to play without fear, to allow ourselves to become competitively superior in sessions and to have such tremendous spirit within the team that the outcomes will take care of themselves,” he said. “I really believe that if you take care of all of the little things, and you prepare yourselves well, and you’re fit, that you’ll give yourselves an opportunity for victory. I think we have put ourselves in the position where games will be exciting.”
Binghamton will begin its weekend with a 7:30 p.m. start against West Virginia tonight followed by a noon kickoff against Houston Baptist on Sunday.