WEST CHESTER, Pa. – Last season was a disappointment to say the least for West Chester University’s men’s soccer program. Four wins overall and only one in conference play was uncharacteristic for a school that recently put together a string of seven consecutive playoff appearances.
This fall, head coach Kendall Walkes enters his 22nd season on the Golden Rams’ sideline optimistic that change is in the air. West Chester (4-9-2, 1-5-2 PSAC East) was picked to finish seventh in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference preseason poll. The league has gone back to its one-division format with everybody vying for one of four playoff spots. That suits Walkes just fine.
One area of improvement this year must be at the striker position. The Golden Rams scored just one goal in their first five games last season. Goal production must dramatically change, if West Chester is to make a playoff push in 2010. The other area has to be more consistency in goal. The bright side for the Rams is that both areas of concern feature seniors with a great deal of experience leading the way. Senior leadership in those critical spots would give West Chester a big boost.
The PSAC is one of the toughest conferences in Divison II. Millersville spent a few weeks ranked No. 1 in the nation last year while East Stroudsburg is perennially a contender for the title. With the league moving to a single-division format, California (Pa.), Slippery Rock and Mercyhurst now enter the fold. Reaching the postseason in 2010 will be no easy task for Walkes and his charges.
“I don’t know what to expect,” Walkes said. “Filling the hole left by the departure of (Zach) Weaver is big. I’ve always had a center back-in-waiting. I don’t have that this year. But, we have a lot of players who all played for some quality club teams.”
GOALKEEPER
Senior Peter Weiss headlines a trio of keepers who all return from last year’s squad. Weiss made eight starts a year ago in 12 overall appearances. He authored a 1.84 goals-against average. However, his save percentage was .667. Weiss needs to improve that statistic, if he is to ward off the challengers for playing time. He is the incumbent in goal, but will certainly be pushed by a pair of sophomores, who each can play.
Garrett Bleiler appeared in 10 games and made seven starts, posting a 0.77 GAA. His save percentage was an .861 and the first-year keeper led West Chester to a 3-2-1 record while in goal. Bleiler missed some time with a hand injury last year that probably affected his playing time upon his return to the lineup. He should definitely state his case for playing time this fall. Bleiler received a great deal of experience and confidence with a solid freshman season performance.
“Bleiler is pushing for playing time,” Walkes warned. “He has a lot of quickness and good hands.”
Kevin Marron saw action in three games, playing 79 minutes on the season. He has good size for a keeper and has improved steadily since last fall.
“He has the longest punt and all the physical attributes,” Walkes explained. “He’s also the tallest of the keepers.”
DEFENSE
The biggest void to fill on the field will be replacing sweeper Zach Weaver, an all-leaguer in the back who provided the glue that held the team together. He led the squad with six goals scored and tied for the team lead in points with 13, despite playing defense. Walkes recognizes that he cannot replace someone like Weaver overnight. However, the suspects assembled in the back should provide a formidable wall for opposing teams.
A pair of sophomores will battle it out for the open spot at sweeper. Andrew Solimeo and Taylor Eisenhauer are the returners back there for Walkes. Eisenhauer saw considerable playing time, appearing in 13 games and making three starts while Solimeo got into nine games and made two starts. Both will contribute much more in the 2010 campaign.
Dan Roberts didn’t participate in the preseason. However, he is expected to make a significant contribution. He will contend for one of the outside back positions.
However, JUCO transfer Ryan Nelson from Montgomery Community College brings a great deal of experience and leadership with him to the Golden Rams’ defense. He will settle in somewhere along that back line.
Sophomore Brett Snyder is another returner, who saw limited playing time his freshman year due to lingering injuries. His role should increase greatly this fall. Walkes expects Snyder to be challenging for a starting spot as well.
“We recruited an entire defense from the same club team a year ago,” Walkes described. “Hopefully, that will create one cohesive group over the next few years. No question that the defense will be young.”
Freshman Tyler Dautrich brings an awful lot of talent to the college level. He will have every opportunity to earn his way onto the field. Walkes is counting on his development to add depth to the defense.
MIDFIELD
This is where the biggest area of development must take place. Walkes needs to establish a midfield unit that can control the tempo of the game and set up the strikers. West Chester’s transition game was a weakness a year ago and part of the offensive struggles as well. Walkes needs to identify who can play right away and distribute the ball up front.
“The real leadership on this team must come from the midfield and attack,” Walkes declared.
Peter Mais and Neil Gallagher are part of West Chester’s recruiting class from a year ago that was highly touted entering college. They will each play a significant role in the midfield this season, but need to improve their game. Gallagher appeared in all 15 games and ranked third on the team in goals scored with three. That production needs to improve. Mais appeared in 13 games and was a mainstay in the lineup all year long. Both Mais and Gallagher should fight for the center midfield position.
Ryan Dicci, Jake Maxwell and Drew Innerst are all second-year players, along with Mais and Gallagher, who have high expectations to fulfill. All three are candidates for an outside mid spot. Dicci made 13 appearances and scored one goal and assisted on two others. Walkes expects those numbers to improve.
Josh Labik and Steven Rizzo are expected to contribute to the offense from their midfield position. Labik scored twice and assisted on another goal his first year. He is a candidate for the attacking center midfield slot in Walkes’ formation. Rizzo could also find himself playing back on defense. Walkes likes his versatility in the lineup.
Freshmen Nic Sakiewicz, Kevin McCann, Jim McGonagle and Conor Malarney should all have an opportunity to earn playing time. This recruiting class is characterized by speed. Walkes believes that this group will add a great deal of speed on the outside, which in turn, will help the transition game and the offense.
Walkes feels his outside midfielders need to step up to the demands he will put on those players. With a great deal of speed on the outside, Walkes will be substituting freely to keep those flanks fresh. West Chester needs to develop some depth on the outside to be able to run subs in and out without suffering a lapse.
FORWARD
Seniors Zac Tassone and Ricky Williamson highlight the striker position. Both have provided the offensive punch for the Golden Rams in each of the past three years. Williamson was an All-ECAC performer a year ago, tying for the team lead with 13 points. Tassone is back as the team captain this fall. He is coming off a year where he scored just one goal. Walkes expects that number to increase dramatically.
With the experience and talent of those two up front, West Chester University needs to find a way to get the ball up to them and let those two create. A pair of freshmen will compete for playing time as well. Tyler Fettrow and Cale Ramhorst are both talented players with a tremendous amount of ability. Junior Kyle Miller joins the Golden Rams’ soccer program after spending his first two years with the track & field team.
“Ramhorst seems to have a knack for scoring goals,” Walkes said. “He just walked on and asked for a tryout. But, he has worked very, very hard.”
Sakiewicz, Labik and Malarney all could move up from their midfield position to help out at striker. They give Walkes some options to play with in making his lineup each night. The younger players have the opportunity to learn from a pair of seasoned veterans in Tassone and Williamson. That is where West Chester can benefit the most.
OVERVIEW
The PSAC is stacked with a lot of talent. West Chester enters a very young team into the fray in 2010. How the young players react will be the tell-tale sign of the Golden Rams’ campaign. West Chester was picked seventh overall in the preseason coaches poll. Cal, Slippery Rock, Mercyhurst out West are thrown in with Eastern perennial powers East Stroudsburg and Millersville. Things should be very interesting in the league this fall.
West Chester has some question to answer in the midfield. However, the team should showcase much more speed and athleticism. If the youngsters from the last two recruiting classes pan out, West Chester will surprise a number of people. It will also need more consistency out of its goalkeeper.
“I like the fact that we now have some speed on the outside,” Walkes deduced. “We lacked that a year ago. Our preseason has been designed differently. We are inter-squading a lot more to determine playing time. We want to establish the starting team and then identify the other’s roles and have them fill in.”
Fans will get their first look at the Golden Rams this weekend in the team’s WCU Tournament Saturday and Sunday. West Chester takes on Goldey-Beacom on Saturday at 5:30 p.m.
