1998 Men's Soccer Outlook
6/21/1999 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Aug. 19, 1998
The 1998 season is one rich with possibilities for the Wake Forest men's soccer team. Although several questions about his '98 squad have yet to be answered, Head Coach Jay Vidovich is optimistic that the Demon Deacons have all the necessary pieces to put together a winning season and contend for postseason play. What remains to be seen, however, is exactly how those pieces will fit together when the Deacs hit the field this fall.
Wake is coming off a somewhat puzzling season which saw the Deacs finish at 10-10 overall after a rollercoaster year. The team was both brilliant and lackluster, turning in stellar performances against some of the nation's top teams but also suffering some head-scratching losses to unranked foes. The Deacs were anchored by a defense which was consistently solid, but ultimately struggled to find a go-to player to score goals when they needed them.
Wake returns a solid core of players from that '97 squad, and several talented newcomers are expected to make an immediate impact. In addition, two talented veterans return to the lineup after a year's absence, either of whom could be key contributors.
"Our whole team is prepared to step up this fall," says Vidovich. "The spring was a great developmental period for us. Several players made great strides and the team as a whole really matured. That, coupled with the new players coming in, will give us better team speed, more strength, and more experience. We'll just be a better soccer team.
"Our strength should be our defense, because we've got our core players back there. Our weakness is that we just don't know who's going to score the goals. Then again, France was able to win a World Cup that way. We have a bunch of players who are capable of scoring goals, so maybe we don't need any one player to be the goal-scorer."
Two major questions face the Deacs in the preseason. The first regards the rookie class and how quickly they will adapt to the collegiate game. Vidovich hopes several newcomers will contribute immediately, but the challenge of adjusting to the level of play in the ACC could take time. The second question remains from last year: whether or not midfielder Serge Daniv will return. A first-team All-ACC and third-team All-America pick in 1996, Daniv suffered through three knee surgeries and a painfully slow recovery which have kept him off the field for a year and a half. While Daniv's status for '98 remains questionable, he could have an immeasurable impact on the team should he return in form.
GOAL
Nowhere are the Deacons more confident than in goal, where talented junior Sean Conner returns to mind the cage. In his first season as a starter last fall, Conner quickly established himself as one of the top keepers in the region, posting seven solo shutouts and an .805 save percentage. Small in stature but big in game, Conner makes great decisions and plays well off his line. A former field player, he has the ability to prevent problems, rather than cure them.
Backing up Conner in net will be sophomore Todd Zolcinski and junior Patrick O'Keefe, both of whom have worked hard to improve in the offseason.
DEFENSE
The Deacon backfield will be anchored by junior defender Chad Evans, one of the nation's top marking backs. A relentless defender with the ability to shut down some of the nation's top strikers, Evans earned second-team All-ACC and third-team All-South honors last fall. He will be joined by junior David Kaweesi-Mukooza, a strong, physical player who moves to marking back after starting at midfield last year. DK's game has grown by leaps and bounds in the offseason, and Vidovich feels he's capable of joining Evans as one of the nation's best man markers.
Returning at sweeper is sophomore Brock Hilpert, who exhibited composure and experience beyond his years as a rookie. A smart player with great distribution skills, Hilpert reads the game quickly and anticipates problems before they arise. Sophomore Jeff Burkett could start as a fourth back, working the left side of the field and attacking from the defensive end. Burkett, who played in 17 games last fall, has good game sense and a great passing range.
Junior Trent Lind also returns to the team after a yea's absence and could fight for a spot in the defensive lineup. Lind was the Deacs' top goal-scorer as a freshman, then moved to marking back as a sophomore before taking 1997 off. Lind is a gifted athlete with good size, and Vidovich hopes to find a spot for him somewhere in the lineup. Others who could challenge for time include senior Skip Jenkins, junior Victor Litovka, and freshman Saul Wolf.
MIDFIELD
Senior co-captain Kyle Bachmeier returns to anchor the midfield and direct the Deacon counterattack. An exceptional ball distributor who led the team in assists last season, Bachmeier further elevated his game in the adidas summer league and is primed to make his final season as a Deacon his best yet.
The other three midfield spots remain somewhat up for grabs. One will hopefully go to Daniv, who will be a tremendous asset to the team if and when he returns from his knee injury. Two rookies, Chris Lonteen and Jamal Seale, also have good shots at securing starting spots in the midfield. Lonteen is a versatile player with great athleticism who could play wide, while Seale is a skilled one-on-one player who raised some eyebrows in the USISL's developmental league this summer. Lind might also find a spot in the midfield if he doesn't play defense, or Kaweesi-Mukooza could return to right flank if Lind settles in at marking back. Others who will fight for time in the midfield include senior Andrew Laskowski, junior Burr Williams, and sophomore Peter Walsh.
FORWARDS
The Deacons hope that sophomore transfer Greg Krauss will provide immediate scoring punch up front. An outstanding youth player, Krauss played two years of collegiate football at Ohio University as a placekicker before transferring to WFU this year. Although he has yet to play collegiate soccer, Krauss has continued to play at the club level over the past two years, leading his team to a national title in 1997 and earning a spot in the Olympic Team Pool.
The other starting striker spot should go to either sophomore Ben Stafford or classmate Jaron Barbee, both of whom made significant contributions last fall. Stafford started 11 games in '97 and tallied five goals and four assists. Barbee served mainly as a reserve but made the most of his playing time, netting three crucial game-winning goals over ranked opponents.
SCHEDULE
As usual, the Deacs face a challenging schedule featuring some of the nation's top teams. While the ACC may be the nation's toughest conference from top to bottom, Wake also faces a tough nonconference slate, including UNC Charlotte, Washington, Portland, San Francisco, and Charleston Southern.
"I think this team is capable of stepping up to the challenge," says Vidovich. "If all the pieces come together as I hope they will, we will be a team that can definitely challenge for postseason play."