Wake Forest Athletics
Gold Rush: Learning to Fly
9/1/2002 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Sept. 1, 2002
By Jay Reddick
Jay Vidovich piloted Wake Forest's men's soccer team to a No. 6 national ranking at one point last season. But that may just be a taste of things to come.
Vidovich is cautiously excited about the team he has coming back for 2002 and with good reason: He returns eight starters from the 13-6-2 squad and adds five newcomers who figure to make an impact on the field.
"We're ambitious. We're not crazy," Vidovich said. "We think we're close to being a good team, but we have to be healthy."
Nagging injuries hindered the team's preseason preparation somewhat, but the team hopes to be full strength when the season opens Aug. 31.
"Everybody on the team likes the team," Vidovich said. "In other words, we like the way we're playing, we like our personnel, we like being around each other. There's something about them - they're working very hard, and they've set some lofty goals. Whether we can attain them or not, who knows?"
The key to keeping those goals within reach starts with the team's front line. Jeremiah White returns for his junior season after leading the ACC in scoring with 15 goals and seven assists, becoming the first sophomore All-American in school history. His running mate on the attack, Scott Sealy, could be the second - he had nine goals as a newcomer in 2001 and has improved since then, according to Vidovich.
"It took us three or four games to start scoring goals last year," Vidovich said. "It's much harder to create a thing of beauty than a destructive force. But Sealy and Jerry White are a handful for anybody, and we'll be strong on the attack."
Of course, the Deacons have more weapons than that. A pair of freshmen, Justin Moose and Ryan Alexander, figure to see time right away. Both are rated among the top 25 freshmen nationally by Soccer America. Moose, who is from Statesville, had the advantage of entering school in January and going through spring drills, which has allowed him more time to find his consistency. Alexander, Vidovich said, is still going through that process.
"Moose had an up-and-down spring, but he'll create a lot of goals for us," Vidovich said. "It was a great experience for him and for the team. You'll hear a lot about him because he's a very dynamic player. Ryan Alexander is a Parade All-American, so he has the talent. He's got to start settling down and find his game, then he'll do very well."
Sophomores Stephen Keel and Tony Szczypiorski and freshman Marcellus Tennyson will provide depth and different looks along the top line.
Distributing the ball to all of them from the midfield will be the job of Vicente Bastidas, who had a school-record 10 assists last year and whose preseason, Vidovich said, has been "fantastic."
Brian Carroll returns for his junior season after a second spring of play with a U.S. national age-group squad. His leadership role with the club is becoming more defined as he ages.
"He brings back a level of confidence and experience," Vidovich said. "He's a professional in terms of his demeanor, the way he approaches the game. He's a great role model for the guys."
Bobby Gehring is also expected to move to the midfield after serving as a flank defender a year ago, and his senior leadership will be key. A trio of sophomores - James Riley, Ryan Caugherty and Amir Lowery - should see some time, and freshman Ryan Ballard has promise.
Along the back line, getting junior Kelvin Jones back to 100 percent is a priority, after he missed the entire spring and some of the end of last season with injuries. His speed and ability in the air will be important to stopping opposing attacks.
Junior Wiggy Saunders figures to be a full-time starter after sometimes filling that role the last two years. Adam Hakes will provide height and inspiration, returning to the field after a year and a half lost to injury. Sophomore Wes Allen and freshman Michael Parkhurst round out the defender corps.
In goal, junior William Hesmer returns from a second-team All-ACC performance, and Brad McEachern is his capable backup.
"In goal, with Brad and Will, great goalkeeping, we're stacked there," Vidovich said. "They're both capable of playing. Brad can make some key saves for us, and Will's on schedule to be where he should be as an All-ACC keeper. We feel very good about that situation."
The schedule is as strong as ever, with eight NCAA tournament teams from last season, including semifinalist St. John's and champion North Carolina. Improving on last year's second-round NCAA finish will be a challenge for the Deacons, but it is one that Vidovich believes they are ready for.
"Our schedule may be a big deciding factor to help us out or hinder us," he said. "If everything starts clicking, and everything falls into place, let's go. If it doesn't, we may still have enough to stay in the hunt. They're a resilient, hard-working group, and I hope that they learn to win."
