Encore! Encore!
9/4/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
By Jay Reddick
Before last season, coach Jay Vidovich said he hoped his team "learned to win." A year later, 10 returning starters could write a textbook on victories.
That's why the Wake Forest men's soccer team has been picked No. 4 in the country by College Soccer News, and that's why the Deacons are looking for even more success in 2003.
WFU zoomed through last season with a 15-2-4 record, earning a No. 1 national ranking for six weeks. The timing of the two losses - in the ACC and NCAA tournaments - couldn't have been worse, but the effect of the overall season on what is to come couldn't have been better.
Eighty-three percent of the team's total offense will be back on the field, a year older and, Vidovich hopes, a year better.
"The experience level of this team is certainly some of the best to ever be part of the Wake Forest program," Vidovich said. "There's a lot of people here who have helped us win games."
If it seems like Jeremiah White has been at Wake Forest since the days of Gene Hooks, that's only because he's been so good for so long. The two-time first-team All-ACC forward returns for his senior year already ranked as the No. 3 scorer in Wake Forest history. His 11 goals were fourth in the ACC last year, and he will anchor the Deacons' attack again.
But he is certainly not alone. Junior Scott Sealy returns to the other forward spot and is growing into another viable scoring threat.
Pushing those two will be freshman Mark Ellington, an all-state player from Swansboro with a talent for scoring.
"Mark's getting a lot of good looks at the goal right now," Vidovich said. "He's got loads of potential."
Junior Tomy Szczypiorski, who led the team in scoring during the spring and also scored a goal in the Deacs' preseason opener against Charlotte, could also be in the mix.
The Deacons' only departed starter comes from the midfield, and it is a tough loss. All-American Brian Carroll left school a year early through Major League Soccer's Project 40 program and is now a member of the MLS' D.C. United.
But Carroll left the cupboard far from bare. Sophomore Ryan Alexander was one of two players voted by his teammates as the "most likely to have a breakout year." It's hard to imagine a better year than 2002, when he had six goals and eight assists despite starting only three games.
Justin Moose, another gifted sophomore attacker, also returns. The reigning ACC Rookie of the Year will be a focus of opposing defenses.
"Moose's experience makes him a very special player," Vidovich said.
Vicente Bastidas has developed a reputation for creating plenty of scoring opportunities through his passing. Juniors Amir Lowery and Ryan Caugherty will assist the back line on defense and pick their spots to come forward.
Freshman Ryan Solle, who has national-team experience, is "knocking on the door of a starting position," said Vidovich. Solle had an assist against Charlotte.
The case for the defense is a strong one, as all four starters are back from a team that posted 11 shutouts in 2002. Seniors Kelvin Jones and Wiggy Saunders have the most experience, with Saunders' 34 career starts leading the roster.
Junior James Riley tied Alexander in the "breakout year" voting, and it's easy to see why: his versatility and his physical development could make him a force to be reckoned with. And let's not forget Michael Parkhurst, an All-ACC pick as a freshman last season.
Versatile reserve Bobby Gehring is gone, but freshman Steven Curfman leads a group ready to pick up the slack. Curfman, a Parade All-American from Raleigh, spent much of preseason playing in the Junior World Cup in Finland, but should help the team upon his return.
"We would love to have him here, but he's representing the school and getting experience that he can't get here," Vidovich said. "He's been everywhere from Korea to England this summer, so it might take him some time to come back and get on with normal life. We're excited to have him."
And then there's the goalie. William Hesmer was a Soccer America first-team All-American last season, as well as first-team All-ACC, and will continue to be a team leader in his senior season.
"Let's hope he can just do the same," Vidovich said. "He's been battling a couple of injuries, but he's done a great job getting healthy. We hope he can direct the troops in front of him to the same defensive intensity we're used to."
Vidovich got a nice surprise in August when Brad McEachern, who graduated after his redshirt junior year last season, decided to finish his eligibility while taking graduate-school classes this fall.
"He called me two days before we started preseason and asked me if there was still a spot available for him," Vidovich said. "I told him he had an open door. His leadership of the younger guys was a big plus for us last season."
McEachern will help tutor a pair of freshmen, Brian Edwards and Paul Slocum.
If the Deacons are to discover another undefeated regular season, they'll have to come together quickly: the season opens Aug. 29 and 30 against national-title contenders Connecticut and St. John's at Spry Stadium. But Vidovich said the team will be ready.
"It's been a long time since we lost to Clemson," Vidovich said. "We just want to get on with it."
