For a team that, for half a decade, has shown nothing short of greatness on the pitch with an overall winning percentage above .750 and three NCAC Tournament bids, last year’s men’s soccer season ended as something of an anomaly.
For the first time since 1999, Wooster failed to break .500 (7-7-2), ending an eight year stretch of winning seasons, ultimately finding the young Scots’ team in a tie for a mediocre sixth-place final standing. There was an often anemic offense, a lack of upperclassman experience and a daunting schedule which sent the team out on ten road games. But that was last year. Leading this year’s push towards redemption, are a collection of 18 Wooster veterans who are undoubtedly wanting to replace the end of last season’s picture with one of an NCAC championship.
Unlike the previous season which fielded a mere three seniors, the new roster features six seniors, four attackers and two defenders. Aaron Oster-Beal ’09 and Garrett Dennett ’09 return on defense while Brenton Allen ’09, Nick Waychoff ’09, Chris Chapman ’09 and Nate Florian ’09 will play for the attack.
After being shut out six times last season, and scoring only 15 goals, the offense will be the focal point of the team’s improvement. Accompanying the seniors in this effort will be Davis Bates ’10, Chase Beach ’10, Scott Buckwald ’10, Trevor Day ’10, and Karl Ruter ’11 along with Brian Holmes ’11, who started 13 games last year as a freshman. As midfielder, Ruter started in every game he played last season, and currently has the highest career points total on the team with 22.
Waychoff and Buckwald are expected to provide a much-needed offensive surge, with the two everyday starters collecting 19 and 12 points in their careers, respectively.
Even if the attack is only able to make some marginal gains from their performance last year, they will be still be able to rely on their defense. Led by second-team all-NCAC defender Jay Keener ’10, the Scots’ insurmountable backfield protection allowed in one goal or less in 10 of 16 matches last season. Along with Oster-Beal, Dennett, and Keener, the defense will include Ryan Schlothauer ’11. Goalies Patryk Tenorio ’11 and Jordan O’Boyle ’11 who both posted under two goals against averages, both will possibly split time again this year as they did the last. With the veterans will be nine first-years and one transfer student, all of whom may be seeing playing time in 2008.
The men’s soccer team will kick the season off on the road against Aurora University tonight in Oberlin, Ohio. On Sunday, the team takes on Heidelberg University in Oberlin. The team plays Marietta College in its home opener on Wednesday at 5 p.m.