Pitt Men's Soccer 2009 Season Outlook
7/22/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
July 22, 2009
PITTSBURGH- The 2008 Pitt men's soccer season saw a young Panthers' team overcome adversity and injuries to post a 7-8-3 overall record and advance to the Big East Tournament for the second time in three years. Pitt hopes an additional year of experience will help it as it enters the 2009 campaign with high expectations.
"Our goal as a team is to challenge for the Big East title," Pitt head men's soccer coach Joe Luxbacher said. "Obviously it's a challenge but I like our team and feel that we have the potential to do some big things this year."
Pitt returns eight of 11 starters and 16 letterwinners to the 2009 roster including sophomore Ryan Brode and senior Matt Firster who missed significant time last season due to injuries.
"We have a deep team," Luxbacher said. "There is going to be competition for every spot and I feel that will make our team stronger in the long run. Our team also believes they can be good and feels that with a strong, collective effort, it can accomplish great things."
Pitt's main goals in 2009 will be to post a winning record, return to the Big East Tournament and advance beyond first round play. In order to achieve these goals the Panthers will need to continue to play lockdown defense, improve on the offensive end and find replacements for forward E.J. McCormick, defender Eric Jaeger and goalkeepers Jordan Marks and Eric Barnes.
Pitt hopes that a change in philosophy will add more offense to the team while still keeping the lockdown defense. Pitt will look to constantly attack its opponents on both ends of the field in the hopes of creating turnovers and scoring opportunities.
"This year we plan on playing a more attacking style of play," Luxbacher said. "We want to attack more in our opponent's end of the field which will hopefully lead to more scoring opportunities. I feel that this type of play is better suited for our team, but, in order for it to be successful our players need to buy into the system and get in great shape. It will be hard work, but I feel that our players will be up to the challenge."
One of the first objectives for Pitt will be to continue its success in non-conference play where it finished a very respectable 4-1-1 in 2008. Although it won't be easy with the likes of perennial NCAA College Cup contender UC-Santa Barbara on the schedule, a successful non-conference stretch could help the Panthers gain confidence upon heading into a difficult Big East conference schedule which pairs the Panthers against four teams that advanced to the NCAA College Cup a year ago.
Last year, Pitt finished with a 3-6-2 record in the extremely deep and talented Big East Conference. The Panthers will look to improve on their 2009 record and must do so on the road where they only managed one win against four losses and a tie. In order to be considered among the Big East's elite, the Panthers must also find a way to improve on a home record which saw them go 2-2-1 in Big East play.
Pitt enters the 2009 season as a team that is filled with experienced players. Over half of the Panthers' team is comprised of upperclassmen that have made a significant impact during their careers at Pitt. Pitt also brings back several sophomores who saw action in their freshman seasons along with three freshmen who have the opportunity to compete for immediate playing time. With the years of training, game experiences and team chemistry building that the current Panther players have had together, the group will look to take a big step forward and try to contend for a Big East Championship.
Forwards
One of the main keys for the Pitt offense will be to find a way to match the production that will be lost by the graduation of four-year letterwinner E.J. McCormick. McCormick led the 2008 Panthers in points (11) and tied for the team lead in goals (three). Over his four-year career McCormick recorded 24 points on nine goals and six assists.
"We don't have one or two superstar goal scorers on our team," Luxbacher said. "But our team can score goals in a variety of different ways from a variety of players. "
Leading the way for the Pitt forwards will be senior Chris Wilcox. Over his three-year career at Pitt, Wilcox has played in 34 games starting six. Wilcox is coming off a breakthrough year in 2008 which saw him tie for the team lead in goals (three) and finish second on the team in points (seven). Wilcox hopes to build on his success from 2008 and continue his stellar play into the 2009 season.
"Chris is a player who has show the ability to score for us," Luxbacher said. "He has been very productive in the minutes that he played and we hope to get a lot of offensive production out of him this season."
The Panthers also add a talented transfer from Virginia Tech in junior Terry Boland. Boland, who will be eligible to compete immediately, is a big and athletic striker who has great touch and a knack for scoring goals.
"Terry will be a great fit for the attacking style that we want to play this upcoming season," Luxbacher said. "He has a tremendously high work rate and will work very well with our returning group of players."
Adding to the Panthers' depth at forward are sophomore Wils Alpern and redshirt sophomore Adam Monteverde. Alpern saw action in 10 games as a freshman reserve forward and scored a goal against Bryant. While Monteverde played in all 18 games as a freshman. Both will be counted on in 2009 to help bring a more consistent offensive attack to the Pitt team.
Midfield
One of the strengths of the 2009 Pitt team is a veteran midfield that returns all of its starters from the 2008 season.
Leading the way for Pitt's midfield is senior Matt Baker. In his previous three seasons, Baker has played in all 54 games while starting 52. He has accounted for 16 career points on five goals (including two game-winners) and six assists and will be counted on to help lead the Pitt offense in 2009.
"Matt is a key guy for us," Luxbacher said. "He shows great leadership and has tons of ability but will need to get better at finishing plays. I've talked with Matt over the summer and feel very confident in his ability to finish more consistently for us in the upcoming season."
The Pitt midfield will also welcome back a key contributor in redshirt sophomore Ryan Brode. Brode earned a medical hardship after missing all but four games for the Panthers in 2008. In his freshman season (2007), Brode was one of only two Pitt players to start all 18 games where he played nearly every minute and added three assists. The Panthers hope that a healthy Brode will help solidify the midfield.
"Ryan is such a well rounded player," Luxbacher said. "He has great passion and a high work rate. He is a key for our midfield because of his passing skills and high soccer IQ which will help create numerous scoring opportunities for our team."
Also returning to the Panthers' midfield are seniors Mike McDade and junior Joe Prince-Wright who tied for the team lead in goals last season with three. In his three-year career, McDade has played in 48 games with 30 starts scoring five goals and accumulating 12 points. The midfielder will also be a key for the Panthers on free kicks due to his strong left foot. Prince-Wright, a tough defensive midfielder, has played in 31 career games with 15 starts and has accumulated nine points on four goals including two game-winners in two seasons at Pitt.
Adding to the depth of the Pitt midfield will be an experienced group which includes senior Orane Gordon (41 career games) and juniors Justin Boehm (28 career games) and Ian Farnsworth (played in all 18 games in 2008). Chris Cline and Andy Clifford will also contribute. The Panthers also add senior transfer Alex Betancourt who could not compete in 2008 due to NCAA transfer rules and sophomore Ethan Talbott who did not see game action last season.
Defense
The Panthers defense must find a way to replace four-year letterwinner and two-year team captain Eric Jaeger who was a fixture on the Pitt backline, but with an experienced returning core, Pitt sees its defense to be another one of its strengths for the 2009 season.
Leading the way for the Panthers' defense will be juniors Andy Kalas and Connor Malone. Kalas, the backbone of the defense, is also the primary organizer of the Panthers offense due to his ability to read the game and set up opportunities for his teammates. In his two seasons with the Panthers, Kalas has played in all 36 games, starting 35, and scored three goals. Malone is an athletic, tough and physical defender who has played in 33 career games with 21 starts.
"Andy and Connor will be the keys to our defense," Luxbacher said. "They are both very talented and will provide great leadership. Andy is a natural leader on and off the field. Connor is quieter but his focus and competitiveness rubs off on teammates. They are the kind of guys that you definitely want on your team."
Pitt will also welcome back redshirt senior Matt Firster. A key contributor during his first three seasons with the Panthers, Firster returns to Pitt after being granted a medical hardship by the NCAA. Firster has started 49 of 50 career games as a defender accumulating two goals including a game-winner. But what the Panthers like most about Firster is the tough, physical defense that he plays which helps lock down the opponent's top forwards.
"Matt's biggest obstacle will be not playing for a year," Luxbacher said. "If he comes back fully healthy he'll help us a great deal being a solid experienced defender."
Adding to the depth of the Pitt defense will be an experienced group which includes: senior Samuli Ahola (40 career games), junior Shane Flowers (17 games) and redshirt sophomore Sam Luffy (18 games, starting 14 as a freshman).
Newcomers Alex Fischetti and Mike Whitaker will also have an opportunity to see game action and help contribute to Pitt's success.
Goalkeepers
The biggest question mark for Pitt entering the 2009 season is at goaltender. Jordan Marks and Eric Barnes were a terrific one-two punch for the Panthers' in goal and helped guide the 2008 Pitt team to six shutouts. The duo ranked first in the Big East in total saves (92) and saves per game (5.11). The duo also ranks among the all-time great goalkeepers in Pitt soccer history. Marks is ranked in the in the top-10 on four of Pitt's all-time goalkeeper records including least goals against in a season (third, seven goals against, 2008), lowest goals-against average-season (fourth, 0.87 GAA,2008), least goals against-career (seventh, 54 goals against,2005-08) and most career saves (tenth, 164,2005-08), while Barnes narrowly missed making the top-10 in several categories.
The two Panthers who face the difficult task of replacing the departed Barnes and Marks are redshirt junior Zach Matthews and freshman Keegan Gunderson. Matthews has yet to see game action in his three seasons at Pitt but had the experience of learning from the likes of Barnes and Marks. Gunderson brings several years of experience playing at the highest level of high school soccer including U.S. National Team training camps, Minnesota and Region II (Midwest) Olympic Development Program participation and U.S. Club soccer National Championships.
"Zach has been with the program for a few years and had a solid spring for us and Keegan has a lot of experience playing at the highest levels of high school soccer," Luxbacher said. "So between the two, I am confident we will be solid in the goal, even though neither has playing experience in Big East games."
Luxbacher also believes that the addition of Eric Barnes as a Graduate Assistant/Goalkeepers coach will assist in the development of his young goalkeepers.
"Having Eric will really help out Zach and Keegan," Luxbacher said. "Goalies, particularly young goalies, need experience everyday in practice. Having a goalkeepers coach like Eric around makes me feel confident that our goalies will get the necessary experience and training every time they practice. The experience they gain from working with Eric will no doubt help them as they prepare for the difficult task of playing soccer at the Big East level."
Schedule
Pitt's schedule is one of the most difficult in the country. With matchups against five teams-UC-Santa Barbara, Louisville, South Florida, Connecticut and Notre Dame-that advanced to the NCAA College Cup in 2008 as well as the rest of the always tough Big East Conference and the early season tournament opponents, Pitt will need to keep its focus and bring energy and effort to every game in order to achieve its lofty goals for the 2009 season.
"We have a lot of tough matches to start but that's what it's about, that's what we want," Luxbacher said. "We're ready for the challenges ahead."
Even with a challenging schedule, Pitt will look to improve on its record from a season ago. Non-conference play kicks off when the Panthers travel to Moon Township, Pa. to play Robert Morris (Sept. 1). The Panthers then travel to Morgantown, W.Va. to compete in the West Virginia Tournament against UC-Santa Barbara (Sept. 4) and Buffalo (Sept. 6). Pitt will then return home to host games in the Pitt/Robert Morris Invitational Tournament where it will play U.W.-Green Bay (Sept. 11) and LaSalle (Sept. 13). The Panthers also play host to Cleveland State (Oct. 21).
Pitt opens Big East play when it travels to Cincinnati on Sept. 18. Other conference road matchups include: Louisville (Sept. 20), Georgetown (Oct. 10), Connecticut (Oct. 17) and Marquette (Oct. 31). Pitt opens its home Big East season on Sept. 28 when it welcomes DePaul to Founders Field. Other conference home matchups include: South Florida (Sept. 27), Providence (Oct. 3), West Virginia (Oct. 6), Notre Dame (Oct. 24) and Seton Hall (Oct. 28). Pitt will look to improve upon its 3-6-2 mark in Big East play from a year ago.
Pitt hopes that another solid season will lead to a run in the Big East Tournament.
"We have a new team, new assistants and we're all really looking forward to the upcoming season," Luxbacher said. "There are a lot of challenges facing us, but we know what it's going to take and we're going to be ready to go."
