Men's Soccer Expects to Improve in 1998
6/21/1999 8:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
September 3, 1998
The University of Maryland begins the 1998 season with six returning starters and seven of its top eight scorers from last year's NCAA Tournament second round team. It is a veteran cast ready to combine with one of the highest-touted recruiting classes in school history.
Since the arrival of head coach Sasho Cirovski in 1993, Maryland has won a total of 60 games, including a school-record 16 last year, and has made a school-record four consecutive NCAA Sweet 16 appearances since 1994, something no other Division I men's soccer team can claim.
"For me, it is, perhaps, the most exciting season I have entered into since my second year here when I recruited Leo (Cullen), R.T. (Moore), Joe (Marshburn) and Mike (McIlwain)," smiles Cirovski. "There is going to be a level of energy and enthusiasm this year that is unmatched."
Cirovski has truly built one of the most talented teams that he has had at Maryland. Despite the overwhelming predominance of youth on the Maryland roster, Cirovski does have the luxury of relying on a quartet of seniors, All-America candidates Keith Beach and Pierre Venditti, Steve Armas and Randy Merkel.
"This group has a collective hunger greater than any other senior class I have coached. It may parallel my first senior class that led us to our first-ever Sweet 16 appearance. However, there is a different vision in mind between the two classes in that the class of 1998 is looking to become one of the elite teams of college soccer," said Cirovski.
Beach, Venditti and Armas all return as three-year starters and veteran leaders. The trio has helped lead Maryland to a record-setting four consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, two upper-division ACC finishes and a top-10 finish in the national polls the last three seasons. Merkel also returns for his final year after transferring from Penn State two years ago.
The focal point of the 1998 Terrapins is undeniably Beach. A second team All-ACC selection in both his sophomore and junior seasons, Beach returns for his final season as co-captain and Cirovski's unofficial coach on the field. A member of the ACC all-tournament team as a sophomore and as a junior, he enters his senior season ranked third all-time at Maryland with 18 career assists. The offensive standout was credited with four assists last season. His previous total of 11, which he recorded as a sophomore, rank him fourth on the all-time single-season chart. Beach totaled 16 points last season and returns as the Terps' third-leading scorer. He enters his senior season with 48 career points and is on track to become one of the all-time leaders at Maryland.
"Keith Beach is probably one of the most underrated players in collegiate soccer," said Cirovski. "He had a terrific year last year as our offensive MVP from a defensive midfield position, and he played with a nagging hamstring injury all year long."
Armas, who returns to co-captain the Terps along with close friend Keith Beach, ranks sixth all-time at Maryland in assists with 15, and will combine with Beach to form one of the most lethal midfield combinations in the ACC and in the country. Armas was one of only two players to play in all 23 games, and the only player to start all 23 games. He scored three goals and added five assists. His valuable work ethic and determination will allow him to become one of the top senior players in the country this year. He is bound and determined to lead the Terrapins to a run at the national championship.
"Steve Armas is very close to breaking through and becoming a very special player. I have seen him mature tremendously over the past year. He considered turning pro but turned against it because of his hopes of doing something special with this team this year. He is extremely determined going into his senior year."
Venditti earned first team All-ACC honors as a junior and returns for his final season as one of the nationis most solid attacking players. He scored 13 points last season, recording five goals and three assists. He was outstanding when the game was on the line as two of his three goals were game-winners, including his goal against Clemson in the quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament which gave the Terps a 4-2 win. His game-winning goal against Virginia in the 1996 ACC Championship gave the Terrapins their first-ever ACC championship, and he was later recognized as the 1996 tournament MVP.
Merkel, one of the best technical midfielders on the team, possesses great speed and has an uncanny ability to find the open goal scorer. This is evidenced by his team-leading and career-high 10 assists as a junior. The 10 assists rank him fifth all-time in the single-season record book, while his 14 career assists rank him 10th all-time. He totaled 14 points last season and returns as the Terps' fourth-leading scorer.
Jason Cropley and Jamie Eichmann, a pair of talented juniors, round out a strong upper-class for the Terps. Cropley returns as the Terps' second-leading scorer after posting a team-high seven goals and five assists. An extremely versatile athlete, Cropley will see playing time at either the forward or midfield positions. Cropley makes the hard work look simple as he is deceptively quick, a dangerous goal scorer and able to get the quick pass off to the open man.
Eichmann will take on an increased role this season after seeing playing time in 15 games last season. His one goal of the year couldn't have been any more meaningful to the Terps as it came at the 33-minute mark against Rutgers in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Eichmann's goal lifted Maryland to a 1-0 victory over the Scarlet Knights, sending the Terps to their fourth consecutive NCAA second round appearance.
"Jamie has become an unsung hero on the team as evidenced by his play against Rutgers. He is more of an attacking player, and has great presence around the goal," said Cirovski.
Sophomore Jason Sardis headlines a large group of talented sophomores who saw a great deal of playing time last year as freshmen. Sardis finished his freshman campaign as the top scorer, posting a team-high seven goals and finishing second on the team in assists with seven. Three of his seven goals proved to be game-winners. The explosive goal scorer was the only freshman to play in all 23 games, earning the starting nod in 13 games.
Rob Birch, Christian Lewis, Kirk Miller and Mike Shebuski all have one year of experience behind them, and all contributed largely to Maryland's success last season. Lewis' role will change dramatically this season as he is the projected starting goalie after the departure of Andy Kirk to Project 40. Lewis played in two games last season behind the dynamic Kirk. Lewis posted six saves with one goal allowed in 103 minutes played.
"Christian improved tremendously from the beginning of last year to the end of the season. He is a bright kid. All parts of his game got better, including his distribution, his catching technique and his organizational skills," comments Cirovski. "He will have the upper hand in the beginning simply because he has a year of collegiate experience behind him."
Miller and Birch each saw time as starters last season, with Miller starting in 15 of the 22 games he played and Birch starting in four of the 18 games he played. Both fit the mold of solid, well-built players and should easily fit into the Terps' starting rotation again this season.
"Last year's freshman class, with the exception of Jason Sardis and Rob Birch, was pretty much an unknown group. Last year they learned under fire and now they are more confident, and many of them are starting to realize how good they can be," Cirovski said. "I expect each of them to contribute this year."
The class of 10 freshmen joining Cirovski's program this fall is, undoubtedly, the best in the nation. It includes four players, Dan Califf, Nick Downing, Beckett Hollenbach and Taylor Twellman, who were Parade All-Americans and who were ranked among the nation's top 25 recruits. The four re-unite with Cirovski after playing for him on the U.S. U-17 National Team where he served as an assistant coach.
"The group of players we have coming in aren't just freshmen, they are freshmen-plus. They are experienced players. They have played against the best national and international competition," said Cirovski. "There is a tremendous character and sense of maturity with this group. Many of them are mature beyond their years."
Despite the leadership of the 1998 senior class, just how well the Terrapins come together as a team and improve over the course of the year will depend mostly on the development of the underclassmen. Cirovski will continue to realize the fruits of his program's recruiting successes when he looks toward a very capable bench. He will be able to choose any one of a number of players in an effort to substitute a quality player from the bench for a quality player on the field.
"The youth of our team is one of the reasons why we are going to Europe for the preseason. We will be tested immediately by competition which, in some sense, will be better than some of the college competition,i said Cirovski. "We are going to learn under fire right away. We are going to be playing some tremendous teams in a span of 12 days and I think when we come back we should be pretty tested and experienced."
The Terrapins will get an early indicator of where they stand when they host American the first week of the 1998 season. The Eagles sent the Terps home early from the NCAA Tournament last season with a 1-0 nail-biting victory in the second round. Not but a week later, the Terps travel to Charlottesville, Va., to meet ACC rival Virginia.
In addition to the early-season tests, Maryland also faces several other challenging non-conference foes and rigors of the ACC schedule.
Position-By-Position Breakdown
#0 Nathan Barnard - Fr.
#1 Christian Lewis - So.
#22 Kevin Schmidt - Fr.
#18 Nick Venditti - Fr.
Goalkeepers
The biggest question mark on the Terrapin squad entering the 1998 season is who is going to replace Andy Kirk, who left Maryland after his sophomore year for Project 40, in goal. Only sophomore Christian Lewis returns as a backup goalie after playing in only two games a year ago. Freshmen Kevin Schmidt, Nathan Barnard and Nick Venditti join Lewis in the Terrapin nets. Venditti comes to Maryland after a year at St. Johnis where he was a medical redshirt. Cirovski admits that the goalkeeper's job is wide open entering the preseason. iItis a very wide-open situation this year, more so than any of the previous five years I have been here.
We pretty much knew who our No. 1 person was going to be. This year we basically have one sophomore and three freshmen competing for one spot, and what makes it even more difficult is the experience that all of them have had in the past year has been very little.
"The European trip will give us a good idea of who is the most ready early in the season, and hopefully this individual will be able to carry us through the rest of the season," said Cirovski. "We want to have solid goalkeeping early in the season, and we want to get better goalkeeping throughout the season, so when it comes time for the ACC Tournament, we have got as good as goalkeeping as there is in the league."
#2 Dan Califf - Fr.
#6 Nick Downing - Fr.
#4 Beckett Hollenbach - Fr.
#20 Brian Otten - Fr.
#16 Tyler Pharr - Fr.
# 13 Mike Shebuski - So.
Defenders
Just as it is in the goalkeeper position, the biggest question is who is going to fill the void in defense left by seniors Leo Cullen, R.T. Moore and Joe Marshburn. Cirovskiis entire back line graduated, and Cullen and Moore are now playing in the MLS. Only sophomore Mike Shebuski returns from a year ago, so Cirovski will have to craft a new corps of defenders from a cast of several talented players.
"It's not very often you lose your entire back line as well as your goalkeeper. It is going to take us some time to sort everything out in the back," admits Cirovski. "We do, however, return some talented players, including Mike Shebuski."
"You don't replace a Leo Cullen or Andy Kirk combination one-for-one, you have to do it by committee," he said. Shebuski played in 18 games last season, starting in eight, and was very effective at bringing the ball up the field and making plays upfield, tallying two assists on the year.
Other possibilities on defense include Beckett Hollenbach who should step in immediately and contribute on defense. Another face who will help on the defensive end is the 1997 Gatorade Player of the Year and the 1997 Parade National Player of the Year, Nick Downing.
The Redmond, Wash., native should contribute immediately. Newcomer Dan Califf, who along with Downing were starters on the U.S. U-20 National Team which qualified to play in Trinidad this past August, can also help Cirovski on defense. Other possible contributors on defense are 6-2 talented newcomer Tyler Pharr and redshirt freshman Brian Otten.
"I think the one positive thing we can get out of this is that we are going to have to be a little more focused on the details of defending, which will make us better. We won't have the experienced reliability of Leo (Cullen), R.T. (Moore) and Andy (Kirk) in the back. This year we are going to do it by committee and make sure we pay special attention to the details."
#10 Steve Armas - Sr.
#8 Keith Beach - Sr.
#5 Rob Birch - So.
#11 Jason Cropley - Jr.
#6 Nick Downing - Fr.
#17 Jamie Eichmann - Jr.
#7 Randy Merkel - Sr.
#15 Erik Ozimek - Fr.
Midfielders
Maryland gets the majority of its midfield back from the 1997 campaign in returning starters Steve Armas, Keith Beach, Randy Merkel and Jason Cropley. Cropley and Beach return as the squadis second- and third-leading scorers, respectively, from last year. Beach anchors the Terrapin midfield. His playmaking, passing and field savvy make him one of the most dangerous players in the nation. He will start alongside Armas and Merkel.
"Jason Cropley is going to play both wide right in the midfield and up front. He is such a valuable player up front that it is going to be hard to keep him away from there," Cirovski said.
Several other midfielders will battle for playing time besides the four listed above, including junior Jamie Eichmann, sophomore Rob Birch, and freshmen Erik Ozimek. Hollenbach and Downing, who will help on defense, also play in the midfield, with Hollenbach playing primarily in the defensive midfield.
#11 Jason Cropley - Jr.
#19 Kirk Miller - Fr.
#12 Jason Sardis - So.
#3 Taylor Twellman - Fr.
#9 Pierre Venditti - Sr.
Forwards
Headlining this yearis attack is senior Pierre Venditti. A first team All-ACC selection last year, and the 1996 ACC Tournament MVP, Venditti is a multi-talented player who utilizes his speed to beat opponents with or without the ball. He totaled 13 points last season, and was third on the team in goals with five. Also returning from a year ago is junior Jason Cropley and sophomores Jason Sardis and Kirk Miller.
Cropley, being the versatile athlete that he is, will also see playing time in the midfield, and returns as the Terps' second-leading scorer. Sardis had a spectacular freshman campaign, leading the Terps in total points (21) and goals (7), and was second on the team in assists (7). Miller, who is skillful with both feet and can create plays, totaled 10 points, scoring four goals and two assists.
Joining the group of Terrapin forwards are highly-touted freshmen Dan Califf and Taylor Twellman. Both are Parade All-Americans and are listed as two of the nation's top 25 recruits. Twellman earned the 1997 NSCAA Player of the Year award and was also named Player of the Year in the state of Missouri. "Taylor is the best overall athlete I have ever recruited. He is a scratch golfer, he can play basketball, and is a tremendous baseball player," comments Cirovski.
"Our offense will be more unpredictable and harder to handle than ever before because we will have more weapons and more people who can score. Our entire midfield and forward lines are scoring threats. We haven't lost anyone and we have added more firepower to the midfield and forward positions," said Cirovski. "Teams arenit going to be able to play Maryland and simply shut down one or two players and go from there. Teams will have to stop six or seven players in order to beat Maryland," concludes Cirovski.
NSCAA Preseason Top 25 1. UCLA 22-2-0 320 2. Virginia 19-4-3 299 3. Indiana 23-1-0 293 4. Saint Louis 17-5-3 268 5. American 17-4-4 247 6. SMU 19-3-0 246 7. Washington 15-3-2 197 8. South Carolina 16-3-1 179 9. St. John's 18-4-2 174 10. Creighton 16-5-1 166 11. Maryland 16-6-1 157 12. Clemson 10-7-3 153 13. South Florida 13-7-2 121 14. Duke 15-5-0 91 15. Bowling Green 18-6-0 60 16. Dartmouth 10-4-4 57 17. Florida Intil 14-6-1 54 18. William & Mary 14-6-2 52 19. Rutgers 14-7-2 46 20. Georgetown 15-7-0 40 21. Stanford 13-5-2 36 22. Boston University 14-6-2 19 23. SW Missouri State 13-5-3 18 24. Va. Commonwealth 15-4-4 15 25. UNC-Charlotte 12-7-2 7
