Northwestern University Athletics
The 2003 Outlook
8/21/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Aug. 21, 2003
EVANSTON, Ill. - If the progress made during the first two years of the Tim Lenahan era is any indication of what is to come, the Northwestern men's soccer program has a lot to look forward to in 2003.
In just his second season at the helm, Lenahan guided the Wildcats to the third-best single-season win total in school history (eight wins). So what does all this have to do with this season? NU returns seven starters-six of which are only sophomores-and three others that saw action in 10 or more matches.
"It was very important for us to make progress with the program last year," Lenahan said. "Progress is measured in wins and losses, and for us to make the turnaround we did, it shows we are headed in the right direction."
NU also welcomes an incoming group of nine, marking the second straight year NU has garnered a top-30 recruiting class. Last season, Lenahan and staff put together the 28th-best class, as rated by College Soccer News, and this season the staff feels they topped itself in that regard.
"This year's class is probably more talented than last year's but I'm not sure we are going to have to rely as heavily on freshmen," said Lenahan.
Last year's incoming freshmen accounted for the majority of the 'Cats' attack, tallying 37 of the team's 51 points. The fresh faces also netted 14 of NU's 16 goals. With seven freshmen starters, NU also cut the number of goals allowed from 36 to 27, the fifth-best number in school history.
Though Lenahan does not foresee this year's freshmen to put up those kinds of numbers again, he still expects them to add to the squad's depth.
While Lenahan has instilled the "defense first" mentality in his player's minds, he expects improvement on the attack this season. Sophomores Eric Brin and Kevin Earnest, who combined to tally seven points last season, made big strides this spring and should expect even more production this year.
Classmate Alexander Renzi, who is often put at center midfield, is expected to make an impact as well. The sophomore tallied four points last season.
Incoming freshmen Gerardo Alvarez, Kyle Moore and Brad North could see some time. Alvarez netted a school- record 46 goals as a high school senior. Moore was a 2003 Gatorade Player of the Year nominee, and North eclipsed the 20-goal plateau with his club team last season.
The Wildcats have a plethora of choices in the midfield, led by Renzi and Jeremy Cook. Renzi returns after a solid freshman campaign when he started 17 of the 20 contests. Cook, known for his speed and ability to cover, was voted NU's most improved player the last two seasons. According to Lenahan and Co., the Hudson, Wis. native made similar strides again last spring.
"Jeremy has just blossomed into a very, very good player. He is just so valuable to this team," Lenahan said.
David Vargas started 18 of 20 matches last season and saw a lot of time at midfield. Sammy Semwangu, who had a strong summer camp prior to 2002, had troubles with some injuries last season but is fully healthy for 2003.
Among the freshmen expected to make an impact, Dave Brown and Daniel Chille possess the necessary talent to succeed. Brown-who assisted fellow NU freshman Will Nicholas on the game-winner in the Olympic Development Program National Championship-was named an all-star at the adidas Elite Soccer Program for the country's top 150 players. Chille, who missed most of 2002 with an ankle injury, helped lead the Chicago Sockers to the 2001 Snickers National Championship.
Clearly, the strength of the team last season was the defense, and it looks as if this year will be much of the same. Sophomore Jaro Pylypczak is back after a tremendous first year during which he started all 20 matches. An all-around athlete, Pylypczak also scored two goals and recorded a team-best .333 shot percentage.
Brad Napper and Adam Sirois also started the majority of the season. Each defender registered one goal and two assists last year. When Napper missed three games due to injury and a red card, Chris Zdenek filled in nicely and started five contests, including the match against Michigan in the Big Ten Tournament. The Wildcats cut the number of goals allowed from 55 in 2001 to 27 last season, and Lenahan attributes much of that to Pylypczak and Napper.
Freshmen Will Nicholas, Jeff Mills and John Carlstedt will give NU more depth in back. Nicholas started for the prestigious F.C. Delco club team in Pennsylvania, and Mills and Carlstedt also played extensive club ball throughout their high school years.
The unknown this season centers around the goakeeper and how the 'Cats will fill the void of departed second-team All-Big Ten keeper J.D. Martin.
It starts with sophomore Brian Heckenbach, who served as Martin's under-study in 2002. Heckenbach saw action in three games in a reserve role last year, but he took the reins in spring ball and impressed the coaching staff.
Heckenbach is expected to be pushed for playing time by freshman Justin Pines, a native of Media, Pa. Pines earned 32 shutouts during his high school career and also excelled in club ball. Pines helped lead the F.C. Delco team to the 2001 national championships and was, in the process, named the Golden Gloves winner as the top goalkeeper at the tournament.
"Brian obviously has a little more experience and Justin is very talented. I am interested to see how they push each other and how the result of that competition will make them both better goaltenders," said Lenahan.
With 20 of the 24 players on this year's roster being freshmen or sophomores, Lenahan feels the program might be another year away from becoming what he envisions the future of Northwestern to look like. However, with all of their talent, coupled with the program's commitment to excellence, do not be surprised if the Wildcats get ahead of their learning curve.
