2008 Men's Soccer Preview
With
a roster of 16 freshmen, Head Coach Jim Brazeau wasn't sure what to expect
of his 2007 Pacific men's soccer team.
What he got was more than he expected. After going 10-6-1 with a seasoned group of seniors the year before, the Boxers rode the goal scoring of Danny Williams (Sr., Eugene, Ore.) and the play of a talented group of newcomers to an 8-7-2 mark and a fourth place Northwest Conference finish.
In 2008, you can bet that Brazeau won't be surprised, but will instead expect more. "Status quo was great last year, but we had so many good freshmen come in and contribute for us that this year status quo won't be enough. We need to be looking to achieve higher standards than we did last year."
Much of what was successful for the Boxers last year will figure into the mix this year. Defense will one again be the capstone of the program, but Brazeau will look to a number of players to aggressive push the ball forward, including Williams and forwards Mike Iacolucci (So., Seattle, Wash.) and Travis Birrell (So., Seattle, Wash.).
Additionally, the Boxers will benefit from significant depth at every position thanks in part to another strong recruiting class and retention of almost all of last year's freshmen.
"We are going to be a lot deeper than we have in the past," Brazeau said. "We've got so many young players and some freshmen who we expect to come in and play right away. The guys are in good shape and came in with the right attitude."
So what does Brazeau expect in 2008? He expects the Boxers to move up even further in the conference standings and being competitive against the league's elite teams. That means moving up into the top three of the conference, where the Boxers haven't been since 1998.
"We have to improve on every previous year's performance," Brazeau said. "If we go from fifth to fourth, then the natural progression is to crack the top three. That's an expectation we have for our group this year."
FORWARDS
Much of the duties up front will fall on the shoulders on the two Seattle
sophomores. Birrell started all but three of the Boxers' matches in 2007,
scoring two goals and adding an assist while finishing third for the Boxers
in shots. Iacolucci started in six matches before seeing the middle of
his season erased with injuries.
"They're both young, but they work hard," Brazeau said. "They are both physically strong players that will be an important part of our team."
Williams will see some time up front, but will spend most of his time in the midfield. Jonathan Lee (So., Kaneohe, Hawaii) and Kizamu Tsutakawa (So., Seattle, Wash.) will also add flexibility to the offensive set.
MIDFIELDERS
Following in the footsteps of former NWC Offensive Player of the Year Matt
McDonough seemed to be an easy task for Williams, who smoothly assumed
the mantle of goal scorer for the Boxers. The attacking midfielder earned
Second Team All-NWC honors while finishing third in the conference with
10 goals. His five game-winners are the most for a Pacific player since
1995.
It has the potential to be a big year for Williams, who could finish the year as one of the most prolific scorers in school history. "Danny has the potential to definitely do that," Brazeau said. "He played well in the attacking midfield last year and he worked hard in that role. He is a lot better running at people than he is with the back towards the goal."
While Williams will attack, Avery Neal (So., Los Alamos, N.M.) will be depended on to lead the Boxers' play creation. The fast Neal (who also sprints for the Pacific track and field team) started all 17 matches as a freshman, netting two goals to go along with three assists.
Tsutakawa, meanwhile, will also have a lot of responsibility for creating scoring opportunities. A 15-match starter as a freshman, Tsutakawa finished second in the conference with six assists and had the most assists by a Pacific player since 1999.
Like at forward, the depth at midfielder will give the Boxers plenty of interchangeable parts. Anthony Jaeger (So., Portland, Ore.) made 14 starts in the midfield as a freshmen, while Jasem Jaihouni (So., Portland, Ore.) and Kevin Fujimoto (Jr., Honolulu, Hawaii) will expect to compete for added minutes this year. Brendan Kam (Fr., Honolulu, Hawaii) will also compete for time after impressing the coaching staff in preseason practices.
DEFENDERS
Pacific lost the most at defense from the year before, but the cupboard
is far from bare for Brazeau. Brandon Porter (Jr., Canby, Ore.), an Honorable
Mention All-NWC selection in 2007, will anchor a defense that allowed just
20 goals last year. Porter also proved to be an occasional offensive threat,
scoring a pair of goals off of set plays.
"Brandon will be our center defender," Brazeau said. "He will need to be our ball winner and make sure that he is coming to play every day."
Likewise, Jared Komo (Sr., Kailua, Hawaii) will play a critical role after coming alive for the Boxers in 2007. Komo started 15 matches last year while becoming one of the team's most depended upon defensive players.
Conor Peterhans (Fr., Seattle, Wash.) leads the corps of newcomers, transferring to Pacific after a redshirt season at Division II Humboldt State in California. Peterhans will provide another area of flexibility with the ability to play defender or central midfield.
Jack Wickward (Fr., Portland, Ore.) and Patrick Murray (Fr., Hillsboro, Ore.) will figure into the defensive mix after earning all-conference honors as seniors. Taylor Kane (Fr., Portland, Ore.) provides even more depth after a successful career at Portland's Central Catholic High School.
GOALKEEPERS
Brazeau will once again have the luxury of playing a pair of sophomore
goalkeepers who bring a lot to the Boxers' lineup. Andrew Stevermer (So.,
Gillette, Wyo.) was the surprise of the season for the Boxers and saw the
most time in the net last year.
Tall and lanky, Stevermer led the NWC with a .870 save percentage and was fourth with a 0.99 goals against average. He made a record 21 saves in Pacific's upset of Puget Sound during the first half of the conference season.
"Andrew was a very pleasant surprise," Brazeau said. "He did very well for us."
Chris Grasso (So., Las Vegas, Nev.) also saw a significant amount of time, logging nearly 400 minutes in his freshman season. Ethan Woodis (So., Montrose, Colo.) and Derrick Inouye (So., Honolulu, Hawaii) provide the Boxers an additional level of depth.