2007 Men's Soccer Preview
August 28, 2007 | Men's Soccer
Aug. 28, 2007
BOSTON - The Boston University men's soccer team reached several peaks in 2006 and will be looking to build off of them to reach new heights in 2007. The Terriers had their best start in 12 years winning four of their first five games and recording a double-overtime tie in the fifth. The defense limited opponents to 12 goals, one short of the program record for least allowed in a season, and BU recorded its first victory over a Big Ten team (Ohio State, 1-0 on Sept. 8) in program history.
"We have our usual tough schedule, but I believe our strength up front and the players' chemistry and willingness to work hard can make the team competitive nationally," stated head coach Neil Roberts, now in his 23rd season leading the program.
BU had a solid spring season and topped off the roster with nine quality newcomers that hail from up and down both coasts, as well as Texas. The Terriers will be a young group - with just two seniors - but BU returns 18 letter winners and four starters from a group that went 10-4-5 in '06 and ultimately fell in penalty kicks to nemesis Binghamton in the semifinals of the America East tournament. Roberts believes senior co-captain Derek Puerta, juniors Neil Hlavaty and Petur Sigurdsson, and sophomore Sammy Appiah will become focal points of a 2007 squad that has the unity, work ethic and talent to make this year's edition a very successful group.
FORWARDS
Sophomore Shaun Taylor, junior Jin Oh and Sigurdsson are key returners up front for BU. Sigurdsson was the Terriers' leading scorer in 2006 with eight goals and one assist for 17 points. He earned second team All-America East honors after starting 17-of-18 games played, including seven-of-eight league contests. Sigurdsson rebounded last season after suffering through an injury-ridden rookie campaign in which he saw action in just two matches.
Taylor is a proven international player who has represented his native England on its U18 team. He, too, fell victim to injury as a freshman and will look to fully display his offensive talents in 2007. Taylor had a quality spring season, scoring a goal against Northeastern and turning in strong supporting performances.
Oh suffered no sophomore slump for the Terriers last season. After taking just three shots in five games in 2005, the junior exploded last season, playing in all 18 games and becoming the team's second-leading scorer with five goals (on 27 shots) and one assist for 11 points. He blossomed during conference games, leading BU with four goals - including two game-winners - in eight contests.
Freshmen Temi Akinsanya and Aaron O'Neal are expected to compete for spots up front. O'Neal was a two-year member of the Virginia state team as well as a two-time state finalist and a member of the All-State First Team as a junior. Akinsanya will be a utility man for the Terriers. His versatility will allow coach Roberts to insert the rookie in several different spots in the line-up. Akinsanya spent four years with the California North Olympic Development Program (ODP) team and is a two-time member of the Region IV ODP team.
MIDFIELD
Junior Neil Hlavaty and a trio of sophomores - Richy Dorman, Sammy Appiah and Tommy Strackhouse - are expected to fill in the void at midfield left by the graduation of Steve Gahl and Jarryd Goldberg, who each started all 19 games in 2006 and had a knack for generating scoring opportunities. A pair of talented newcomers and a mix of other returners will be available to provide further depth.
Hlavaty earned first team All-America East honors in 2006. He is the only veteran to have started all 19 games and was the team's third-leading scorer with four goals and two assists for 10 points. The Lombard, Ill. native has started every game of his career and doubled his goal production since his rookie year. He has earned All-American honors from topdrawersoccer.com in each of the past two years.
Appiah, Strackhouse and Dorman jumped right into the fray as freshman last season. Dorman and Appiah each received spots on the America East All-Rookie team. Dorman started seven-of-18 games played in the midfield, notching an assist for one point. Appiah was the freshman class's leading scorer, chipping in two goals and two assists for six points. The sophomore started 14-of-19 games, including five-of-eight against America East foes.
Twins Matthew and Ryan Shea will make a push for playing time in the middle. The Sheas were members of the Massachusetts ODP team that was a two-time Region I champion. Matt was a Boston Globe and Boston Herald All-Star with 73 career assists, while Ryan had 76 goals and 69 assists in his career at Hanover High School.
Sigurdsson, Oh, sophomore Jon Jonsson and junior Andrew Bassi can add depth and step into flank positions.
BACKS
The loss of defensive mainstay Zach Kirby to graduation leaves a question mark in the back. Kirby was the America East Defender of the Year, a draft pick by the Los Angelos Galaxy, a three-time NSCAA Division I First Team All-Northeast Region member and a first team All-America East selection.
The veterans will be joined in the back by freshmen Richard Gadbois, Steven Frazier and Matt McFarland. All will be in the hunt in the wide-open race for the defensive roster spots.
Puerta and Mignogna were a big part of the defensive success the Terriers enjoyed in 2006, and their combined experience will be a boon to a backfield looking for leadership. Puerta saw action in all 19 games, starting 18, while Mignogna played in 15 games. Mignogna also contributed on offense, reverting to his midfielder's tendencies in generating offense. Jonsson stepped up as a freshman, playing in 19 games and starting 15 in back.
Schultz made the move from offense to defense in the off-season and had an outstanding spring. "Schultzie's athleticism, speed and toughness will make him an excellent defender," stated Roberts. "He is technically sound and his one-on-one defense is superb.
The native of Corona del Mar, Calif., is a two-time state cup champion with his club team, the Irvine Strikers. He led his team to the Patedores Cup and Nomads Cup title games in 2005 and was an Orange County All-Star. Frazier, a product of Round Rock, Texas, scored 51 career goals and earned first-team All-District honors twice. McFarland graduated from the IMG Academy having served for two years as a team captain and earned the 2006 team MVP trophy.
GOALKEEPERS
The Terriers took a hit in goal as well, losing keeper Zach Riffett to graduation after the 2006 season. He backstopped BU all last season and earned All-America honors from topdrawsoccer.com.
Coach Roberts has returners Hrafn Davidsson and Joe Cullaro vying for the starting position and newcomer Jason Lucas in the stable. Davidsson, a sophomore, tallied a shut out in his only start of the season, a 1-0 win over conference rival Binghamton on Sept. 29. He brings experience to the table for BU, having excelled for Iceland's U21 team.
Red-shirt sophomore Cullaro has three years of collegiate experience under his belt and had a solid spring in net for the Terriers. Lucas, who walked onto the team during the spring season, recorded a shutout in his first collegiate appearance against the New Hampshire Phantoms.
COACHES
There will be some new faces on the sidelines this season. In the off-season, Roberts welcomed back Francis Okaroh (BU '86, '90) and hired former Penn State and Virginia Tech assistant coach Scott Black.
Okaroh played in MLS from 1996-2002 and won an MLS Cup and earned MLS Defender of the Year honors in 1999. During his collegiate career he was named an All-American three times and was a four-time All-New England selection. Okaroh started all four years and led the Terriers to back-to-back berths in the NCAA Tournament in 1985 and 1986, including an appearance in the national quarterfinals in 1986.
Black has helped lead PSU and Virginia Tech to the NCAA Tournament. At Penn State he guided the Nittany Lions to the NCAA Sweet 16 twice and the Elite Eight once. Penn State won the 2002 and 2005 Big Ten titles and won the conference regular-season championship once. A four-year varsity starter at Wisconsin-Green Bay, Black was a three-year All Mid-Western Collegiate Conference selection as a central midfielder.
SCHEDULE
Coach Roberts habitually schedules tough non-conference opponents to give his teams the best chance to excel during the America East slate. The 2007 season is no different. BU will face seven teams that earned bids to the 2006 NCAA tournament, including squads that come from the ACC, the Big Ten, the Big East and the West Coast Conference.
Penn State has participated in three of the last four NCAA tournaments. URI, Brown, Harvard and Binghamton all made the NCAAs last fall, and Santa Clara reached the national quarterfinals in 2006.
The Terriers begin the season with a pair of exhibitions against UConn and Holy Cross. The Huskies have made the last nine NCAA tournaments. BU hosts cross-town rival Boston College in the team's home-opener and follows the Eagles with another city foe, Northeastern. The Terriers will face Fordham and Santa Clara in the adidas-Brown Classic, hosted by the Bears, on Sept. 7 and 9. They will play most of the rest of their non-conference schedule on the road, hosting only Central Florida and Penns State. BU travels to Harvard, URI, UMass and Brown. The Terriers play their America East schedule from Oct. 6 to Nov. 3, opening with defending conference champion Binghamton in Vestal, N.Y., on Oct. 6.
