Boston College Athletics
2003 Preview
September 18, 2003 | Men's Soccer
Sept. 18, 2003
Coming off one of the most successful seasons in school history, culminating in the school's first-ever trip to the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight, head coach Ed Kelly and his troops are poised to get the 2003 season underway. The Eagles hope to use the momentum generated from their 2002 BIG EAST regular-season and tournament titles as well as three consecutive NCAA Tournament berths to propel them into postseason play in 2003.
The team returns nine players who made eight or more starts in 2002. This, combined with a good recruiting class, should provide Kelly and his staff with depth. Kelly, Soccer America National Coach of the Year, will seek to replace his talented senior class that included All-America forward Casey Schmidt, midfielder Bobby Thompson, and goalkeeper Kyle Singer, with some of his talented underclassmen from last fall and a promising crop of newcomers. Schmidt finished his career with 82 points - 35 goals and 47 assists. He ranks first on the school's career goals list and second on the point chart. Thompson was an All-BIG EAST first team selection and two-time BIG EAST Tournament MVP. And Singer took home 2002 BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Year honors while setting the Boston College record for wins with 17.
The team has experience. The team has options. Among the starters returning, the Eagles have six of 2002's top eight scorers. Five players return who started 22 of 23 games last fall. The team has several players who have proven their ability to excel at different positions. This, coupled with a crew of solid recruits, should give Ed Kelly and assistant coaches Ian Hennessy and Dusan Obsajsnik a variety of lineup choices, building a bright picture for BC in 2003.
Yet, make no mistake. Kelly, a native of Dublin, Ireland has been around the sport too long to think things will be easy. He's been a BIG EAST coach for 19 years and knows full well the fierce competition his team will face in league action. In fact, the Eagles were slotted to finish fourth in the BIG EAST Coaches' Preseason Poll.
Boston College will call upon the leadership of several players, including two-time co-captain junior Guy Melamed. Melamed, last year's team MVP and a 2002 All-America third-team choice, is one of the best defenders in the BIG EAST. The center midfielder started in all 23 matches played last fall. He, and fellow captains Bill Arnault and Paul Chase, have proven to be the model of durability. They combined to miss only four of 123 starts over the last two years. Arnault and Melamed were recognized as Preseason All-BIG EAST first team selections in 2003. Chase and fellow senior Adam Pfeifer spent this past summer leading the Cape Cod Crusaders to their second Premier Development League title in as many years.
The three captains, each one a 2002 All-BIG EAST selection, will count on leadership and playmaking ability of Pfeifer and seniors Kenny Adams and Neil Krause to help guide this Eagle squad. Joined by a host of veterans and solid newcomers, the Eagles hope to drive themselves to stardom once again.
IN GOAL
The Eagles will look to fill the void created by the departure of 2002 BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Year Kyle Singer. Singer recorded 17 victories to establish a single-season win record and surpass Gordie Farkou's previous mark (14, set in 1982).
Mike Cardenas, who recorded a shutout in his only appearance last fall, returns to provide BC with a veteran collegiate goalkeeper. Cardenas played his freshman year at Providence College, and then spent his sophomore season at Boston University.
With sophomore Bill Miller recovering from a dislocated shoulder, Kelly and Obsajsnik will also take a look at a talented group of freshmen keepers vying for the position. Issey Maholo, a native of Japan, posted just a 0.95 goals against average in 20 matches for his 2002 Kanagawa Prefecture All-Star Team. Also fighting for the spot will be freshman Sean Pramov. Pramov captured All-League first team honors and All-Area second team accolades as a goalkeeper at Flintridge Prep in S. Pasadena, Calif.
IN THE BACK
The Eagles return a solid backfield of stalwarts for the 2003 campaign. In 2002, the Eagle defense tied for second-fewest goals allowed (14) in the BIG EAST. Captain Paul Chase will anchor the defense at sweeper after starting 22 matches last fall. Also returning is junior back Pat Haggerty. He is a proven defender who won't shy from anyone. All-America captain Guy Melamed offers sound one-on-one defense and will also contribute to the attack. Kelly may utilize Melamed in the backfield or as a center midfielder.
Versatile senior Kenny Adams provides the team with speed and stability. Adams, arguably the fastest on the squad, returns after a solid junior campaign in which he started in 16 of 23 games. His strength on defense and quickness will help provide the Eagles with flexibility.
Also looking to provide solid contributions to the Eagle backfield will be sophomore Brendon Ferullo. The team's Most Improved Player grabbed action in eight games last fall, starting one. Kelly believes Ferullo will be hard to keep off the field in 2003. Sophomore Mario Nicholas saw action in three games in 2002 and looks to compete for more playing time in the fall.
Kelly has high hopes for the newcomers. He believes freshmen Sam Brill and Richard Gavilanes will certainly vie for playing time. Brill Earned 2002 NSCAA All-America honors as a back at nearby Newton North HS and a member of the U.S. U-18 National Team while Gavilanes was an All-Prep first team selection and standout at perennial New Jersey power St. Benedict's Prep.
The coaching staff will also monitor the progress of freshman back Brent Goodin, who came to the Heights from the American School in London, England.
IN THE MIDFIELD
The Eagles have a strong combination of savvy veterans and solid newcomers to provide the midfield with stability. Junior captain Bill Arnault returns for a third season that BC fans can only hope will match his success in 2001 and 2002. A 2003 Preseason All-BIG EAST first team selection, the Clay, N.Y. product has started all 41 matches since his arrival on the Heights and has twice garnered All-BIG EAST second team recognition.
Senior Adam Pfeifer, who missed six games last fall due to illness, will be back posing an offensive threat at the midfield position. A Newton, Mass. native, Pfeifer led the Eagles in scoring in 2001 and tallied 11 points in 17 appearances last fall.
Sophomore standout John Krause will look to improve on a solid freshman campaign in which he started 22 games and led all BC freshmen in scoring with 10 points. He is an aggressive player who is not afraid to throw his weight around. Kelly may also use him up-top alongside his older brother, Neil.
Kelly also has two other returnees -- sophomore Ian Sloss and junior Junior Desrosiers - who will also compete for time on the field. Sloss appeared in 11 games last fall, starting one, while Desrosiers played in one match during an injury-plagued season.
Freshmen Jamen Amato, Jarryd Goldberg and Chris Hadfield join the Eagles as highly-regarded prospects. Amato, a native of Pasadena, Calif., was a four-year All-Prep League first-team selection at Pasadena Poly while Goldberg was the 2002 New Jersey Somerset County Player of the Year and a member of the Region I ODP (1985s). Hadfield garnered Massachusetts All-State recognition in his senior season. Kelly believes the three will compete for game action in the competitive midfield.
AT FORWARD
While the Eagles lost four-year starter Casey Schmidt, the Eagles return 14-game starter and senior powerhouse Neil Krause. With added quickness and endurance gained in the off-season, the 6-foot-3-inch Krause was the second-leading scorer on the team last season, tallying 18 points. He netted six goals, including four game-winners.
Junior Oktay Kilic will likely join Krause up front. Kilic gained valuable experience last fall, starting eight games after his arrival from Germany. He scored six goals. Kelly looks for Kilic to make more solid contributions on the field this fall.
Sophomore Uri Magen-David will also see time up front. As a freshman, he tallied one goal and two assists in 17 appearances.
IN SUMMARY
The Eagles - their coaching staff and players - are excited about their prospects for the 2002 season. The team returns 12 lettermen, including eight starters, from last year's Elite Eight team. Add a highly-regarded group of newcomers and the Eagles figure to have a strong starting line-up and a bench that can provide depth at each position.
The schedule features six foes that earned berths in last year's NCAA Tournament College Cup. In addition to the three conference rivals that gained postseason berths, the Eagles will face seven other BIG EAST opponents.
BC will host Farleigh Dickinson before traveling to Penn. State, both NCAA Tournament qualifiers in 2002. While at University Park, Pa., BC will also square off against Big Ten foe Ohio State.
The Eagles will also meet two Ivy League opponents -- Brown and Yale -- and local rivals Boston University and Northeastern.
A talented team with lots of depth combined with one of the nation's toughest schedules assures BC fans an exciting 2003 slate. If the team avoids any major injuries, and the newcomers contribute as expected, the Eagles will find themselves facing familiar challenges -- in the NCAA Tournament.
