Central College Athletics - Men's soccer

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Young Central squad still a contender

Men's soccer | July 20, 2009

Coach Garry Laidlaw isn’t afraid to say it. This will be a rebuilding year for the Central College men’s soccer team.

“That doesn’t mean we can’t compete for a title,” he said. “It just means we’ll have a look that we haven’t had for a while, with a lot of new faces. This is the most we’ve had to rebuild in a long time. It’s a transitional year, but our expectations haven’t changed.”

In the last seven years, Central has posted a 93-34-9 (.716) overall mark. Last year’s club matched Loras College with 7-1 league record, but Loras was awarded the title on a penalty point and went on to reach the NCAA Division III final four. Central emerged from a demanding schedule with a 12-7 overall mark. After a 2-3 start, the Dutch won 10 of their next 12 games, defeating NCAA tournament qualifiers Loras and Wartburg College in a four-day span.

Laidlaw was given coach of the year honors for the second time last season but faces a more daunting coaching challenge in 2009. Central is replacing five starters, including the bulk of the starting defense, in addition to four-time all-conference midfielder Cruz Herr. It’s a mark of the strength Laidlaw has instilled in the program that the Dutch are still expected to play winning soccer while likely starting just one senior, defender Erik Lundgren.

Some promising spring training sessions did much to alleviate Laidlaw’s off-season worries.

“We were really pleased with what came out of the spring,” he said. “A lot of the reserve players have emerged. They had been waiting in the wings but I think they’re ready to come out and play now. We lost a lot of talented players, but that’s an opportunity for other players. The hunger is there and the desire is there. That’s what we feel good about.”

Goalkeeper

Job one is replacing four-year veteran Greg Foote as goalkeeper. Junior Quincy Garner and sophomore Jonathan Glassman have both been exposed to the heat of tournament soccer. They had to fill in for Foote in an Iowa Conference tourney semifinal last year. Garner appeared in seven games, with 17 saves and two goals allowed. Glassman played in three games.

“Quincy (Garner) has proven in the past that he can get the job done at this level,” Laidlaw said. “He’s not always conventional, but usually effective.

“Jonathan (Glassman) has extensive experience from his days in club soccer. He’s a physical presence with a good boot and he communicates well. He’ll challenge for the position.”

Laidlaw will also look at sophomore David Ziemann and junior Mark Visser.

“There wasn’t one player who was a clear-cut No. 1 in the spring,” he said. “We’re hoping one really stands out in preseason camp. All four are solid goalies, so we know we have depth.”

Settling on a starter isn’t crucial, however.

“There’s a lot of good in having consistency and having the same voice back there,” Laidlaw said. “But if the goalie is good, I don’t think it matters. A good goalie reinforces confidence throughout the team.

Defender

As the lone senior starter, Lundgren will obviously be looked to for leadership and he won’t shy away from the responsibility.

“Eric has been a leader since his freshman year,” Laidlaw said. “When he was a freshman, we talked to him about eventually being one of our on-field leaders and I think he’s been looking forward to it. He doesn’t have to handle it all on his own; we’ve got some strong juniors as well. But he has the right attitude and passion.”

Sophomore K.J. McQuerrey started all 19 games as a rookie last year in the back.

“K.J. was one of our most consistent players last year,” Laidlaw said. “He communicates and organizes well in the back.”

The other defensive starters will have to be determined but Laidlaw likes his options. Juniors Seth Metcalf, Kip Morsch and Austin Patton and sophomores Garrett Fooshee, Eric Fjare and Ryan Bontrager are contending and several impressed in the spring. Fooshee played in 17 games last fall and Bontrager appeared in five.

“Garrett had an excellent spring and we think he will be a valuable asset for us,” Laidlaw said.

“We’ll take a look at Seth Metcalf. We may push him up into the midfield, but he gives us some depth in the back if we need it.

“Eric Fjare is an athletic player and a tenacious defender.”

Bontrager was moved to the midfield last year.

“We took a good long look at Ryan in the spring in back and we think he’s ready.” Laidlaw said.

Patton returns after a semester in Europe on the Central Abroad program while Morsch returns to the team after giving football a try.

“Kip came in and did a nice job in the spring,” Laidlaw said. “He played a lot when he was younger. We just have to shake the rust off a bit but inside there’s a good player we need to bring back out.”

Laidlaw would also like to get some help in the back from newcomers. Sophomore transfer Killian LeDuke of Sherman Oaks, Calif. and freshmen Gary Sorich of Downers Grove, Ill. and Matt Woodcock of West Des Moines are among the possibilities.

Midfield

Two starters return in the midfield in juniors Nick DeLucia and Cody Jandik. Jandik was a second-team all-conference pick after scoring six goals with three assists. DeLucia received honorable mention and was the team’s second-leading scorer with seven goals and five assists.

“We used Cody on the flanks more last year,” Laidlaw said. “We may look to use him centrally and in a more familiar role.

“Nick (DeLucia) is one of our most versatile players. He’s quick, creative and can score. He can do it all for us. I think he’s grown a lot in his first two years.”

Sophomores Jonathan Schroeder and Leland Schipper will press for action. Schipper played in all 19 games last year and started in eight, contributing four assists, while Schroeder appeared in 16 games.

“They’re two midfield players who were very productive as freshmen and are ready to fill the void left by Cruz Herr,” Laidlaw said.

Sophomore Hunter ViedenKamp will contend as well.

“Hunter had a good spring,” Laidlaw said. “He’s really working on strength and conditioning and he’s a solid passer of the ball.”

Freshmen Tyler Archey of North Hollywood, Calif., Brandon Bautista of St. Charles, Ill., Dillon Lockhart of Dallas Center and Jordan Becker of Houston, Minn. could challenge.

Forward

Junior Brett McKenzie was a first-team all-conference pick last year and Central’s leading scorer with nine goals and three assists as well as a team-high 64 shots. He’ll join Lundgren as a team co-captain.

“Brett has all of the qualities of a good striker,” Laidlaw said. “He can play fast, he can play physical, he is good in the air and he’s a good finisher. He’s looking to be a leader for us this year.”

Also back is sophomore Eric Shelton who started nine games, scoring seven goals with three assists.

“Eric really found his stride at forward last year,” Laidlaw said. “He’s got a combination of pace and the ability to finish from anywhere. He’s also able to go one-on-one. He complements Brett (McKenzie) well for us.”

Erik Johnson, a 6-foot-4 sophomore, has flashed potential.

“Erik is a work in progress,” Laidlaw said. “He came as a center back. But he got a lot of work as a target striker on the reserves last year and started to emerge. He wants to work hard and learn from the other guys and could be a weapon for us in the future.” 

Juniors Derek Farnworth and Mark Feld also bring varsity experience and look to make increased contributions. Freshman candidates include Jordan Appenzeller of Boone and Ralph Palmeri of St. Charles, Ill.

The Iowa Conference

Loras returns a veteran squad from last year’s national semifinalists and is a clear conference favorite. But Wartburg was an NCAA qualifier as well and Laidlaw said Coe and Luther have also emerged, making it more difficult for one or two league teams to dominate.

“The conference is deeper than it’s ever been,” he said. “I think that’s a good thing.  The battle for the six conference tournament spots will be more highly contested than ever.”

The schedule

Even with a young club, Laidlaw hasn’t backed off in scheduling powerful opponents. The Dutch make an early-season trek to face Augsburg College (Minn.), an NCAA Division III tourney qualifier last year, and play host to Puget Sound (Wash.) Sept. 4, a traditional contender in the Pacific Northwest. Consistently competitive squads like Nebraska Wesleyan and Gustavus Adolphus (Minn.) are back on the schedule as well.

“It’s as tough of a schedule as ever,” Laidlaw said. “We continue to want to play the best opposition possible.”

The Dutch may have more offensive firepower this year but any improvement the team makes starts on the defensive end, Laidlaw said.

“As was the case last year, we still need to concede fewer goals,” he said. “Our defense as an entire team needs to improve. It’s not just the backs. We have to defend better as a unit.”

But despite the graduation losses, Laidlaw thinks the Dutch could surprise.

“We have to keep the hunger and we have to keep the desire,” he said. “We have to be willing to back each other in all situations and gel as a team. Those are all things we can do and I’m confident we will. We have good chemistry and we know how that can catapult a team.”