BEREA, OHIO -- Fresh off one of the most successful seasons in program history, the Baldwin-Wallace College men's soccer team will look to take another step forward and earn it's first ever Ohio Athletic Conference Championship and NCAA Tournament appearance in 2010.
"Our expectations are high but guarded," said ninth-year Head Coach Reid Ayers, the winningest coach in B-W men's soccer history with 92 victories (92-53-11 overall). "We gained a lot of valuable experience last season and are counting on a strong carryover this season. As in most years, the OAC is loaded with talented teams and we are hoping to be amongst the best of those."
Last season, BW finished with a 13-7-1 overall record, including a 7-1-1 slate and second-place regular season finish in the OAC. B-W's seven OAC wins were the most in school history. By virtue of their second-place finish the Jackets hosted their first ever home OAC Tournament game and the earned their first OAC Tournament win, a 1-0 victory over rival John Carroll University in the OAC Quarterfinals. BW also had an eight game unbeaten and untied streak during the season.
In addition, Ayers' team finished as the 10th ranked team in the NSCAA Great Lakes region and earned recognition from the NSCAA for the fifth consecutive year for Team Academic Achievement. BW also played in its first ever televised game, a 4-0 win over Muskingum University on October 17, which was broadcast on regional cable outlet SportsTime Ohio.
Ayers' squad returns 17 lettermen and six starters from last year, including senior captain and center midfielder Jeff Grater (Stow/Stow-Munroe Falls).
Grater, who has started all 40 contests during the last two years, scored three goals and added three assists in 2009. For his efforts, Grater was named first-team All-OAC and third-team NSCAA All-Great Lakes region.
Joining Grater in the midfield is returning starter and junior Andy Thompson (Huron) as well as sophomores Pat Brennan (Akron/Walsh Jesuit) and Justin Peterson (Rochester Hills, Mich./Rochester Adams).Thompson scored three goals and added three assists in 2009. Brennan, the team's Rookie of the Year in 2009, scored four goals and led the team with six assists. Peterson's lone goal was the game-winner in the 74th minute versus JCU in the OAC Quarterfinals.
Up front, Ayers once again returns the potent scoring duo of junior Carlin Vandendriessche (Medina/Senior)and senior Tyler Leister (Stow/Stow-Munroe Falls).
Vandendriessche had one of the best scoring seasons in B-W men's soccer history in 2009. His 13 goals tied the school-record and he added four assists for 30 points, good for fourth all-time. The 13 goals, which included six game-winners, and 30 points each ranked third in the OAC. In just two seasons,Vandendriessche has racked up 22 goals and five assists.
Leister has proven to be a formidable goal scorer during his three years in the Brown & Gold as he scored eight goals last season, including a hat-trick against Muskingum. He enters his senior season with 22 career goals and seven assists. Also back at forward is junior Noah Eubanks (West Bloomfield, Mich./West Bloomfield)and sophomore Tommy Kramer (Columbus/Worthington Kilbourne). Eubanks had two goals and one assist in 2009. Kramer chipped in with a goal.
"The returning veterans have done a great job in leading our young players during the offseason,"said Ayers. "Grater is a very valuable player and we are counting on him to run the midfield. We have potentially the most creative and dynamic group of attack players in my time at B-W and we should score a lot of goals. Proven guys like Vandendriessche, Leister, Thompson and Brennan will need to carry the group if we are to build on last year's success."
On defense, senior starters Andrew Kelley (Westerville/St. Francis DeSales) and Jeff Bonezzi (Medina/Senior) return to anchor the back four. The duo helped the BW defense to 10 shutouts last year, while conceding only 21 goals in 21 contests. Bonezzi also added a goal and three assists and Kelley scored a goal.
In goal, B-W loses three-year starter and 2009 OAC Goalkeeper of the Year Russ Mika to graduation and thus sophomores Ryan Hulings (Centerville) and Josh Gresh (Canton/North Canton Hoover) should compete for the top spot between the pipes. Hulings appeared in five games and made eight saves in 2010.
"Our backline will be a bit inexperienced but we will be counting on the senior leadership of Kelley and Bonezzi to get us through in the beginning," said Ayers. "I do think we have two talented goalies in Hulings and Gresh and we are looking forward to good competition for that job."
B-W will open the season with seven road contests including the season-opener at Alma (Mich.) College on Wednesday, September 1 at 5:30 p.m. The Yellow Jacket home-opener is slated for Saturday, Sept. 18 versus Grove City (Pa.) College at 7:00 p.m. The Jackets open Ohio Athletic Conference play at Marietta College on Saturday, October 2 at 1:00 p.m.
"We play a long and grueling schedule," noted Ayers. In order for us to be successful, we have to stay healthy and be in top form at the peak of the season. We must have all of our players continuing to develop and taking on greater roles than they did last year."
FOR MORE BW SPORTS INFORMATION, please contact Sports Information Director Kevin Ruple by telephone at 440-826-2327 and e-mail at kruple@bw.edu or Asst. SID Jeff Miller by phone at 440-826-2780 and email at jefmille@bw.edu Fans can access BW athletics information at www.BWyellowjackets.com and we invite you to join us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/bwyellowjackets and Twitter at http://twitter.com/bwathletics.
