Season Preview: Salisbury loaded with talent, focused on another CAC title
SALISBURY, Md. - The 2007 men's soccer season was quite a learning experience for the Salisbury University Sea Gulls as a young team matured before Coach Gerry DiBartolo'seyes. The team dethroned national power York (Pa.) College as the top team in the Capital Athletic Conference and captured SU's six conference title since 1999.
"I think we might have been a little ahead of schedule," said DiBartolo of last year's success. "They believed in what we asked them to do."
The momentum carried the Gulls into the NCAA Division III tournament where the high scoring team set a new national record with 10 goals in a first round victory. SU bowed out in the second round, at home, as Virginia Wesleyan won on penalty kicks. Salisbury concluded the season with a 16-4-2 record and a No. 22 national ranking.
"Not advancing on penalty kicks was a very hard thing for these guys to accept. They believed if they won that game they could have gone farther [in the tournament]," said DiBartolo.
The '07 campaign was also significant for DiBartolo as he eclipsed the 300 career win mark en route to being named 2007 National Soccer Coaches Association of America NCAA Division III South Region Coach of the Year and CAC Coach of the Year. Salisbury posted a 7-1 record in the CAC, including an upset on the road against York to end its 49-game unbeaten streak. The Sea Gulls placed five underclassmen on the All-CAC teams and graduated only three seniors.
"Our expectation for this team is to win another CAC championship. The success of this season centers around winning a conference title," said DiBartolo.
OFFENSE
The Sea Gulls were the eighth best offense in Division III
in '07 as SU averaged 3.55 goals per game. A main reason the Gulls
were so good on offense was due to the breakout season by junior
midfielder Kyle Sterling (Salisbury,
Md.). The All-CAC first team selection led the Gulls in
scoring in '07 with 18 goals and 11 assists and looks to be a go-to
player, again, in '08. Sterling, an All-Region player, ranked
nationally in several scoring categories including; 23rd in points
per game (2.14), 35th in assists per game (0.5) and 38th in goals
per game (0.82).
Salisbury will be dangerous on offense due to the amount of depth and talent on the field for the Sea Gulls.
All-CAC first team forward Mike Napolitano (Ellicot City, Md.)was second on the team in scoring with 11 goals and two assists in his freshman season with SU as he started 14 of the Sea Gulls' 22 contests. The sophomore is a dynamic goal scorer who has looked good in preseason camp.
Senior Romaine Bruney (Ossining, N.Y.), junior Alex Hargrove (Clarks Summit, Pa.) and sophomore Chris Finney (Columbia, Md.) each scored 18 points last season for SU and are exceptional play makers for SU. Bruney was named to the All-CAC second team in '07. Senior Scott Sparrow (Parsonsburg, Md.)returns healthy and ready for the new season. Last year, Sparrow saw action in 19 games, where he scored two goals and three assists, but was unavailable for the playoffs.
DEFENSE
Salisbury posted 16 shutouts last season and went through
a stretch of over five games and 550 minutes of shutout play in
'07. The Sea Gulls were ranked fourth in the country in shutout
percentage (0.73) and 10th in goals against average (0.48).
"That defense became so proud because they wanted to shut people down," said DiBartolo of last year's defense.
Salisbury returns the nucleus of its defense from a year ago.
Junior Justin McGrath (Perry Hall, Md.)was an
All-CAC first team selection last season while teammate senior
Ryan Chacon (Laytonsville, Md.) was named to the
all-conference second team. Sophomore Joe Rubel
(Alexandira, Va.) stepped up in '07 and started 17 games
during his freshman season. Senior Steven Merrow
(Shaftsbury, Vt.)was sidelined with a mid-season injury
after starting seven games and seeing action in 13 contests.
GOALIES
Junior Greg Wellinghoff (Salisbury,
Md.)proved himself to be the team's go-to-guy in the net
in ‘07 as he made 46 saves on way to a 13-2-1 record.
Wellinghoff allowed just seven goals in his 17 appearances and gave
the Gulls every opportunity to win in the postseason as he did not
allow a goal in the CAC tournament or a regulation goal in the NCAA
tournament. The All-Region goalie ranked 12th in the country in
goals against average (0.489) and 18th in save percentage (0.868).
"Greg had to work hard last season to earn the starting position," said DiBartolo. "He has worked hard in the offseason [by lifting and staying in shape] and has improved to hold onto the starting spot."
Wellinghoff is backed up by two goalies that were on the SU squad last season in junior Joshua Scotton (Delmar, Md.) and Brandon Mumby (Ellicott City, Md.). The duo saw action in eight combined games and logged over 100 minutes.
NEW FACES
Coach DiBartolo added six new players to his roster this season and
is excited to see what they can do on the field for the Gulls.
Sam Flax (Baltimore, Md.)played on a top club team
this summer and will be featured at the midfield or back positions
during the season. Sam Forline (Bethesda, Md.)is a
forward who can put the ball in the back of the net for the maroon
and gold. The four remaining incoming class members consist of
forwards Nate Woods (Elkton, Md.) and Ian
Wilson (College Park, Md.)along with midfielders
Nolan Rodman (Bethesda, Md.) and Ian
Iraola (Kensington, Md.).
"Those six players worked real hard to make this team. They all have great qualities and will contribute," said DiBartolo.
SCHEDULE
SU, ranked No. 22 in the preseason coaches' poll, will
open its season Saturday afternoon in the 9th annual Elmer Lord
Memorial Soccer Classic. The Sea Gulls welcome North Park (Ill.),
Keene State (N.H.) and CAC foe St. Mary's (Md.) College to campus
for the weekend tournament. SU will begin the season with a
showdown with North Park, who made three consecutive NCAA
appearances from 2004 until 2006. The next day the Sea Gulls face
Keene State who reached the NCAA second round in '07.
"We have four outstanding teams here for this weekend's tournament," said DiBartolo of the Elmer Lord field. "This is one of the better Division III tournaments happening this season in the country. Fans should expect a high level of play, with fast paced games."
The schedule then sets the Gulls up for eight games in the month of September, four at home and four on the road. The following weekend, September 6-7, the Gulls travel south to Lynchburg, Va., to face non-conference foes Washington & Jefferson and Moravian. DiBartolo likes that his team gets a chance to play in back-to-back weekend tournaments at the beginning of the season. The format is similar to the NCAA tournament, at the end of the season, and the experience now should help prepare the Gulls for November if they make the field.
One of the home games in September is a contest against non-conference foe Lynchburg College on September 20. A week later, the maroon and gold will host CAC rival York as the Gulls attempt to make it three-straight over the Spartans. The Sea Gulls will finish out the regular-season with seven games in the first 22 days of October, five against conference opponents. Salisbury will host a second Old Dominion Athletic Conference foe, Roanoke College, on October 4 followed by home games against St. Mary's and Marymount (Va.) University in the month of October. Another key non-conference game in '08 is a road contest against Christopher Newport University on October 15. SU closes out the regular-season schedule with a road CAC game against University of Mary Washington. The 2008 CAC tournament will begin on November 2 and conclude on the 8th.
SUMMARY
Salisbury turned its season around last year with the
monumental victory over York on the road and capped off the year
with a CAC title and a seventh NCAA tournament appearance. The
Gulls were a year ahead of schedule. A year later with the majority
of the team back and a lot of confidence in tow this team could
make a lot of noise come November.
"Team chemistry is the biggest thing about this team. They believe in themselves and in what we ask them," said DiBartolo.
