Depth, leadership key to men's soccer in 2009
The Salisbury University men's soccer team has long been a club that can go two lines deep and not miss a beat. The Sea Gulls 2009 edition is not expected to be any different, as head coach Gerry DiBartolo returns much of his 2008 NCAA tournament team and brings in a handful of talented freshmen and transfers, some of which might vie for playing time early.
"One of the things that we feel has been one of the hallmarks of the soccer program at Salisbury is that we've been able to go deeper into our bench than many of our opponents and still not lose much of the quality of the play out there," said DiBartolo, entering his 28th season at Salisbury University. "And I think this year, that's probably more evident than ever in terms of the number of guys who may not start a game, but when they do get in the game, we'll see little, to no drop-off from the group that's starting."
Goalkeepers
Like the Sea Gulls will see throughout the field, the goalkeeper position is one that features a mix of wily veterans and savvy newcomers. Salisbury's starting keeper will likely come from a pair of seniors, either Greg Wellinghoff (Salisbury, Md.) or Josh Scotton (Delmar, Md.).
"Both of them are very good and capable goalkeepers," DiBartolo said. "Greg started most of the games last year. Josh started a number of games in the middle of the year. I think either one of them will do a great job for us, we feel comfortable with either one of those."
A pair of freshmen have been vying for time in camp, and DiBartolo has been happy with the play of Ross Evans (Salisbury, Md.) and John Vnenchak (Flanders, N.J.).
Defense
An area that DiBartolo called the "most thin" in 2008, lost just one starter from last year as they return senior captain Justin McGrath (Perry Hall, Md.) and junior Joe Rubel (Alexandria, Va.). Adding to the mix are returners Casey Rector (Ellicott City, MD.), Kenneth Price (Elkton, Md.) and Nate Woods (Elkon, Md.). Price and Woods saw time between midfield and forward last year, but have been moved to the back in 2009, along with transfer Justin Lambert (Silver Spring, Md.) and freshmen Kyle Simmons (Pasadena, Md.) and James Moyers (Salisbury, Md.).
"I think that group is a lot stronger and a lot deeper this year and we feel we can go to three backs, four backs without any trouble," DiBartolo said. "Each one of them gives us something different. Some are a little slower than others, some are faster, some are stronger in the air, some tackle better. That blend is going to give us a real nice diversity in that back group."
Midfield
With numerous players returning and bulk of the in-coming strength in the midfield, it's an area that DiBartolo sees as key in 2009.
"That's probably the strength of the team," DiBartolo said. "How well we do in the midfield, how organized we are in the midfield, how hard we make teams work to defend us through the midfield is going to be the key to our success this year, I think."
It begins with the central midfielders All-CAC selection Alex Hargrove (Clarks Summit, Pa.) and All-American Kyle Sterling (Salisbury, Md.).
Sterling scored 10 goals for the Sea Gulls last year while adding five assist for a team-high 25 points and Hargrove scored six goals as the only Sea Gull to start all 22 games.
The outside midfielders will be filled in with some talented players from returners Dave Corrigan (Brookfield, Conn.), Greg Taylor (Tyaskin, Md.), Nolan Rodman (Bethesda, Md.) and Ben Reed (Arnold, Md.) to a handful of newcomers, led by freshman standouts Chase Nichols (Frederick, Md.), Jimmy Mundy (Ellicott City, Md.), Pat Callahan (Clarks Summit, Pa.), Jeremy Moyer (Derwood, Md.), Will Pfrang (Elkton, Md.) and transfer Morgan Hunt (Millsboro, Del.).
Forwards
At the end of the 2008 season, Ben DeLisle (Baltimore, Md.) and Mike Napolitano (Ellicott City, Md.) were the starters up top for the Sea Gulls. And as the preseason draws to a close they are the front-runners to begin play in 2009 as the starters. DeLisle finished last year with a team-high 11 goals, while Napolitano finished off eight goals and added a team-high eight assists.
"They are both very dangerous players, quick players, good with the ball at their feet and I think are a handful for most defenders to contain," DiBartolo said.
Like every other position, the starters will be pushed. Looking for playing time at the forward position will also be Chris Finney (Coluimbia, Md.), who moved from midfield last year to forward, Nick Malone (Salisbury, Md.), who missed 2008 because of injury , returner Ian Wilson (College Park, Md.) and freshman Adrian Tombini (Olney, Md.).
Schedule
The Sea Gulls have never shied away from tough competition and this year will be no different. Salisbury will take on four teams that made the NCAA tournament field in 2008 (Christopher Newport, Johns Hopkins, Richard Stockton and York) along with a handful of other teams that just missed out on the tournament.
Should the Sea Gulls get through the regular season and CAC tournament and receive a bid invitation the NCAA field, DiBartolo feels his team will be battle tested.
"I think if we've had a successful year and we're invited to play in the NCAA tournament for the post-season, based on the schedule we've played, we would be very well prepared to face the rigors of an NCAA tournament no matter who we would play," DiBartolo said.
Summary
While the balance on the field and the blend of ages is nice, the 2009 team is anchored by a group of seniors, who have helped the team nearly to the pinnacle of the Division III soccer. They would like to finish their career with a bang.
"We have nine seniors on the team this year. Something special happens to guys when they realize it's that last season and they want to make it the best season they've had," DiBartolo said. "This team has won two conference championships in a row, went to the NCAA tournament two years in a row with this group and I think both years we felt that we exited the NCAA tournament a little too early. So I think they're hungry, from that perspective, to take another run at the conference championship. And if we're successful, stamp our ticket to the tournament and try to go a little deeper into the tournament than we have in the past couple of years."
