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| • Season Preview - Men's Soccer | ||||
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2002 Preview:Marco, Bearcats gear up for first season in America East Conference In its second season at the Division I level and its first in the America East Conference, the Binghamton University men’s soccer team has taken on an entirely new look. Paul Marco, who spent the past six seasons coaching West Virginia in the Big East Conference, arrives to take over the helm of the Binghamton program. He brings with him a work ethic and passion that made for a successful spring of training. Marco and assistant coach John Scott have brought in a talented group of newcomers who will have an immediate impact on the squad. It all points toward an impressive start in the America East Conference for the Bearcats in 2002. “This has been a good several months,” said Marco. “We are further along now than I thought we’d be. Our returning players have worked hard and had a great spring of training, and these new players will help us improve a lot. We have changed the face of our team.” GOALKEEPER Junior Ian Wendel is Binghamton’s top returning goalkeeper. He has been a backup the past two seasons and last season, he appeared in three games. Freshmen Matt Nolan and Phil Grommet are the top newcomers. “All three of our goalies have a good work ethic, which is essential,” Marco said. “Ian has two years of experience and Matt and Phil are two capable freshmen. They are both strong and very athletic.” FORWARDS Binghamton brought in three forwards, all of whom should have an impact on the team. Leading the way is sophomore Stephen Bruce, who arrives from Buckie, Scotland. He has extensive playing experience in his country’s prestigious Highland League and figures to be one of the top scorers for the Bearcats this season. “Stephen is a very strong player who has an eye for the goal,” Scott said. “He is a creative player with the ball.” Freshmen Kyle Antos and Adam Masef are the other top newcomers. Antos comes from nearby Union-Endicott High School, where he was named all-state as a senior. Masef, who is from Rockville Center, played for the Region I ODP team. MIDFIELD A pair of newcomers are among the top midfielders this season. Freshman Danilo, who is from Brazil, has played competively in the San Paolo league since he was 10. Twice he has been named the league’s best player for his age group. “Danilo is a very clever player,” Scott said. “He can finish a play well, but he is also a good passer.” Junior Mike Austin, who went to nearby Oneonta High School, played the past two seasons at West Virginia under Marco’s direction. “Michael is a tremendous competitor,” Marco said. “He was one of the most consistent players when I was at West Virginia the past two years. We are looking for him to be a leader.” Among the top returning midfielders are seniors Keith Augeri and Stephen Neuman, juniors George Loebrich and James Clancy and sophomore Kevin Burns. “We have a solid group of returning midfielders,” said Marco. “We are looking for one of them to really step up this season.” Other newcomers at the midfield position are freshmen Luc Vallone and John Sideris. | ||||
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DEFENSE
In the backfield, Binghamton adds three newcomers to go along with three veterans. Junior Rodney Rigg, who was last season’s team MVP, returns along with junior Pat Skinner and senior Stephen Rybak. “Rodney is a big, strong athlete who is a good competitor,” said Marco. “Stephen is a complete player with good technical awareness and Pat is a strong competitor who is very fit. Leading the newcomers on defense are freshman Graham Munro and junior Mike Hibbert. Freshman Darius Ravengard also figures into the mix. Munro comes from Scotland, where, like Bruce, he also competed in the Highland Leagues. “Graham is a solid defender with great technical abilities,” Scott said. “He will bring a lot of composure to our backfield.” A physical force at 6-3, 210, Hibbert, was a JUCO All-American at Louisburg CC in North Carolina. He grew up in England and played in several prestigious leagues in his native country. “Mike is a great competitor who demands excellence from himself and from his teammates,” said Marco. “He has shown good leadership skills on his previous teams. We are expecting him to help us with our organization in the backfield.” SCHEDULE Binghamton begins its first season in the America East conference. Added to that is a challenging non-conference schedule. “We have a good, competitive schedule,” Marco said. “There are a lot of teams that had winning records last season. The conference has five very strong teams in Boston, Hartford, Northeastern, Vermont and Stony Brook.” OUTLOOK After falling on lean times the past two seasons, Marco and the Bearcats are determined to turn the program around. The goals Marco has set for this season call for significant steps in that direction. “We want to be the hardest-working team in the country,” Marco said. “Offensively, we are looking to score at least 35 goals and defensively, we are aiming to hold opponents to an average of less than one goal a game. We want to finish the season at least with a .500 record and finish among the top four teams in the conference. We have an uphill battle but the view is best from the top.” | ||||
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