Indiana University Athletics
2006 Men's Soccer Preview: Part 2
7/25/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
July 25, 2006
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - IUHOOSIERS.com continues its in-depth look at the 2006 men's soccer team with previews of the goalkeepers and defense.
Tomorrow, July 26, IUHOOSIERS.com completes its preview with a look at the midfielders and forwards.
GOALKEEPER
In goal, two players will vie for a starting spot. Junior Chris Munroe started all 22 games last year, but will be challenged by sophomore Chay Cain, who saw significant action during the spring.
"There's an old saying that you need two good goalkeepers to have one, and I have two good goalkeepers. We'll see which one is the one. It's going to be a challenge there," head coach Mike Freitag said.
Munroe, an ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American, helped lead the Hoosiers to a 0.59 shutout percentage, good for sixth in the country. Munroe made 57 saves on the year, totaling 13 victories. He had 20 saves in Big Ten competition.
"Chris is an outstanding young man. He did quite well as a starter, and I think he would like to do even better," said Freitag.
Waiting in the wings is Cain, a sophomore who played in three games last year but split time with Munroe during the spring campaign. He had a pair of saves in a 2-0 shutout of the Mexican Youth National Team and recorded a second shutout against Cincinnati. Cain was a PARADE Magazine All-American in high school, and was ranked as the top goalkeeper in his recruiting class by StudentSportsSoccer.com.
Redshirt freshman Joe Andrews may also see playing time. He is the fourth Hoosier in school history to come out of De Smet Jesuit in St. Louis, Mo. At De Smet, Andrews posted a goals against average of 0.34 as a senior.
DEFENSE
On defense, the Hoosiers return the core of players that helped Indiana rank sixth in shutout percentage last season, blanking 13 opponents. The backs also ranked 15th in the country with a goals against average of 0.68. The Hoosiers shut out the NCAA's top-ranked scoring offense, Akron, on Nov. 3 of last year, recording a 1-0 victory. Although the team lost All-American Jed Zayner, several new players have the potential to step into the lineup.
Three-year starter and team captain senior Julian Dieterle is a key returning player.
"Julian has been a rock ever since he started here. He is a real leader on the field and a good, solid defender," Freitag said.
Junior Greg Stevning is also a returning starter. He had a breakout year in 2005, and was named the Defensive MVP of the adidas/IU Credit Union Classic, to the Mike Berticelli Memorial All-Tournament team and was a third team selection to the Top Drawer Soccer National Teams of the Season.
"Greg has tremendous potential. He's going to keep getting better and better for us," Freitag said.
Junior Charley Traylor, who also has the potential to be seen in the midfield, made eight starts last year while appearing in 18 games. He scored his only career goal early in the season against Notre Dame, and started against the Fighting Irish in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Two newcomers, Ofori Sarkodie and fellow freshmen Kevin Alston, both played with the Under-17 National team have the potential to start and add depth to the roster. Both players entered IU in January 2006 and competed in the spring season. Sarkodie, the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA)/adidas National Youth Player of the Year was a team captain with the Under-17 team in 2005, starting all 37 matches.
"Ofori played well in the spring. We look for him to get better and better. He will be a big addition to our defense," said Freitag.
Alston will also see time on the field. He was a 2005 PARADE Magazine All-America selection and earned NSCAA All-America honors in 2004. Alston also may play in the midfield.
A handful of players who saw action in reserve last season will compete for playing time. Junior Kyle Schwartz played in eight games, starting the second half against No. 25 Cal State-Northridge. He scored a goal against IUPUI in the spring. Junior Kyle Brabender saw action in four games, and saw time in the spring, collecting an assist against IUPUI. Sophomore Ian Clair played in one game last year, against IUPUI.
Also in the mix is redshirt freshman Kevin Sparks, a Bloomington native who played club soccer with the Bloomington Cutters.
