MEN’S SOCCER
MEN’S SOCCER PREVIEW 2016
S
pring Hill College men’s soccer head coach Steve Wieczorek enters his second season with a new challenge. The 2016 edition of his Badgers will feature 20 freshmen and sophomores along with four newcomers to the program. “We are still a very young team,” Wieczorek says. “But we have returned the bulk of our contributors from last year and that will be to our advantage. Last year, we lost nine one-goal decisions and in most of those games it was simply because we fell down by a goal and didn’t know how to respond well enough. This year we have the experience to handle those situations and we have added more maturity and leadership with our transfers.” On the surface, the 3-14 result of the 2015 season could be viewed as a disappointment, but a closer examination reveals that the Badgers fought to the final whistle in every contest despite a rash of midseason injuries that decimated their offense. “Only two matches where the score line got away from us and I accept full responsibility for both of those outcomes,” says Wieczorek. “We play in one of the best Division 2 conference in the nation in the Gulf South Conference (GSC), so last year was a learning experience for everyone. Every game is tough and we had to learn to adjust to the grind and stay focused if things go wrong.” The Badger defense will be led in goal by senior Will Carpenter of Daphne, Ala., who tallied 66 saves in 1,100 minutes in goal last season. “Carpenter has earned his spot after last year, but Otto Candies (redshirt freshman; River Ridge, La.) has been exciting to watch during the spring and early fall,” Wieczorek says. “Sophomore Jackson Hoesley (Hoover, Ala.) and freshman Grant Freeman (Rockwall, Texas) will provide depth in goal this year and both are developing rapidly.” In front of Carpenter, graduate student transfers Tapfuma Dimairo and Ryan Elder of New Zealand bring the maturity and leadership that will be crucial for the growth of the Badger program. “I’m faced with difficult decisions for the defense this year,” Wieczorek says. “Jack LaForge (sophomore; New Orleans, La.), Andres Alfonso (junior; Miami, Fla.), Joakim Aakerlund (sophomore; Oesterbybruk, Sweden) and Griffin Morgan (freshman; St. Louis, Mo.) are all competing hard in practice so the defense is still
very much a competition.” The Badger back line has boiled down to two freshmen in Jonathan King of Loranger, La., or Rodney Johnson from Plaquemine, La., but sophomore Michael Fouts of Sanford, Fla., has impressed Wieczorek with his fitness and dedication since earning a varsity slot after spending last season with the Badger JV program. Senior Luis Ortiz of Tampa, Fla., will also see valuable playing time while bringing three years and 27 games of experience with him. Wieczorek is also faced with settling on a starting midfield, but he is glad to have problems like these. “Right now, the left and right sides are still battles,” he says. “Viktor Kvarnlof (sophomore; Norrtalje, Sweden) and Jordan Simon (sophomore; Missouri City, Texas) are still battling with Nicholas Hanson (freshman; St. Louis, Mo.) and Ahmet Demirkan (sophomore; Vasteras, Sweden) for the roles.” Sophomore Hakur Bjornsson of Hafnarfjordur, Iceland, started 12 games as a freshman will also be a major factor on the midfield throughout the season. Up top, it appears that freshman Donte Oliver of New Orleans, La., sophomore transfer Alaye Brito of Minas Gerais, Brazil, will fill the forward slots while sophomore Tillman Schober of Schriesheim, Germany, looks ready to return from an injury that sidelined him for the second half of 2015. Freshman Alejandro Peralta Diaz of Valencia, Spain, is also ready to step into a forward role immediately while junior Ibrahima Ndaw from St. Paul’s Episcopal School in Mobile will provide much needed depth for the Badger offense. “This year I want to hand more of the reins over to the players,” says Wieczorek. “Last year, by necessity, I had to have a tight grip on the action on the field, but now we can’t afford to be as predicable. The talent in our conference dictates that our players have more freedom to make their own decisions and have faith in each other.” Overall, Wieczorek admits that he feels “an eerie calm” this year as the season approaches. “Our spring was very positive, our recruiting was very positive and our fitness this fall has allowed us to focus more on installing our system and less on getting into shape. I think we are more focused and that is part of our evolution as a program.”
GENERAL FACTS
COACHING STAFF Steve Wieczorek – Head Coach Steve Wieczorek came to the Badgers on New Year’s Eve of 2014 after spending the 2014 season as an assistant coach with the Oregon State University (OSU) Beavers. Wieczorek has seven years of NCAA Division I coaching experience at Duquesne University, Siena College and OSU. At OSU, the Beavers enjoyed a historic year in 2014 as they advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament by securing the first ever NCAA tournament victory in program history. At Duquesne in 2013, Wieczorek was responsible for assisting the head coach in all aspects of the program, specifically coordinating student athlete recruitment. The Dukes won nine games and advanced to the Atlantic 10 Championship Quarterfinals while posting their best overall record since 2009 and best conference record since 2006. Prior to arriving in Pittsburgh, Pa., Wieczorek spent five years at Siena in Loudonville, N.Y., serving the last two seasons as the Saints’ top assistant. During his tenure, the Saints enjoyed the best stretch of success in school history. A 2004 graduate of Fairfield University, Wieczorek was a four-year letterman at goalkeeper for the Stags and led the team to four MAAC Tournament appearances and two MAAC finals. Following graduation, he began his collegiate coaching career that fall at his alma mater as the goalkeepers coach.
James Beeston – Assistant Coach James Beeston joined the Badger staff as an assistant coach in 2015, rejoining Wieczorek after playing for him at Siena College from 2010-2013. Beeston serves as the Badgers’ recruiting coordinator, supervising all aspects of player recruitment. He monitors the program’s academic progress including study hall and academic advising, as well as overseeing NCAA compliance. He assists the head coach in team training and preparation, scouting opponents as well as managing all of the marketing and social media for the program. Beeston, a native of Newcastle-Under-Lyme, England has the UEFA “B” coaching license and has served as a youth coach for the Port Vale Football Club in Staffordshire, England. Beeston is currently pursuing his Master of Arts from Spring Hill College in Leadership.
Ben Fredrickson – Graduate Assistant Coach Ben Fredrickson joined the Badger family in 2015. He coordinates team travel, supervises equipment distribution and maintenance, and leads community service efforts. He has significant player recruitment responsibilities as well as performs video analysis and scouting. Fredrickson serves as the Director of the Badger Soccer Academy and assists the head coach in the implementation of team and individual training.
Institution: Spring Hill College City/State/Zip: Mobile, AL 36608 President: Christopher Puto, Ph.D. Founded: 1830 Enrollment: 1,496 Nickname: Badgers School Colors: Purple, white School website: shc.edu/about Home Facility: Library Field Capacity: 500 Affiliation: NCAA Division II Conference: Gulf South Athletic Director: Jim Hall Alma Mater: Grinnell College, 1995 Compliance: Chad LeBlanc Faculty Athletic Representative: Steven Almquist, Ph.D. Athletic Department Phone: 251-380-3485 Athletic Department Fax: 251-460-2196 Sports Information Director: Jim Stennett Alma Mater: Mississippi State, 1990 SID Phone: 251-380-4468 SID Email: jstennett@shc.edu Athletic website: www.shcbadgers.com Twitter: SHCBADGERS Facebook: SHCBADGERS Instagram: SHCBADGERS COACHING STAFF Head Coach: Steve Wieczorek Alma Mater: Fairfield, 2004 Record at school: 3-14-0 (2nd season) Career record: 3-14-0 (2nd season) Office Phone: 251-380-4475 Best time/day to reach: 10 a.m. Assistant Coaches: James Beeston; Ben Frederickson Strength & Conditioning: Justin Goonan Head Athletic Trainer: Brian Gronewold, ATC Trainer’s Phone: 251-380-3493 TEAM INFORMATION
Fredrickson earned his bachelor’s degree in Health and Exercise Science from Regis in May 2014 with merit. In 2016, Fredrickson completed his NSCAA Advanced National Coaching Diploma. He is currently pursuing his Master of Arts from Spring Hill College in Leadership.
Overall Record Last Year: 3-14 Conference/Finish: 1-8 (10th of 10) Starters returning/lost: 6/5 Final 2015 NCAA ranking: N/A
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2016 ROSTER No. Player
Pos.
Ht.
Class
Exp. Hometown/Previous School(s)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 25 28 31
GK DEF DEF DEF MF DEF FWD MF FWD FWD FWD DEF GK MF/DEF DEF FWD DEF DEF FWD FWD DEF GK MF GK
6-2 5-8 6-6 5-11 6-2 5-10 5-11 6-1 5-9 5-10 5-10 5-8 6-0 6-0 5-10 5-11 6-3 5-11 6-2 5-11 6-0 6-2 5-11 6-1
Sr. Grad. So. Jr. So. Grad. So. So. So. So. R-So. Sr. R-Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. So. So. R-Jr. Fr. Fr. Fr. So. So.
1L TR 1L JV 1L TR TR 1L TR 1L 1L 1L RS HS HS HS JV 1L 1L HS HS HS 1L JV
Will Carpenter Tapfuma Dimairo Joakim Aakerlund Andres Alfonso Jack LaForge Ryan Elder Alejandro Peralta Diaz Ahmet Demirkan Alaye Brito Tilman Schober Viktor Kvarnlof Luis Ortiz Otto Candies Jonathan King Griffin Morgan Donte Oliver Michael Fouts Jordan Simon Ibrahima Ndaw Nicholas Hanson Rodney Johnson Grant Freeman Haukur Bjornsson Jackson Hoesley
2015 RESULTS Date
Opponent
Site
Aug. 29 Sept. 3 Sept. 5 Sept. 10 Sept. 17 Sept. 20 Sept. 25 Sept. 27 Oct. 2 Oct. 4 Oct. 9 Oct. 16 Oct. 18 Oct. 23 Oct. 25 Oct. 30 Nov. 1 Nov. 6
William Carey University (Exhibition) University of Tampa Southern Nazarene University University of Montevallo at University of West Florida at Mississippi College *at Christian Brothers University *at Union University (Tenn.) *Shorter University *Lee University Concordia College (Ala.) *at University of West Alabama *at University of Alabama in Huntsville *Mississippi College *Delta State University *University of West Florida at Georgia Southwestern State University Southern Wesleyan University
Library Field Library Field Library Field Library Field Pensacola, Fla. Clinton, Miss Memphis, Tenn. Jackson, Tenn. Library Field Library Field Library Field Livingston, Ala. Huntsville, Ala. Library Field Library Field Library Field Americus, Ga. Library Field
* GSC matches
Daphne, Ala./Daphne HS/UAH Wellington, New Zealand/Massey University Oesterbybruk, Sweden/Bruksgymnasiet Miami, Fla./Doral Academy Prep New Orleans, La./Jesuit HS Auckland, New Zealand/Auckland University of Technology Valencia, Spain/St. Vincent the Martyr Vasteras, Sweden/Rudbeckianska Gymnasiet Minas Gerais, Brazil/Concordia College (Ala.) Schriesheim, Germany/Kurpfalz-Gymnasium Schriesheim Norrtalje, Sweden/Rodengymnasiet Tampa, Fla./Bishop McLaughlin Catholic River Ridge, La./Jesuit HS Loranger, La./Saint Paul’s School St. Louis, Mo./De Smet Jesuit HS New Orleans, La./Benjamin Franklin HS Sanford, Fla./Seminole HS Missouri City, Texas/Strake Jesuit College Prep Mobile, Ala./St. Paul’s Episcopal St. Louis, Mo./De Smet Jesuit HS Plaquemine, La./Plaquemine HS Rockwall, Texas/Rockwall HS Hafnarfjordur, Iceland/Flensborgarskolinn Hoover, Ala./Hoover HS
Result L; 2-3 L; 1-2 (2ot) W; 2-1 L; 0-2 L; 0-1 (2ot) W; 1-0 L; 0-2 L; 0-3 L; 1-4 L; 1-2 L; 0-2 L; 1-2 (ot) L; 1-2 L; 1-2 W; 1-0 L; 1-2 L; 0-1 L; 2-3
2015 GSC FINAL STANDINGS Team
GSC
Overall
West Alabama
7-1-1
10-7-2
UAH
7-2
10-6
Lee
6-2-1
11-5-2
Christian Bros
5-3-1
12-5-1
Shorter
5-3-1
8-9-2
West Florida
4-5
12-6
Delta State
3-6
6-10
Miss College*
2-6-1
5-10-1
Union
2-6-1
5-10-1
1-8
3-14
Spring Hill*
*Not eligible for the GSC Tournament during reclassification process
2016 ROSTER
1
2
4
9
11
17
18
Will Carpenter Senior
Alaye Brito Sophomore
Michael Fouts Sophomore
Tapfuma Dimairo Grad.
Viktor Kvarnlof R-Sophomore
Jordan Simon Sophomore
5
6
7
8
12
13
14
15
16
19
20
21
25
28
Andres Alfonso Junior
Luis Ortiz Senior
Ibrahima Ndaw R-Junior
Jack LaForge Sophomore
Otto Candies R-Freshman
Nicholas Hanson Freshman
Ryan Elder Grad.
Jonathan King Freshman
Rodney Johnson Freshman
31
Jackson Hoesley Sophomore
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Alejandro Peralta Diaz - Sophomore
Griffin Morgan Freshman
Grant Freeman Freshman
Ahmet Demirkan Sophomore
Donte Oliver Freshman
Haukur Bjornsson Sophomore
2016 SCHEDULE Date
Opponent
Site
Time
Aug. 28 Sept. 2 Sept. 4 Sept. 9 Sept. 11 Sept. 16 Sept. 18 Sept. 23 Sept. 25 Oct. 5 Oct. 7 Oct. 9 Oct. 12 Oct. 16 Oct. 21 Oct. 23 Oct. 29 Nov. 4 Nov. 5
William Carey University (Exhibition) Missouri S&T at University of Tampa at Lynn University vs. Palm Beach Atlantic University *Christian Brothers University *Union University *at Delta State University *at Mississippi College Mississippi College *at Lee University *at Shorter University at Auburn University at Montgomery *at University of West Florida *University of West Alabama *University of Alabama in Huntsville University of West Florida (Senior Day) vs. Auburn University at Montgomery at Embry-Riddle University
Library Field Library Field Tampa, Fla. Boca Raton, Fla. Boca Raton, Fla. Library Field Library Field Cleveland, Miss. Clinton, Miss. Library Field Cleveland, Tenn. Rome, Ga. Montgomery, Ala. Pensacola, Fla. Library Field Library Field Library Field Daytona Beach, Fla. Daytona Beach, Fla.
3:30 p.m. 3:30 p.m. 11 a.m. EST 4 p.m. EST 1 p.m. EST 3:30 p.m. 3:30 p.m. 4 p.m. 4 p.m. 3:30 p.m. 5 p.m. EST 3:30 p.m. EST 7 p.m. 3 p.m. 1 p.m. 3:30 p.m. 1 p.m. 6:30 p.m. EST 6:30 p.m. EST
*GSC matches
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