Saints Selected to Repeat as UMAC Champions in the 2015 Coaches' Preseason Poll
2015 UMAC Men’s Soccer Coaches’ Poll
1. 63 Points – College of St. Scholastica (7 First Place Votes)
2. 55 Points – University of Wisconsin-Superior (1)
3. 52 Points – University of Minnesota-Morris (1)
4. 44 Points – University of Northwestern
5. 34 Points – Crown College
6. 31 Points – Bethany Lutheran College
7. 22 Points – Martin Luther College
8. 12 Points – North Central University
9. 11 Points – Northland College
ST. PAUL – 2014 Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) men’s soccer champion, the College of St. Scholastica is predicted to again claim the conference title in 2015. The Saints earned a total of 63 points and seven first place votes to take the top spot in the annual coaches' preseason poll. The University of Wisconsin-Superior finished in second place earning 55 points with the University of Minnesota-Morris earning 52 points and claiming third place.
1. College of St. Scholastica Saints
2014 Overall Record: 20-3-0
2014 UMAC Record: 14-0-0
2014 UMAC Finish: 1st
Starters Returning: 7
Starters Lost: 5
The St. Scholastica men’s soccer team has put up historic offensive numbers the past few seasons thanks to the help of three-time UMAC Offensive Player of the Year Andrew Jenkins. However, head coach Barry Chastey enters the 2015 campaign without Jenkins as well as two-time UMAC Defensive Player of the Year Ben Cullen. On top of that, the Saints will have questions in goal with the unexpected loss of goalkeeper Jacob Ballheimer.
CSS still returns firepower offensively in junior forward Kyle Farrar. In two seasons with the Saints, Farrar has earned all-region accolades. Also back in the midfield is senior distributor Sean Morgan. Morgan has finished second in the nation in assists the past two seasons. Another senior Tom Corcoran is also back. The offensive-minded center back has earned third team all-region honors the past two seasons.
Others to watch include junior forward Shawayne Folkes, who was named the UMAC Tournament MVP last season. Jonny Winter had a solid freshman campaign in the midfield with four goals and seven assists as did Charlie Crane.
Sophomore Ben Phillips returns to the backline after starting 18 games as a freshman. With the departure of Ballheimer, who set a program record with 14 shutouts as a freshman, look for senior Chris Rothstein and sophomore Sandy Davidson-Hunt to battle for the starting spot.
2. University of Wisconsin-Superior Yellowjackets
2014 Overall Record: 9-10-1
2014 UMAC Record: N/A
2014 UMAC Finish: N/A
Starters Returning: 3
Starters Lost: 8
Perhaps there has been no finer example of the thrills and agonies of sports than the UW-Superior men’s soccer team over the past two seasons. In November 2013 the Yellowjackets hit the pinnacle, claiming in the inaugural championship in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. Despite the loss of some key players from that squad, the Yellowjackets entered the 2014 campaign with sky-high hopes and expectations, only to have their season derailed by a second-half slide that left the team under the .500 mark when the dust settled.
With the 2015 season nearing, the landscape has changed dramatically for the Yellowjackets. For the second year in a row a significant group, both in terms of size and contributions, has left due to graduation. Also gone is 2014 WIAC Co-Player of the Year Gio Rodriguez, who left UW-Superior to move up to NCAA Division II in his home state of California. Despite the losses, the Yellowjackets have the pieces in place to make some noise in their first season in the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference.
Leading the way for the Yellowjackets and head coach Joe Mooney, who is entering his eighth season, is Joey Gustafson. Gustafson was an all-conference selection in 2014 and represented the United States this summer in Brazil. Gustafson is one member of another large senior class that will lead the way for what will be a fairly inexperienced club. Other returners who will play a significant role in 2015 include midfielder Ryan Linsmayer and forward Jon Bucklew.
3. University of Minnesota Morris Cougars
2014 Overall Record: 13-6-2
2014 UMAC Record: 10-2-2
2014 UMAC Finish: 2nd
Starters Returning: 5
Starters Lost: 6
The men’s soccer team brings back a core of players from its second place conference finish last season in 2015, led by keeper Cody Christ, the 2015 UMAC Co-Defensive Player of the Year. Morris also welcomes back All-UMAC players Shingo Yamane, Zachary Jacobson and Jacob Gindt.
Last year UMM reached the UMAC Championship for the eighth straight time. This season the Cougars are looking for their second trip to the NCAA Tournament, the first coming in 2011.
A bunch of newcomers will make an immediate impact for the Cougars and Scott Turnbull is excited to see the team’s depth in action.
4. University of Northwestern Eagles
2014 Overall Record: 7-12-2
2014 UMAC Record: 7-5-2
2014 UMAC Finish: 3rd
Starters Returning: 9
Starters Lost: 2
Northwestern graduated five players in 2015, two of which earned all-conference awards, including the decorative, defensive starter, Robbie Denniston. The Eagles allowed 22 goals during league play last year with three different keepers in the goal.
Five players notching all-conference awards return to the field this year. Matthew McCann ended his debut season leading the Eagles with seven goals and three assists. The freshman took home the 2014 UMAC Rookie of the Year Award as a result. Former Rookie of the Year (2013) Eric Fast continued to have success last season with five goals and four assists. The midfielder ended his 2014 campaign second in points for Northwestern.
Joshua Fryc moved to the defensive position last season after thriving on offense his freshman year. Playing in 18 games, the 6-4 defender was a force to reckon with on the back side and will be a valuable returner this year.
5. Crown College Storm
2014 Overall Record: 9-9-2
2014 UMAC Record: 7-6-1
2014 UMAC Finish: 4th
Starters Returning: 6
Starters Lost: 7
Head Coach Alex Reyes begins his second season with the Crown College Storm in 2015. He looks to improve on last year’s performance and earn a spot in the post season tournament for the second consecutive year.
With a large portion of his freshmen recruiting class returning, he is expecting the extra year of experience to help his team outperform last year’s team.
Boasting 10 new incoming players, Coach Reyes is very excited about the potential of his team this new season. He hopes the new freshmen can buy into the mentality of his team quickly and have an immediate impact on the outcome of games.
6. Bethany Lutheran College Vikings
2014 Overall Record: 6-11-3
2014 UMAC Record: 6-5-3
2014 UMAC Finish: 5th
Starters Returning: 5
Starters Lost: 6
The 2015 Bethany Men’s Soccer team will bring to the field confidence and leadership to compete for a UMAC conference tournament appearance similar to the 2013 season. The experience of the eight returning seniors that finished with a (6-11-3 overall and 6-5-3 UMAC) record last year will be looked upon this season to lead the team both offensively and defensively.
The Vikings will be led offensively by seniors Jason Buechler, Michael Loquercio, Jorge Perez and sophomore Broderick Brown. Defensively, the Vikings will be led by sophomore goalkeeper Matt Bitter who helped the team greatly last season by starting all 20 games in goal. He will have to shine bright since this year’s squad with consist of a whole new back line of defense. The biggest loss for this year’s team will be the departure of Ben Moldstad who led all scorers last season with six goals, two assists and 14 total points.
The team will welcome seven incoming freshman to the team who look to make an immediate impact on the defensive end where the team will need to be the most consistent to reach the UMAC conference tournament.
7. Martin Luther College Knights
2014 Overall Record: 6-11-0
2014 UMAC Record: 6-8-0
2014 UMAC Finish: 6th
Starters Returning: 9
Starters Lost: 4
The Martin Luther College men’s soccer team hopes a strong mix of returning veterans and talented newcomers can help the program improve on last season’s 6-11 campaign and return to the UMAC postseason tournament with a finish inside the top four in the final standings.
The Knights are led by returning midfielder Aaron Markgraf, who led the team with nine goals and 20 total points as a sophomore in 2014 on the way to being named Second Team All-UMAC. Colin Bahmer (two goals in 2014) leads a strong group of experienced players alongside Markgraf that also includes Ethan Schultz and Elijah Kroll, while newcomers Aaron Swanson, Josh Koelpin and Hugo Ugalde-Berner will also figure into the mix for playing time up front.
One of the other key returners for the Knights is goalkeeper Caleb King, who finished his freshman season with a 2.27 GAA and .761 save percentage. In front of him, the Knights return most of last season’s starters, including Jake Zietlow, Jon Neumann, and Wes Towne. MLC will also welcome back Micah Koelpin, a two-year contributor who missed most of last season due to a season-ending injury. Like the positions in the midfield and forward, Head Coach Paul Koelpin (entering his 20th season) figures to have a faster, more athletic group on the back end.
8. North Central University Rams
2014 Overall Record: 1-16-0
2014 UMAC Record: 0-14
2014 UMAC Finish: 8th
Starters Returning: 9
Starters Lost: 1
Change is coming to the men’s soccer at North Central University. In addition to the returning veterans, another large recruiting class will be added to the ranks making the 2015 roster the largest in team history.
The incoming group brings a wealth of experience which will challenge the returning squad for playing time. All three lines will benefit from the added intra-squad competition. Captains Luke Majerle and Tyler Maag are returning to lead the team as is 2014 UMAC Honorable Mention selection, David Afolabi.
The Rams are also eager to begin the inaugural season on our new turf field in Elliot Park. After decades of playing games and conducting practices at various soccer facilities around the metro area, the team is looking forward to coming home to our neighborhood, our campus, and our fans.
Head coach Jake Smith will be joined by two new assistants, George Carr and Darrin Kraines. Both are former Rams and bring experience and passion for the game and Rams soccer.
9. Northland College Lumber Jacks
2014 Overall Record: 4-15-0
2014 UMAC Record: 2-12-0
2014 UMAC Finish: 7th
Starters Returning: 7
Starters Lost: 4
The Northland College Men’s Soccer team is looking forward to the 2015 season. They will be returning seven starters including the UMAC All-Conference Goalkeeper Colton Schreyer, and Will Gibbens who received Honorable Mention at Midfield. Coming off an injury plagued season, the Jack are excited about getting a healthy start to the season and building momentum through early non-conference games.
The Lumberjacks add several new faces that will give them added depth in multiple positions. Hector Gaona, Bryce Merrell and Patrick Shea should all figure in the Jacks’ plans this year, while Noah Olson, Alastair Merton and Connor Nowicki hope to provide depth.
The Jacks hope to build on their four win season of last year with added experience and new faces. Coach Kirsten is excited to see how this new team comes together and is ready to put this group of athletes to the test.