Hyped up Hounds hope to avoid complacency
Brian Hungarter
Issue date: 9/2/08 Section: Sports
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Associate Sports Editor
Oh, what a difference one year can make. Coming into the 2007 campaign, the men's soccer team was touted as a young squad given the possibility to compete based upon pure talent. The same team was also taken with a grain of salt and viewed as being at least one year away from becoming any serious threat.
Well, all of those critics can ask the MAAC competition or, for that matter, take the drive down to College Park and ask the Terps if the Greyhounds are a threat after the Hounds fell two penalties short of the second round NCAA upset. After proving themselves as the MAAC's elite team and a solid national contender, those questions of inexperience have gone by the wayside, just like the victims of the 19 Loyola victories in 2007.
"Last year our team had a great attitude," head coach Mark Mettrick said, "We were really focused. It was a good blend across the board of players, and everybody did their job to the best of their ability. There was a difference in a lot of those close games, and obviously we'd like to recapture that this season."
Loyola starts the 2008 season as the projected MAAC champions, featuring statistically the best goalkeeper in the nation, (who happens to be nominated for the Hermann Trophy- the NCAA player of the year), the top returning freshman scorer in the nation, the MAAC's best defensive player (another Hermann Trophy nominee), three other all-MAAC players, and a No. 28 preseason ranking in the College Soccer News poll. With this many preseason accolades, as well deserved as they might be, comes increased expectations, something this blossoming team will have to deal with all season.
"We are definitely now the hunted rather than the hunters," head coach Mark Mettrick said.
For those unaccustomed to the team, Mettrick's philosophy and the lineup of this team loosely (and I stress loosely) resembles that of international giant Real Madrid. Like the Spanish side, Loyola's 4-4-2 formation revolves around a solid defense and working forward with a strong build-up. The Loyola attack typically builds to the outside and chooses to swing in crosses looking for the heads of their two strikers, while maintaining the ability to bring the ball inside to their attacking central midfield.
Forwards
Consistency will be the story here, as the Hounds return their young but strong scoring pair of junior Jamie Darvill and sophomore Phil Bannister. As previously mentioned, Bannister flourished in his first year, leading the NCAA in scoring for freshmen, while notching a team high 33 points with 13 goals.
While Bannister has already been tabbed as the MAAC Preseason Player of the Year in addition to his All-MAAC honor, a decent amount of his success comes as a result of his partnership with forward Jamie Darvill. As many MAAC opponents chose to key on Darvill as opposed to the rookie, with numerous crosses swung into the box, Bannister was consistently able to beat his man and rise up to deliver the goal.
It will be very interesting to see how the pair reacts with Bannister likely garnering more attention from the opposition following his breakout season. In addition to the starting two, sophomore Glenn Leitch and junior John Loaiza look to provide Mettrick with some quality minutes off the bench to keep his two strikers fresh.
"The fact is, Phil is going to get marked," Mettrick said. "We're hoping Jamie can pick up some more goals because of that and take some of the pressure off of Phil. I think it would be good to rotate them a little bit so defenses have to look at something else rather than the same two all the time."
In thought, one could compare Darvill to Ruud Van Nistelrooy, the centerpiece of Real's forward movement, and at least last season, the player defenses chose to try to eliminate. On the other hand, Bannister compares favorably to Raul, with his aptitude for scoring goals and success working off of Darvill. The two combined for 19 goals and 11 assists last season, showing flashes of things to come for this brilliant partnership.
Midfield
Arguably the most important piece of this Greyhound squad for 2008, the central third features no seniors and currently is slated to start only one junior in holding midfielder Mike Deasel. Deasel's energy ranks as one of the strongest in the side, and he provides a tough defensive presence ahead of the back four.
The other main offensive threat for the Green and Grey comes from attacking center midfielder sophomore Eddie Dines, who is the closest example of a number ten role for the Hounds. Dines runs the offense from the center of the park and is inclined to move forward with a knack for finding the netting, as he was second on the squad with 9 goals in 2007.
On the flanks, the speedy sophomore Daniel Ankrah is penciled in for one side while the other side will likely be filled in a rotational form. Ankrah needs to become a more consistent force for Loyola in '08, but his creativity and speed provide a strong weapon for delivering balls for Bannister and Darvill. Other featured mids are sophomore Mike Gill and juniors Wade McHugh and Greg Howard.
"I think our engine room is very good with Deasil and Dines, they work their tails off," Mettrick said, "We've got a nice blend of styles and a strong attitude, which will only lead to success."
Defense
Probably the most consistent third of the Greyhounds, the defense is anchored by MAAC Defensive Player of the Year and team captain junior Tennant McVea. The central defender is the vocal leader of the team and co-ordinates the Loyola defensive plan. He is the key to holding the team together on the back end and is arguably the most important player on the field.
His partner in defense is senior Josh Taylor, a Baltimore native who possesses a very strong tackle, and solidifies the Hounds up the middle. While McVea is the vocal leader, Taylor leads by example, and his tough play reflects in the rest of the team.
On the outside, Loyola will feature two new starters which have yet to be named, but appear to be sophomore Charlie Hutton on the left side and Steven Bantock, a transfer from USC Upstate on the right side. Others looking to get into the mix are Joey Dussalt, Ben Hanson and Cooper Tilton; however a lot of these decisions are going to depend on the great equalizer, the injury bug.
"Last year we had a marvelous season and we were healthy, but we have to be careful," Mettrick said. "There is such a fine line and who is to predict if we will be healthy enough in the right areas?"
Goalkeepers
Last but certainly not least comes the man between the pipes. According to CSN analyst Joe Mauceri said of Milos Kocic, "Of all of the goalkeepers I've seen, he's the most prepared to play in the MLS (Major League Soccer) immediately. His size, positioning and movement are exemplary."
The fantastic junior is the key to a lot of the Hounds' success as he led the nation in goals-against average with 0.47 per game and was second in NCAA with an .889 save percentage. Kocic's 17 clean sheets tied the all-time record of Zach Thornton, currently with Chivas USA of MLS.
Kocic is to the Greyhounds what Spanish star Iker Casillas is to Los Madridistas, the centerpiece of a defensive juggernaut. Kocic possesses the innate ability to not only position himself perfectly but also to determine when to attack balls off his line as opposed to staying at home to fend off a strike.
Without Casillas, Los Blancos would be fighting for a Champions League position in La Liga; without Kocic, the Hounds would be hoping to record a top five finish, but would nonetheless be in good hands with sophomore Kyle Wittman ready to fill any void.
Outlook
One goal of the team was to play a tougher out-of-conference schedule to prepare them for the trials of the postseason. Well, they certainly got their wish, playing ten non-MAAC foes with tough fixtures against Hartwick and Hermann candidate Liam Parrington, Atlantic Sun Conference champions Campbell, and an up-and-coming William & Mary side.
"The nice thing about this season is that we play 10 homes games," Mettrick said. "We also picked up another game, we've got 19 games. That's to give our team a legitimate opportunity to get an at large NCAA tournament bid. I could pick less and easier games and say, 'ah, I can't believe we didn't get in' but knowing I didn't play a hard enough schedule would be tough."
Inside the conference, Loyola's toughest competition will come from the second place tagged Fairfield and Saint Peter's, but Mettrick believes in his team's ability to handle their MAAC opponents because of their special skill sets.
"I think we can score goals, we've got two good forwards," Mettrick said, "and I think we've got very good leadership - I think Tennant, Milos and Josh are great in that area so I think that is a difference maker. Again, attitude is a difference maker. We've also got a nice blend of styles."
Following the success of 2007, anything less than a repeat as MAAC champions and a trip to the NCAA tournament would be a disappointment. "Now there's a tiger on our back," Mettrick said, "but hopefully that motivates us that we know people want to take us on for what we did last year. I hope as competitors we do everything to maintain the level we were at."
"But my goal is to get to the national tournament again but winning games on the field and progress whether through the MAAC championship or an at large bid," Mettrick said. "At the end of the day, that's the rich experience that any collegiate athlete wants to go through. We don't want it to just be just one year here, I wasn't looking for that. We want an era of success."
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