2007 Season Preview....
KING'S TO FEATURE YOUNG SQUAD IN 2007
WILKES-BARRE -- The 2007 King's College men's
soccer team will field one of its more inexperienced teams in recent
seasons after the graduation of seven seniors who were all significant
players the past four years.
This season, second-year head coach Mark Bassett will look to mesh his
first recruiting class of 17 rookies with 16 returnees in an attempt to
improve on last season's 6-13 squad. In all, the Monarchs have just two
seniors and six juniors, while the remaining 25 players are freshmen and
sophomores
Offensively,
King's returning scorers combined for just 10 goals last season. Junior forward
Cameron Audette (Ballston
Lake, NY/Shenendehowa) is the top
returning scorer. Audette (left) totaled 10 points on two goals and six
assists a year ago. Sophomore forward Grant Parsons (Pen Argyl, PA/Faith
Christian-Roseto) is the next highest
returning scorer with seven points on two goals and three assists.
Junior defender Ryan
Symons (Wilkes-Barre/Coughlin) added three
goals while junior forward
Nate Buckwalter (Birdsboro, PA/Daniel Boone)
had two goals.
Other returning players looking to aid the offense include junior
Mike Buckwash (Coal Township, PA/Lourdes Regional)
and sophomore
Brian McElroy (Dresher, PA/Upper Dublin)
,
In the midfield, senior Mark Timko (Scotch Plains, NJ/St.
Joseph's Metuchen), junior
Paul Racz (North Branch, NJ/St. Joseph's Metuchen),
sophomore Patrick McCarthy (Bensalem,
PA/Conwell-Egan), and sophomore Brian Haldeman (Mechanicsburg,
PA/Trinity) are returning players who will
be counted on for their experience.
Defensively, King's will be paced by
senior captain
Brandon Placke (Ballston Lake, NY/Spa Catholic), who is picture at
right.
Sophomores
Adam Frederick (Millville, NJ/Millville),
Richard Melber (River Edge, NJ/River Dell),
and
Alex Henery (Monroe, NY/Monroe-Woodbury all look to make major
contributions. Senior Kyle Custer (Absecon,
NJ/St. Augustine Prep), who sat out last season, returns to the
defense.
Senior goalie
John McNichol (West Chester, PA/Devon Prep)
is the returning starter but must fend off the challenge of two
promising freshmen keepers. McNichol made 65 saves with a 2.52 GAA
in 2006, his first year as a starter.
Freshmen looking to help out on the offensive end
include Belfast, Northern Ireland native Ryan Murphy. He will be
joined by Stephen Saylor (Westbury, NY/Kellenberg), Kevin
Moulton (Mountaintop/Crestwood), and Andrew Ciemiecki
(Bushkill/East Stroudsburg North).
Rookie midfielders include Dan Carle (Halifax/Halifax), Dan
Horn (Kingston/Bishop Hoban), Derek Penzort (Lebanon/Cedar Crest),
Dan Mortenson (Woodbridge/Woodbridge), and Dan Kosydar
(Olyphant/Mid Valley).
Newcomers on defense include Sam Cressler (Dillsburg/Northern York),
Josh Stocker (Nazareth/Nazareth), Andrew Neyer
(Cheltenham/Bishop McDevitt), Nate Madison (Mount Carmel/Lourdes
Regional), and Justin Piscarik (Vandling/Forest City).
Two goalies battling for the top spot include Kaleb Smith (Beavertwon/Mid
West) and Tim Kelly (Philadelphia/Archbishop Ryan). Freshmen
Chris Beekman (Washington Township, NJ/Westwood) rounds out the
Monarch roster.
as
of 8/30/07
