DAYTON (OH) – After years of knocking on the door, the 2008 Dayton men’s soccer team broke through in a big way with the program’s first appearance in the NCAA tournament. Were the Flyers of last year the most talented team to date? Maybe, maybe not. What did separate them was an ability to come up large when it mattered most – the A10 postseason tournament. Dayton won the automatic bid and assured themselves a spot in the NCAA field; a good thing considering the Flyers were bubblicious for an at-large bid. A first round exit to Illinois-Chicago couldn’t spoil the progress made from a 15-4-3 campaign. Head Coach Dennis Currier installed his run-and-gun offensive style as soon as he came to Dayton. Some were skeptical if the Xs and Os of Division-II soccer would work at the highly competitive D-I level. It took some time to recruit the type of players to make it happen, but so far so good. With a bunch of talent returning and some flattering preseason press clippings to manage, expectations are at an all-time high.

PERSONNEL LOSSES

Target forward Florian “Frenchie” DeCamps, a 6-4 aerial assault weapon, tied for team lead in points (9 goals, 5 assists) and was a mainstay in the Flyer offense over the last two seasons. DeCamps was at his best when given the latitude to make things happen by instinct, but was equally dangerous in the air. Some of UD’s most impressive moments came when DeCamps went airborne and placed lethal headers on goal against smaller defenders. The loss of his size and talent won’t be easily replaced.
Bulgarian native Simeon Zapryanov, at 6-3, brought size to the attack as well. He started 18 matches and notched five assists in a complimentary role up top.

Midfielder Joe Olwig meant as much to the team as anyone. He was a main cog in the middle of the field and started every match last season, tallying three goals and one assist. Olwig never got the credit he deserved for doing a lot of the little things and his presence will be missed.
Daniel March, another European import, playing sparingly.

Redshirt junior goalkeeper Alex Davis of Minneapolis started five matches in 2008 for a total of 467 minutes, but elected not to return for a fifth year. Sophomore Josh Albers started four matches in nine overall appearances and elected to transfer to Kentucky. Albers scored three goals and added two assists in 2008. Matt Barnes, a 6-2 goalkeeper from Georgia, did not see action last year and left the program. Also departing is freshman GK Patrick Hardt from Wisconsin and frosh midfielder Luke Baker of Coventry, England (15 appearances, 2 starts).

SENIORS

Alex Torda, a 2008 Hermann Trophy nominee, returns for his senior year and leads the Flyer offense. The First Team All A10 member led the team in goals (10) last season and has a strong work rate on the field that rubs off on teammates. He also draws a lot of attention, opening the field for others to make an impact. Torda likes to float in the midfield and burst up top on fast breaks for quick counter-attacks.

Jeff Popella, a Carroll HS product, has been playing soccer for UD since 1989 – or at least that’s how it feels. He started two matches in 22 appearances last year and notched four goals and two assists in the process. At 6-1, Popella is another target forward and has a great chance to step up in that role with the departure of DeCamps. Senior Forward Ryan Hartman has played sparingly over three seasons but has the respect of his teammates. He’s earned the coveted “red jersey” in the past as a hard-nosed competitor and has a chance to make a larger impact this year. He played in seven matched in 2008.

In the midfield, high-energy Isaac Kissi tallied five goals and two assists as a junior, good for third best on the team. Kissi started five matches in 21 appearances and has an extra gear when he turns it on. If and when Kissi can demonstrate that effort more consistently, he has the tools to lead the team in scoring. Alongside Kissi is Zach Weiss, a reliable midfielder with three solid seasons under his belt. Weiss started 16 matches in 2008 with two goals and five assists to show for it. Weiss does a lot of the dirty work and contributes in ways that don’t always appear in the box score. Oftentimes he’s the player that finds a teammate with room to make the next big play. Ben Murray has en engine that doesn’t quit. The senior midfielder loves to cheat forward and put dangerous crosses into the box – especially near the baseline. Named UD’s MVP by his teammates, Murray brings a lunch pail attitude to the field and allows his play to do the talking. With 43 career starts, a great senior year will be critical to UD’s overall success.

The back line is experienced and could end up as one of the program’s all-time best. Texas native Randy Dennis started 15 matches in 17 starts and has been a perennial starter since his freshman season. He seemed to lose his confidence for a short stretch last year and fell out of favor, but recovered well when plugged back in. Blessed with good speed and instincts, Dennis is the kind of player that annoys opposing strikers. Sonny Renner, a one-time transfer from Central Florida, brings many of the same tools as Dennis and has 27 career starts in the back line and midfield. Renner isn’t flashy but is consistent and has the endurance to handle a full 90 with ease. Nottingham, England native Ryan Handbury holds everything together in the back line. A warlock that brings a physical presence, Handbury played every minute of every match over the last two seasons and has started every game of his college career. A prototypical defender with solid instincts and an ability to avoid mistakes, the defensive identity of the Flyers is largely a result of Handbury’s presence.

RETURNING VETS

Continuing with the defense, junior Tommy Watkins started 21 matches last year, which followed a terrific freshman season that was cut short with a broken leg. Watkins goes hard on every play – especially for 50/50 balls and tackles – which makes his presence all the more comforting when combined with the senior defenders. Sophomore Jack Pearson of Coventry, UK, made 21 starts in the back line and played the second most minutes on the team. At 6-3, Pearson has great size to pick off long balls over the top and compliments the other defenders very well. The 2008 All Rookie selection was named the team defensive MVP – no small acknowledgement given the deep, experienced, and talented pool of defenders at Dennis Currier’s disposal. Pearson also scored four times.

Sophomore defender Alex Frenz, a product of Whitefish Bay, WI, played in six matches last year. With a year under his belt, he provides good depth in the Flyer back line. Redshirt junior Kyle Basil, a defender from Chillicothe HS, has yet to see action as a Flyer. Redshirt freshman Michael Deyhle from Cincinnati LaSalle HS, sat out last year to learn the ropes.
In the midfield, redshirt freshmen John Sobey and Jonny Phipps are both at least six feet tall and should add depth as they develop experience. The same goes for 6-1 Mario Falsetti of Elk Grove, WI. Redshirt sophomore Johnny Daniels transferred from Penn State last year but did not see action either.

In goal, redshirt sophomore Tyler Picard started 17 matches in 2008. His 0.97 goals-against average was a great start to a promising career and should be the frontrunner for the starting job on opening day.

NEWCOMERS

The list of names is long and distinguished. Help from true freshmen and a bevy of transfers should inject some much-needed depth and experience into the roster, especially in the midfield and offense where it’s needed most.

Matt Russo (Duncan, TX) is the lone defender brought in. Midfield help comes from the addition of Daniel Rice (Annandale, VA), Ryan Bauer (O’Fallen, MO), Henrick Karlsson (Vasteras, Sweden), and Sewell Strifler (Plano, TX). Bauer was tabbed as one of the Top-15 recruits in the nation by Top Drawer Soccer and is a solid bet to start right away. He is one of the most highly-recruited players to enter the program in several years. Strifler is another Top-100 recruit and like Bauer he was named to the A10 Preseason All-Rookie team. Karlsson transfers in from Division-II Bridgeport with solid credentials and has two seasons of eligibility.

Help at striker comes from Nate Dombrowski (Flower Mound, TX), Evan McCreary (Canton, OH), Seun Adejobi (Columbus, OH), and Peter Chilemena (Lusaka, Zambia). Dombrowski played for the same prep team as Strifler, a program that was ranked #1 in the nation. McCreary is the third Flyer named to the A10 preseason All-Rookie team. Chilemena is a graduate student transferring in from the University of Zambia. At 6-3, he’s an added target forward in the Flyer offense and has good athleticism.

In goal, redshirt freshman Josh Lavallee joins the program from Upland, CA. Sam Cooksey arrives from O’Fallen, MO, where he was named Missouri Goalkeeper of the Year. He was also All-State twice.

SCHEDULE

The Flyers open the season at home on Sep. 1, against local rival Cincinnati. An ambitious three-game road trip starts with a match at Oakland, then Denver, and finally the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. UD returns to Baujan Field on Sep. 18, for a game against Bowling Green and follows it up two days later with a trip across town to play Wright State. SIU-Edwardsville once again visits Dayton the following weekend along with Alabama A&M. A road match at Canisius polishes off the non-conference portion of the schedule.

Looking inside the A10, the home schedule is as favorable as it gets. St. Louis makes its first-ever A10 appearance at Baujan Field (hard to believe), while conference contenders UMass, Charlotte, and Rhode Island must play in Dayton as well. With the last three conference matches at home, the dominos are set up perfectly for a great league record heading into the A10 tournament at Kingston, RI. Combined with a challenging but not overly diabolical non-conference slate, there’s no reason to think the Flyers can’t match or improve upon last year’s win total.

NUTS AND BOLTS

Dayton is in a great spot. Proven depth on defense will be a team strength all year, while the attacking style Coach Currier likes to play has all-conference talent to rely on as well. The loss of Florian DeCamps shouldn’t be minimized however. He was a game-changer and prototypical target forward capable of holding off defenders and distributing to others. Dayton needs someone to take over that roll. Popella or Chilemena could provide that, or the Flyers could “Fire Ant” the problem by throwing bodies up top to tag-team the goal scoring. Torda should be one of the league’s most dangerous players again and loves to work for loose change in the midfield. The same goes for veterans Murray and Weiss. Kissi is the proverbial “X” factor.

Defensively, Dayton must show a bit more consistency resisting counter attacks. The Flyers showed great poise in turning away scoring chances for 60 minutes at time, but then fell vulnerable to the random breakaway that disrupted the control of play. Tyler Picard is a young but talented goalkeeper providing a solid last line of defense.

Currier’s teams are 16-0-2 at Baujan Field over the last two seasons. Expect that to continue as the Flyers protect the home field as well as any opponent on the schedule protects their own. A hallmark of last year’s team was a great work ethic and commitment to winning loose balls. That’s where most matches are won or lost – there’s simply too much parity in men’s soccer to take a night off. The small details are the difference between a 7-9-2 program and a 15-4-3 squad playing in the NCAA tournament.

THE LAST WORD

This could be Dayton’s best team ever. There is no Chris Rolfe, Denny Clanton, or RJ Kaszuba, but there’s a lot of talent at a lot of positions and most of that talent has considerable experience. Where other programs lose their edge when heading to the bench, Currier has assembled a roster containing 19-20 starter-caliber players with only 11 spots to fill. It’s a great position to be in as a coaching staff, allowing them to roll with the hot hands while sitting the cold ones. With several media sources already tabbing the Flyers as a ranked team, expectations are incredibly high. What counts the most is how a team finishes. No longer playing the underdog role, Dayton must come to terms with expecting everyone’s best game over an entire season. Opponents play just a little harder knowing they have a chance to knock off a quality foe.

If the Flyers can do all of these things and avoid the typical pitfalls of injuries and bad chemistry, there’s no reason to think Dayton’s top billing in the preseason league voting can’t come true. If Currier’s players take one match at a time, there isn’t an opponent on the schedule that can’t – or shouldn’t – be had. Obstacle number one is next Tuesday against the Bearcats.