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2019 UD Men's Soccer Preview
2019 UD Men's Soccer Preview
Christopher Rieman
Published by Chris R
08-26-2019
Smile 2019 UD Men's Soccer Preview

The Dayton Flyers men’s soccer team finished 2018 with a 9-6-4 (4-3-1) record, following 9-8-2 and 8-9-3 marks in the two prior seasons. UD last qualified for the NCAA Tournament in 2015 (a 2nd Rd appearance) so it’s been a while since the Flyers earned double-digit victories, let alone felt like a favorite to win the A10 regular season title.

UD upset host Davidson in the first round of last year’s A10 Tournament in a 2OT thriller, but subsequently lost a similar 2OT contest to GW in the conference semifinals. The defense was a solid group in 2018, surrendering just 16 goals in 19 matches (0.84 GAA), but Dayton struggled at the other end of the field. Usually a Flyer staple under Head Coach Dennis Currier, the high-octane offense sputtered throughout the season and never found a groove. Unable to generate consistent scoring output, Dayton found the back of the net just 22 times – a fraction more than a goal a match. In past seasons the scoring average was nearly double or triple (oftentimes putting UD among the nation’s scoring leaders).

Unable to outscore opponents, the Flyers were forced into low-scoring matches to grind out ugly but gritty results. Sometimes it worked, but not often enough to create any separation within the A10 standings and make UD a conference title contender. Instead, Dayton had to work overtime just to qualify for the A10 Tournament. To their credit UD almost made the A10 Finals, but soccer is not a game of horseshoes and without any hope of an NCAA at-large bid (with UD’s scheduling approach there rarely is), the automatic bid from the league was once again Dayton’s only fleeting chance at a postseason appearance.

DEPARTURES

Fortunately, the Flyers were a young group last year and graduated just two seniors – Aidan Bean (2g, 17 starts) and Dennis Kluba (1 minute of action). Freshmen Andrew Cross (12 appearance, 2g, 1a) and defender Augustin Volker (13 starts) also moved on. Additional players that saw no action in 2018 did not return but the majority of the team is back on campus.

RETURNEES

The Flyers return senior Rok Taneski, a speedy forward that causes trouble when dribble-driving defensive players. After a 10 goal/7 assist sophomore season, Taneski’s number’s dipped significantly last year (2g, 3a) despite taking the most shots of any player in the A10. Inexplicably, he still bagged postseason honors with a 2nd Team All-Conference selection in spite of minimal production and long stretches where he appeared frustrated at his own lack of execution.

Junior Jonas Fjeldberg took half as many shots as Taneski but led the team in scoring (4g, 2a) and returns for a senior year poised as Dayton’s most experienced and reliable scorer. Unfortunately, no one else registered more than two goals in 2018 so it’s not just Fjeldberg and Taneski that must increase scoring production to give the Flyers a chance to win more matches.

Senior Laurel Aug (2g, 3a) tied Taneski for second on the team in points and is another player in the central third of the field hoping to take a step forward. Alongside Aug, several other players chipped in a couple goals last year and will be asked to take on a greater burden in the Dayton attack – whether from the back line on set pieces or in the offense doing business inside the box. Sophomore defender Alias Harryson (2g, 2a) and senior midfielder Daniel Dos Santos (1g, 3a) started all 19 matches a year ago and bring a wealth of experience to the lineup.

Likewise, sophomore midfielder Jake Feiner and junior forward Jacob Degler each had nine starts and registered two goals and one assist. From there however, there’s not much left in terms of offense and the Flyers lack a true Rolls Royce option that strikes fear into opposing defenses. Lack of consistency has been part of the problem. Taneski must shake off last year’s rust and put up numbers equal to or better than his sophomore campaign. Fjeldberg must put up similar numbers. Everyone else must fill in the gaps. Dayton isn’t going to out-pace most opponents with a dozen players chipping in one or two goals over the course of the season. Contending teams have two or three players no one else has and when the Xs and Os crumble, those players make coaches look smart by creating something out of nothing. When they do that, they typically have pretty good stats as well.

Junior defender Isaac Mensah and senior David Lianes combined for 36 starts last year and should once again be mainstays in the rotation, but they aren’t goal scorers and the Flyer defense was already solid. It should be solid yet again if these two players continue to see the field. Senior defender Cole Watkins (17 starts) reinforces things and should give Dayton one of the more experienced and capable back lines in the A10.

Defensively, the best player is also the last line of defense. Senior GK Federico Barrios has been a three-year starter and is UD’s most-talented goalkeeper – perhaps ever. With cat-like quickness and reaction times, soft hands, terrific ball-tracking to maintain his line, and an ability to come up big in the biggest moments of a match, Barrios is probably the best player at his position on the Flyer roster and best overall goalkeeper in the A10. He can single-handedly keep the Flyers in matches and deny otherwise certain goals with his flair and heroics. He’s had a strong defensive unit in front of him to make things easier, but there’s no denying his ability to pull off the improbable save when things look dire.

Other returnees that saw solid minutes a year ago also return and have a chance to move up the pecking order. Bottom line however: the offense must come to life and be far less predictable in their style of play.

NEWCOMERS

Currier brought in a huge incoming class and in typical fashion it’s a hodge-podge of state-side players and internationals, true freshmen and older transfers. Perhaps the large class is indicative of the staff’s own concerns about scoring production and if the two exhibition matches are any measurement, should remain a primary focus point early in the season.

Several new faces saw heavy minutes in the preseason but the UD staff did not go deep into the bench against either IUPUI or Bowling Green. In other words, most of the newcomers are complete unknowns.

Names to keep an eye on include sophomore central MF Kingsford Adjei (Ghana) and freshman forward Toluwalese Oladeinbo (Nigeria). Both possess a wealth of speed and athleticism but had trouble translating it into meaningful production in the two scrimmages. The style is there, but the substance has yet to materialize.

Freshman defender Xavier Zengue (North Oaks, MN) got the starting nod in the preseason as an outside fullback and showed some promise. While the Flyer strength was already in the back line, Zengue adds additional size and athleticism to an already competent group.

Overall, UD brought in 14 new players comprising almost half of the entire roster. It’s hard to say which ones will see meaningful minutes and who may watch from the bench. UD rarely goes more than 14 or 15 deep so expecting most or all of them to make a contribution in 2019 is unlikely.

SCHEDULE

The Flyers bus to Columbus for a two-game tournament hosted by Ohio State. UD plays Illinois-Chicago and Call-State Northridge in a pair of neutral-site matches Flyer fans can easily attend. Dayton returns the favor the following weekend by hosting its own tournament with Ohio State as the home opener at Baujan Field on 10/6. The Flyers host NIU two nights later.

The remainder of the non-conference schedule includes Central Arkansas (A), Detroit (H), West Virginia (A), NKU (H), and Marshall(A). A final non-conference home game vs Oakland is sandwiched in the middle of the A10 season on 10/15.

The A10 schedule commences on 9/28 vs UMass at Baujan Field, followed by George Mason (A), VCU (A), St. Bonaventure (H), Saint Louis (A), Duquesne (H), St. Joseph’s (A), and George Washington (H). The A10 postseason tournament starts 11/9 on campus sites and moves to host Fordham for the semifinals and finals a week later.

Overall there are potential wins on the schedule waiting to be earned. Ohio State, West Virginia, and Oakland are the toughest non-league foes, while UIC is no slouch either. The remaining teams the Flyers can and should beat however. Within the A10, it’s a conference with tremendous year-to-year fluidity. No single program has taken over the mantle as the team to beat in recent years – including Saint Louis. The A10 is not especially strong top to bottom in most seasons and should be the kind of league Dayton can contend for regular season titles every year. For whatever reason that hasn’t been the case. It’s also not a league strong enough to punch an NCAA at-large ticket with. For Dayton, the path to the postseason rests once again over a 10-day period in November to secure the automatic berth.

WHAT MUST GO RIGHT

The Flyers must generate more quality scoring opportunities and fewer half-chances. The offense turns too predictable for long stretches and long-ball play from the back oftentimes makes defending for opposing back lines far easier than it needs to be. A strong midfield presence to act as a conduit from defense to offense can help eliminate some of these habits, but there’s no proven playmaker in the middle that could do the things like an Amass Amankona could. Dayton feels that void every night and the lack of touches in the central third eventually produces impatient long-ball service that is high-risk/high-reward soccer. Too many times the rewards are absent altogether.

Taneski must find his rhythm again and become the player he was two seasons ago. Last year was not a step forward and no one appeared more frustrated at the lack of production than Rok himself. The pressure compounded itself over the course of the season as the rough start became as much a mental hurdle as anything physical because physically Taneski has all the tools. If he can scratch the scoreboard with a couple early goals to start the regular season, his confidence will return and so too his consistency within the Flyer offense.

Likewise, Fjeldberg must double his scoring production and other players must also take significant steps forward in the attacking part of the field. More combination play between the goal boxes would serve the Flyers well, maintain possession, and create advantageous gaps between opposing defensive units rather than serving balls over the top. It’s not that UD doesn’t have speed – the Flyers are incredibly gifted with size, quickness, and athleticism. Balls must find more feet in 2019 however. It’s the only consistent way to beat good teams.

Barrios is Dayton’s surest bet and should give the Flyers a fighting chance every night. The Flyer defense looked solid in the preseason. The offense must figure out a way to produce at least two goals a match to make their efforts worthwhile.

With so many newcomers, at least a few need to make a difference and improve the squad’s overall talent level compared to last year. Dayton has talent, but not at a level that is clearly head and shoulders above half of the teams in the A10. Execution is just as important to UD’s success and if some fresh faces can make the most of their touches early in the season, the entire team should gain some confidence.

PREDICTIONS

Dayton was picked 4th in the 2019 A10 preseason poll. On one hand, Currier returns most of the team that made the A10 semifinals last year and those players should get better if for no other reason than being a year older and wiser. At the same time however, UD does not corner the market on All-Conference players and half the roster is new to the program. Dayton finished a tepid 9-6-4 (4-3-1) a year ago which isn’t exactly running away from the pack. There are more unknowns on this team than sure things and the rest of college soccer probably got better in the offseason as well. Are there enough “separation skills” this year to post 13, 14 or even 15 wins? That’s asking a lot and if the two exhibition matches told us anything, last year’s strengths and weaknesses could remain an ongoing storyline this year as well. To contend for A10 titles, coaches must be able to rattle off their all-conference defenders, playmakers, and goal scorers. The Flyers don’t have that luxury heading into the season opener, but those headlines can always emerge as the season unfolds.

Until then, Dayton has a lot to prove and finishing with an equal or better record than last year could be challenging unless all the aforementioned talking points move the needle forward. The good news is the schedule is not overwhelmingly difficult. This isn’t the ACC where back-to-back-to-back-to-back weekend matchups against Notre Dame, Wake Forest, North Carolina, and Virginia cause bedtime sweats. The bar isn’t terribly high and the Flyers have the potential to hurdle it and make a case for the upper third of the A10 standings. That’s what the conference thinks, but are they correct?

You can’t win if you can’t score and UD had trouble manufacturing quality scoring chances in the two exhibitions against opponents with their own mediocrity issues. If the quality buildup is not there, scoring at all is made infinitely more difficult. UD must find more patience on the pitch and play keep-away until attacking opportunities materialize. It’s a young team as well and patience is not a virtue most young players embrace.

Dayton could certainly wind up in 4th place when the final A10 standings are revealed, but somewhere between 6th and 8th feels more like the ceiling for this team – at least based on last year’s performance, the preseason, and the realities of the returning players and newcomers. College soccer in the men’s side has far more parity than in the women’s game. Every team – even the lousy ones – have great athletes and a couple players that can hurt you. Margins are thin so it’s tougher to predict what can and will happen over the next three months of soccer. The Flyers have some tools and some potential, but also concerns and shortcomings that can’t be overlooked. When margins are thin, it doesn’t leave much room for error.

A10 PREDICTION: 6th
A10 TOURNAMENT: SEMIFINALS
POSTSEASON: NONE
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