Aug. 13, 2007
2007 Men's Soccer Schedule
2007 Men's Soccer Roster
The Northern Illinois men's soccer team returns to DeKalb for the annual Cardinal and Black scrimmage at the Huskie Soccer Field, Wednesday, August 15, at 2 p.m, and after making it to the second round of the NCAA Tournament last season, the team enters 2007 with expectations higher than ever.
"The key word is respond," NIU head coach Steve Simmons said. "It's one thing to achieve what we achieved, but one of the differences between good and great is consistency."
In their effort to make the leap from good to great, the Huskies, ranked No. 26 in the nation by College Soccer News, will count on the talents of four returning all-Mid-American Conference players. Included in that foursome is the 2006 MAC Freshman of the Year Marcus McCarty (Forth Worth, Texas/University of Memphis).
McCarty's 11 goals led the conference, and he also ranked first on the MAC's charts for points (26), and game-winning goals (7).
"Last year, Marcus did well to score timely goals," Simmons said. "He has a knack for getting in the box."
While McCarty will lead the attack, three other 2006 all-MAC performers will secure the Huskie defense.
Goal Keeper Joe Zimka (Alonquin, Ill./Jacobs HS) will start between the pipes, with fellow all-MAC honorees Chris Rufa (Downers Grove, Ill./Downers Grove South HS) and Steve Algozino (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln-Way East HS) headlining a defense that will look to surpass last season's school record-setting 14 shutouts.
Zimka, a junior, registered 11 of those shutouts while setting an NCAA Division I record of 0.21 goals against per game. The 6-foot-4-inch keeper also led the NCAA with a .955 saves percentage (64 saves, 3 goals against).'
Seniors Algozino and Rufa bring the combined experience of 102 matches played to the Huskie backline, and have seen NIU allow only 0.87 goals per game during their tenure.
"(Algozino and Rufa) are the guys that have shown time and time again they can get it done," Simmons said.
Senior Blake Gotkowski (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln-Way East HS) and sophomore Kyle Knotek (Geneva, Ill./Geneva HS) are the frontrunners to flank Algozino and Rufa on the backline. Simmons said sophomore Josh Karsten (Barrington Hills, Ill./Barrington HS) and freshman J.C. Aikenhead (West Chicago, Ill./Wheaton Academy) will also contend for time with the defensive unit.
Regardless of who starts the season-opening exhibition against DePaul, Saturday, August 18, Simmons is confident his barricade will hold.
"The guys in the back keep us in games to give us the chance to win, it's like good pitching," Simmons said.
One junior walks the often-thin line between midfielder and defender, but, regardless of position, is likely to make an impact in 2007. St. Charles, Ill., native Drew Jeskey (St. Charles East HS) has appeared in 36 matches in two seasons as a Huskie, and started 21 of NIU's 22 contests in 2006.
The experience of the Huskie defense is contrasted by the loss of that experience in the midfield. Former NIU outside midfielders Kevin Woerner and Justin McGrane, an All-MAC First Team Member, graduated following the 2006 season, leaving the midfield with some question marks.
While Simmons said he is confident in the play senior Curt Zastrow (North Freedom, Wis./Reedsburg Area HS) brings to the pitch, the other midfield positions are up for grabs, a scenario Simmons loves.
"The competitive environment encourages players to lift their game and bring it every practice," Simmons said. "That atmosphere is another essential part of going from good to great."
A host of midfield talent will be contending for playing time. Juniors Steve Kolzow and Bryan Abdallah (both from Aurora, Ill./Waubonsie Valley HS) have the experience to step in, while sophomores Brad Bahr (Peoria, Ill./Dunlap HS) and Luis De La Cerda (Naperville, Ill./Waubonsie Valley) will also vie for playing time.
In addition, three newcomers will compete for time in a crowded midfield: Danny Lopez (Buffalo Grove, Ill./Oakland University), Luis Mojica (St. Charles, Ill./St. Charles East HS), and Per Engebreth Faerden (Oslo, Sweden).
Though the midfield is clustered with contenders, Simmons voiced confidence, in part because of the interchangeability of his roster.
"We have a few guys that are specialists, and a lot of guys who are versatile," Simmons said. "This is going to allow us to do a lot of things tactically that we couldn't do otherwise."
With pliable parts, Simmons could use his abundance of midfielders to bolster the attack. McCarty is the alpha dog up front, but is also the only striker with more than one season of collegiate experience, and one of only two returning Huskie forwards.
The other goal scorer with experience under Simmons is sophomore Ben Thomas (Hamilton, Ohio/Fairfield HS). Thomas registered a pair of goals and assists in 2006, making him third on the team in points.
Junior college transfer Chris Johnson (Colorado Springs, Col.) will likely see playing time as a forward, partly thanks to two years of experience at Yavapai C.C., one of the top junior college programs in the country.
"Anytime you add guys with a year of experience, the learning curve is much shorter," Simmons said, and added that both Johnson and Lopez will also enjoy the benefits of having played their spring season as Huskies.
During that spring season, Northern Illinois compiled a 3-1-2 record against an impressive array of competition that included two Big Ten teams, and four teams that recorded at least 14 wins during the 2006 season.
"As with our fall schedule, we always look to challenge ourselves in the spring," Simmons said. "We played well and the coaching staff gained valuable insight for the upcoming season."
The 2007 slate opens with exhibitions against DePaul (Aug. 18) and Marquette (Aug. 24), before officially kicking-off against Bucknell, Aug. 31. The game with the Bison is also the opening match of the Northwestern Lakeside Classic, one of four non-conference tournaments the Huskies will play in.
Perhaps the toughest of the four will come at Notre Dame's Mike Berticelli Invitational, Sep. 7-9, where the Huskies will battle College Soccer News' preseason No. 11, the Fighting Irish, and No. 8, Indiana, which eliminated NIU from the NCAA Tournament last season.
"Indiana is the premier program of the Midwest," Simmons said. "We also have rematches against Notre Dame and (No. 20) Northwestern, which were NCAA Tournament teams."
After facing the duo of ranked teams in South Bend, Ind., the Huskies will open in DeKalb with the NIU adidas/Baymont Inn Invitational. The Huskies will face UMKC, Fri. 14, and Butler, Sun. 16.
Other non-conference highlights include a match-ups with Wisconsin, and the annual battle for the LeWang Trophy against UW-Milwaukee. NIU will also travel to Corvallis, Ore., to face Oregon State and Gonzaga, both previous coaching stops for Steve Simmons.
Northern Illinois' Mid-American Conference slate beings Oct. 5 in DeKalb against Western Michigan, and will take on Buffalo at home Oct. 20. The remaining MAC matches are on the road against Akron (Oct. 13), Bowling Green (Nov. 2), and conference newcomer Hartwick (Oct. 28).
"Hartwick has been a national power for decades," Simmons said. "To bring them to the MAC is a superb move for us."
To triumph over perennial powers and take a second-consecutive MAC Championship is clearly NIU's goal for 2007, and doing so will be one more step from good to great.
