New Talent Looks to Shine for Men's Soccer in 2015

Aug 24 - BETHANY, W.Va. - The Bethany College Men's Soccer team is looking to build on a 2014 season that saw numerous young players gain valuable experience and knowledge. With another big recruiting class coming in that boasts tons of new talent, the Bison's already young nucleus should show up with a new attitude and confidence for the 2015 season.

The Bison welcome 15 freshmen that will have a chance to have a major impact immediately. The Bethany coaching staff put in the time and effort to find talented players, making multiple trips to Florida as well as abroad, including Ireland and England.

"The recruiting was very diverse for us this year," said eighth-year head coach Sean Regan. "We had the opportunity to see a bunch of guys from the Florida area, and were able to travel abroad as well. We were able to focus in and get some guys from out of state."

While freshmen typically go through a large learning curve to adjust to a higher level of competition, this recruiting class seems to have already made that adjustment and will look to showcase that on the field.

"This new group is very talented and they have pushed the upperclassmen extremely hard. There is a battle at every position for the starting spot, and I wouldn't be surprised if we have multiple freshmen in the starting lineup this year," stated Coach Regan.

Captain Jack Waters (Epsom, United Kingdom/Glyn School) has been the one to take on the challenge of showing the freshmen how to be successful. It is no easy task for the junior midfielder, especially with some of the adversity he has faced in his first two years. Waters had to play out of position to solidify some gaps on the field in the past, but now has the chance to move back to a more comfortable position.

"Jack is a good leader and he is able to take on that leadership role both on and off the field," commented Coach Regan. "I trust him to bounce ideas off of, and we have expected a lot out of him, even moving him around because of his experience. Hopefully now though, we can move him to a more natural position due to the influx of talent."

The Bethany offense will be fueled by a group of returning forwards along with some of their new teammates. Incoming sophomores Matt Jones (Goodyear, Ariz./Estrella Foothills) and Abdullahi Abdullahi (Pittsburgh, Pa./Baldwin) along with freshmen such as Corey Ogden (Manchester, England), Frederik Thomsen (Skive, Denmark/Skive), Adam Franco (Rialto, Calif.), and Jay O'Donnell (Cardiff, Wales/Radyr Comprehensive) will look to keep the pressure on opposing defenses in an attempt to revamp the Bison attack.

"We didn't score a lot of goals last year, so that is definitely something we're trying to fix," remarked Coach Regan. "Thomsen has been looking good in training and Franco (a junior college transfer) has been playing at a solid pace and helped out the midfield."

The Bison midfielders will play a large role in their new scheme as well. With players who saw significant playing time now out of the picture, there are many open position battles for starting spots. Players that should be in contention for those extra minutes include Waters, Rey Aguilar (Homestead, Fla.), Cristian Corona (Miami, Fla./Southdade Senior) as well as O'Donnell, Franco, and Thomsen.

The Bethany defense showed its potential last season, holding opponents to two goals or less six times. In a 2-1 victory over Penn State – New Kensington, the defense stood strong and allowed just four shots total. With the addition of some freshmen talent along the back line, the Green & White should be a tough unit in 2015.

 "We're bringing in some freshmen that should make an impact right away.  There are guys who played last year, and also many freshmen that could see lots of time as well," Coach Regan said. "Daniel Booth (Stockport, Cheshire, England), Alec Burak (Melbourne, Fla./Eau Gallie), Reynoldo Reyes (Melbourne, Fla./Eau Gallie), Kai Whitney (Melbourne, Fla./Eau Gallie), and Juan Zapata (Homestead, Fla./South Dade) have all been impressive and are looking to make an impact in the starting lineup or get important time off the bench. "

The goalkeeping position will feature some familiar faces. The starting spot is still up for grabs, and a handful of returning goalies are looking to win the job. Junior Callum Appleby (Maidstone, United Kingdom/Maidstone Grammar School), sophomore Richard Martinez (Miami, Fla./Southdade Senior), and sophomore Riley Harrison (Ballarat, Australia/Ballar Grammar) will combine to make up the final Bison line of defense.

Appleby led the team in saves during the 2014 campaign and Martinez showed his potential as he captured his first shutout while logging 14 saves against President's Athletic Conference (PAC) rival Thiel. Appleby started seven games last season, Martinez had five, while Harris made two starts.

Coach Regan remarked, "Goalkeeping is going to be a challenge because we do have many good goalkeepers. Each keeper has a different style that can help in different scenarios, and depending on how we want to play, a different keeper could fit in for us. We're going to take it game by game and if each one continues to perform well, it'll make my job easier. "

After graduating five seniors and returning few upperclassmen, the Green & White are excited about the young talent and their chances to help the team right away. With the influx of talent, the Bison will be looking to get back to conference supremacy in the 2015 season and beyond.  

"Basically, were taking it one game at a time," commented Regan. "It might have to be baby steps with such a large percentage of our team being freshman and sophomores.

"We're not expecting miracles, but our goal is to step up in conference and make our way to the top. Finishing in the top five is a very realistic target and the key is to continue to gain experience as we go."