2001 Men's Soccer Preview
July 20, 2001 Carolina looks to stay at the top despite losing 78 percent of its goals and 56 percent of its assists from last year's squad. CHAPEL HILL -- The 2000 season arguably was the best in men's soccer history at the University of North Carolina. The Tar Heels won the Atlantic Coast Conference championship with a thrilling, 1-0 overtime win over Virginia in the title game. Carolina, which had been ranked No. 1 in the nation for much of the second half of the season and won a school-record 15 games at one point, was the top overall seed in the 2000 NCAA Tournament and reached the quarterfinals before losing to two-time defending national champ Indiana, 1-0. "Last year helped the confidence of all the players who were on the team," Carolina head coach Elmar Bolowich says. "I think the guys will be hungry to repeat what we accomplished, establish ourselves at the top of the college soccer world and battle for ACC and national championships." The accomplishments of last year's team won't help the 2001 Tar Heels on the field, however. Chris Carrieri, who led the nation in scoring a season ago, bypassed his final year of college and entered the MLS as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2001 MLS draft. Lost to graduation are forward Caleb Norkus and midfielder Eddie Robinson, both of whom are now playing professional soccer. Also lost to graduation are second-team All-ACC midfielder and four-year starter Michael Bucy, big-game performer Matt Laycock and experienced reserve midfielder Carson Porter. In addition, sophomore midfielder Logan Pause, who would have been the team's leading returning scorer, will miss the season after undergoing knee surgery over the summer. In sum, the 2001 Carolina team will be missing five starters, over 78 percent of the goals and 56 percent of the assists tallied by last year's record-setting squad. To help counter the losses, Bolowich has brought in a recruiting class that includes eight freshmen and a junior transfer. "We lost over 50 goals from last year, so we've got to solve that problem somehow, probably with our young players," he says. "That won't be easy, but we also have to rely on our defense and win some 1-0 games. We've got all of our defenders and our goalkeeper coming back, so we need to be able to accumulate shutouts, even in big games. "We lost a lot of leadership and Logan will be out for the year," Bolowich continues. "Logan would have been a natural leader because he knows the game, he takes charge and he organizes. Our more experienced guys will have to step up and lead the group. A lot more focus is on these guys now in terms of their leadership and their maturity. They need to do more than just lead by example this season."
DEFENSE "Michael played with a different level of confidence, particularly toward the end of last season as the games got tougher," Bolowich says. "He stepped up to the plate in several of those games. He made some tremendous saves in the ACC final against Virginia. We need him to remain confident and lead the defense from the back." Entering his fourth consecutive year as a starter, senior sweeper Danny Jackson earned second-team All-America and first-team All-ACC honors last season. He will serve as Carolina's team co-captain for the third year in a row and has recovered from an off-season ankle injury. "Danny is a natural leader, he knows our system and he knows what I expect him to do," says Bolowich. "He knows how our defense should line up and how our midfield should operate. We've talked many times about his role as a leader on this team, and he's willing and capable of accepting that responsibility." Joining Jackson as co-captain is senior marking back Chris Leitch, a three-year starter and strong candidate for All-America honors this fall. "In my opinion, Chris is one of the best defenders in the country because he has speed, he's relaxed and doesn't defend recklessly," Bolowich says. "He controls his environment and if you assign him a task, he's probably going to fulfill it. That's what he takes pride in." The final link to the Carolina defense will be sophomore marking back David Stokes, an all-conference candidate. He underwent knee surgery in the spring but should be at full strength for the season opener. "David should be 100 percent healthy by the start of the season, assuming nothing unforeseen happens over the summer to hinder his recovery," Bolowich says. "His experience last year as a starter can help him be a dominant defender this season." The trio of Jackson, Leitch and Stokes played almost every minute of every game last year. With Ueltschey entering his third straight year as the undisputed starter in goal, Carolina should boast one of the nation's best defenses once again this season. "We didn't substitute much on defense last year and our defenders pretty much played 90 minutes a game," says Bolowich. "I hope that will be the case again. That's part of the way we play at Carolina -- our forwards and midfielders are the legs on the field, while our defenders have to concentrate more as they stay back."
MIDFIELD "We are asking a heck of a lot of our midfield in terms of intense play, running non-stop and creating things," says Bolowich. "I don't know how we're going to reshape our midfield with Logan not being there this season. I could see that one or two freshmen will start for us, and it could be in the midfield or up front." Senior Noz Yamauchi, who in three years as a regular starter has established himself as one of the ACC's top playmakers, returns to the flank. He can also play forward. "I hope that Noz will step up and have his best season yet," Bolowich says. "Noz is not naturally a leader, but he can lead by example by being consistent, by being there when we need him and making an impact." Matt Crawford started 22 games last year and tallied seven assists. He also returns to the midfield. "I think Matt will take more of a vital role -- he's a competitor," says Bolowich. "When Eddie [Robinson] graduated, we lost a ball-winner. I hope Matt can fill some of that role in the middle. Grant Porter has to be a ball-winner in the midfield as well, taking over for Logan. I think Matt and Grant will be a good combination for us in the midfield." Porter, a sophomore who started eight games as a defensive midfielder last fall, will move into a starting role this season. However, with the season-ending injury to central midfielder Logan Pause, Porter could spend much of his time in Pause's spot rather than his more natural defensive position. "We have alternatives, in terms of Grant being able to play a role in the back line as a sweeper or marking defender, but he also will take on additional responsibilities in the midfield with Logan's injury. Freshmen Raymond Fumo and Tim Merritt are candidates for starting jobs as well. "Raymond is a tremendous player in terms of the way he sees the game," Bolowich says. "He's very intelligent, makes good decisions and hardly gets himself into trouble. He can play a defensive midfield position. Tim also will get significant playing time if not start. He's a very versatile player who can play anywhere from defensive midfield to center forward to out wide on either side."
FORWARDS One potential starter is junior Ryan Kneipper, who scored two of the biggest goals of last season. He scored the overtime game-winner versus William & Mary in a driving snowstorm in the first-round of the NCAA Tournament. He also scored in the NCAA second-round win over Rhode Island. "Ryan is in the hunt up front because he is a versatile player who can play attacking midfield or forward," says Bolowich. "We need to see how his defense has improved, but he's definitely a seasoned player who has scored some big goals for us. He's our biggest player up front and creates a good target for crosses and corner kicks." Another candidate for a starting job at forward is David Testo, a North Carolina native and junior transfer from the University of South Carolina. A two-year starter for USC, Testo tallied a combined six goals and 11 assists for the Gamecocks in 1999 and 2000. "Testo is an accomplished player, he can be very good," Bolowich says. "He has to be consistent and get used to our system. Once he knows his role, I think he'll be a contributor." A pair of freshmen also aims to earn starting jobs on the front line this fall -- Parade All-America Jonathan Davis and the speedy Marcus Storey. "I see Jonathan up front, being our target player with the departure of Chris Carrieri," says Bolowich. "Jonathan is a very dynamic player who constantly works the defense. That kind of work ethic creates opportunities for himself and for other players up front for us." Bolowich continues: "Marcus Storey can play on the flank or up front because he's very, very fast. We'll have to see how he can defend, but he's an explosive player."
Sophomore Sean McGinty started seven games last fall and could contribute as a forward or attacking midfielder as well.
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