Men’s Soccer preps for A-10 debut

Quinn Casteel

Sports Editor

2011 Overall Record / Conference Record: 11-9-0 / 6-5-0

2011 Final CAA Rank: 7 (out of 12)

2011 Final NCAA Rank: 59 (out of 203)

2012 Preseason Atlantic 10 ranking: 3 (out of 16)

Overview:

The VCU men’s soccer team has experienced growth each of the past two seasons under head coach Dave Giffard, finishing last season within the top 60 teams in the country and at one point, cracking the top 25 in the coach’s poll. This year, the team is looking to once again make strides in bringing the program back to fruition with another year of progress and improvement.

Having joined the Atlantic 10 for all sports, the Rams are not a member of the Colonial Athletic Association for the first time since 1995 when they made the switch from the Metro Conference. For the men’s soccer team, the move to the A-10 is not as drastic an improvement from the CAA as it may be for other sports, considering the CAA was the fourth-best conference in the NCAA last season top to bottom. However, the upside is that the team can make a splash on a national stage once again, because the teams at the top of the A-10 are among the best at the college level.

“On the surface you can look at it and say maybe this doesn’t help us as much as other sports, but the key to it is how many games you play,” said Giffard on the move to the A-10. “This year’s schedule is a good one and we were fortunate that we got paired up with the top eight teams in the league, and we had a lot of flexibility with our non-conference schedule as well.”

VCU will play two fewer conference games than they did a season ago, which allowed the team to schedule additional out-of-conference matches with elite teams such as in-state rivals Virginia and James Madison.

2012 will be a season of change for the Rams, playing for the first time without their captain Yoram Mwila, who was killed in an auto accident in June. Along with being in a new conference, VCU will go into the fall season with heavy hearts and a lot of added determination to prove themselves in the A-10 – a potentially bad combination for opposing teams. The team has high expectations for themselves and others as well, having been voted to finish third in the conference behind only national runner-up Charlotte and longtime A-10 powerhouse, Xavier.

“When I took over this program in 2010, we decided our destination was to win a national championship,” said Giffard. “But we have a long way to go – we’ve been climbing each year, and now I think realistically year-in-year-out we should be competing for it all.”

Forwards:

The VCU offense and the entire team for that matter, starts with third-year man Jason Johnson, a dynamic scorer out of Saint Anne, Jamaica. Johnson has led the team in goals each of his first two seasons and is only getting better as he continues to develop and mature. He is a professional level talent and has highly realistic chances of being an MLS draft pick sometime in the next two years.

“He’s already on a lot of MLS teams’ radars, even when he was an underclassmen,” said Giffard of Johnson. “He developed a bit later than a lot of guys, but he’s had a big growth each offseason and I certainly expect he’ll have opportunities if he continues along this path.”

Despite the worlds of talent that Johnson brings to the table, the last two seasons have been, in essence, a Batman and Robin attack up top between Johnson and Mwila – without Mwila, the team’s second leading scorer each of the last two seasons in the picture, more defensive attention will be on Johnson unless Giffard and company can find another Robin.

Two weeks into camp, there is an intense battle emerging between several players vying for the starting forward spot alongside Johnson. Among those players is sophomore Kharlton Belmar, who at this point is in position to grab the starting job if he continues to impress in practice and in games. Giffard called Kharlton the most athletic player on the team, which is saying a lot considering the athleticism of players such as Johnson and sophomore defender, Juan Monge Solano.

“Kharlton presents a lot of issues for opponents,” said Giffard. “He’s got a ton of pace and he’s probably the most athletic guy on our team. He can cause some problems for the defense and make exciting things happen. He’s also very honest and a hard worker.”

Belmar’s biggest challenge for the starting spot will be redshirt freshman Devon Fisher, a highly talented player out of the Chesapeake area. Giffard said that although Belmar is in better position right now, the battle will continue to go on throughout the season as they, along with other elite scorers like freshman Matt Freibaum, Clemson transfer K.C. Onyeador and Barcelona native Jose Manel Bel battle for playing time. Giffard called Manel Bel, whose father played 10 years for Barcelona, “the best finisher on the team,” and expects him to find his way onto the field either in the midfield or up top.

Midfielders:

The VCU midfield is highlighted by defensive mid Romena Bowie, who has established himself as one of the best at his position in the country over the last two years. Bowie is from the same town in Jamaica as Johnson, and possesses many of the same talents but from a defensive perspective. Bowie is expected be the sole patroller of the defensive midfield for the Rams this season.

Alongside Bowie in the midfield will be more familiar faces for VCU soccer fans such as Mario Herrera Meraz, who started every game for the Rams in the spring, as well as junior Nate Shiffman who was a full-time starter in fall of 2011. Joseph Haboush, a Richmond native, is entering his senior year and is expected to be a cornerstone of the midfield as well after starting on-and-off over the past three years.

And the depth doesn’t end there – Giffard’s midfield is among the deepest in the conference, with even more players with experience in the mix like Peter Lee, a junior and former starter for the Rams. Additionally, newcomers such as Dakota Barnathan, Devon Fisher’s brother Ritchie Duffie who is a transfer from North Carolina Wesleyan, and redshirt freshman Cameron Foster will add depth and compete for playing time.

Defense:

While the midfield is clearly the deepest position for VCU, the back line is where the Rams have the most stability. The team will begin the season with the same back four which played together all spring in the starting lineup, anchored by left back Juan Monge Solano. Solano is a member of the Costa Rican U23 National Team, and has earned some well-deserved recognition over the past two years for his excellent ball skills and offensive prowess from the left back position.

“A lot of that probably stems from that not a lot of left backs can attack as well as he can,” said Giffard. “A lot of recognition certainly came his way as a freshman, and I think like J (Jason Johnson) and Bowie, he’s ready to have a big year.”

Dennis Castillo, another Costa Rica National Team player (U20), is expected to start at center back for VCU in his freshman season. Castillo played alongside Monge Solano and the rest of the presumed starting back line in the spring, and has already earned the utmost confidence from his head coach.

“He’s a great organizer, fighter, leader, and will certainly give us a lot of help in the back,” said Giffard of Castillo.

Next to Castillo on the right side of the starting back line will be Assane Keita, a player who broke out over the last few games of fall 2011. Keita, who played high school soccer in Massachusetts but is originally from Senegal, is entering his sophomore season having already contributed to five shutouts with the Rams.

Rounding out the starting defense will be Juan Arbelaez, a senior who made 17 appearances with VCU last season but did not start a match. Arbelaez transferred from George Perimeter Junior College a year ago, and this season will step in for Nick Rich who graduated last spring and was a staple on the Ram back line for the last four years.

Brad Seymour and Garrett Harvey will begin the season as reserves on the defensive side, but will be competing for minutes right away.

“Brad and Garrett were two guys that basically started all of last fall for us, and they’ve kind of been displaced at this point by Dennis and Assane,” said Giffard. “They’ll be working hard and providing a lot of good competition for those spots.”

Senior Andrew Wells has earned the starting goalkeeper job in camp over the last two weeks, beating out three other players for the spot. Wells, along with the rest of the VCU keepers, has very minimal experience on the college level in regular season matches but impressed the coaching staff during the spring season and cemented his role in practice this summer. Because of the overall lack of experience at the position, goalkeeper will be one of the few positions of concern for the Rams. However, despite the lack of experience, Giffard said he is confident and comfortable with any of the four goalkeepers playing in a game this fall.

Top Players:

Jason Johnson (Junior, Forward)

Coach’s Analysis: “Certainly the talent and potential has been there for J, but it’s been a growth process. As we’ve grown, he’s continued to grow- he’s more mature, he understands what’s expected of him and I think he’s ready for a breakout year and possibly make the next step on to the pro game.”

2011 stats: 11 goals, 1 assist, 23 points, 80 shots

Juan Monge Solano (Sophomore, Defender)

Coach’s Analysis: “He has improved significantly over the spring and summer, and we’re looking forward to him being a big impact for us on the left side.”

2011 stats: 5 goals, 1 assist, 11 points, 19 shots

Kharlton Belmar (Sophomore, Forward)

Coach’s Analysis: “Kharlton presents a lot of issues for opponents. He’s got a ton of pace and he’s probably the most athletic guy on our team. He can cause some problems for the defense and make exciting things happen. He’s also very honest and a hard worker.”

2011 stats: 1 goal, 1 assist, 3 points, 5 shots

Key Matches:

Aug. 26 vs. William & Mary – VCU Tournament (7:30 p.m. at Sports Backers Stadium)

Sept. 25 vs. Virginia (7 p.m. at Sports Backers Stadium)

Oct. 5 vs. Charlotte* – Conference Opener (7 p.m. at Sports Backers Stadium)

Oct. 26 vs. Xavier* (7 p.m. at Sports Backers Stadium)

* Indicates conference match CT