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2002 Men's Soccer Preview
At the end of the 2001 season the Bloomsburg University men's soccer team was red-hot. The team finished with a four-game winning streak, beating long-time rival Lock Haven and PSAC regular season champion, California.
Coach Paul Payne is looking to use that strong finish as a springboard for the 2002 and a run at a berth in both the PSAC and NCAA playoffs.
“We were a young team last year and it was nice to see the development of players,” said Payne. “What made the difference for us was that the personalities of the players started to come out. We didn't sulk after losing a game, but instead showed our character and came back stronger the next game. In a way we grew from losing.”
In a strange twist of fate it may have been a loss to West Chester that turned the season around for the Huskies. After losing 6-0 on the road, the team refocused and finished the year with wins over Caldwell, Lock Haven, Holy Family and California. All but Caldwell had winning records at the time of the game.
“The win over Lock Haven was big for our program,” Payne said. “It showed that we could compete with the elite teams of the conference. “I am very excited heading into this season because of the type of players we have returning,” added Payne. “We have to take one game at a time, no matter who we play. Since we don't score a lot of goals, we need to win with determination. It will take 19 steps (number of games) not one big one for us to battle for post-season play.”
“Overall, though, if we can stay healthy, it should be a fun season,” said Payne.
BY POSITION
Goalies
The Huskies are fortunate to have two top-level goalkeepers in Kevin Wright and Dustin Henry. The two split time a year ago giving the team a unique tandem in front of the net. The duo will be joined this year by freshman Kyle Grim, who led his team to the PIAA “AAA” state finals as a junior.
“The key for the success of our keepers is that they put team above individual accomplishments,” said Payne.
Back
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| Chris Cummins |  |
Four-year starter Chris Cummins, last year's team MVP, leads a strong group of defensive players. Joining Cummins as returning starters in the back line are Phil Bocchino Jason Segar and David Gantz.
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| David Gantz | |
“The group has an attitude about them that they are not going to get beat,” Payne said. “The are very physical and tenacious when it comes to marking their opponents.”
Sophomore Derek Smith, a 6-1, 190 pounder, who emerged after a strong spring should also see time in the back this season and can initiate the attack from his defender position.
Midfield
The Huskies return four starters in the midfield and have several others with lots of experience making this one of the strongest areas for the team.
The returning starters are Andre Giannotti, Travis Martzall, Mike Ross and Mickey Bumbarger, while Brent Leibelsberger and Greg Ponzi (attempting to return from his second torn ACL) have plenty of big-game experience. Giannotti and Bumbarger are solid as center mids with Martzall and Ross having very good speed. Leibelsberger had a very good spring and will provide depth at the position. Also, look for freshman Santo Giannotti to help out in the midfield.
Attack
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| Karl Lohninger | |
“The PSAC should once again be unpredictable,” said Payne. “It is a cliché, but, on any given day, any team in the league can beat any other team. There are no sure wins in PSAC men's soccer. We feel we (Bloomsburg) can be right in the mix of the playoff race at the end of the year.”
