2009 Men's Soccer Season Outlook

WILLIAMSTOWN, MA -- The Williams men’s soccer coaching staff will welcome 33 players to preseason camp in early September in preparation for the fall campaign.  The coaching staff and players are determined to regain their regional supremacy and national prominence this fall after a few miscues in midseason 2008 precluded the team from NCAA postseason play for the first time since 1997. 

Eight seniors were lost to graduation including leading scorer (7 goals) and All-New England performer, Sam Empson, and Peter Gordon who was the team’s second leading scorer with 5 goals.  However, the Ephs return a core of veterans along with some promising newcomers which augers well for a highly competitive season.

In goal, senior Andrew Graham will be hard pressed to keep his starting position from juniors, Jeff Lauer, Andrew Lyons-Berg, and first year Than Finan, a local Williamstown product.

The Eph backline will be anchored by captain Conor Smith and junior Joe Vella, both of whom had an excellent 2008 season playing central defense roles.  Sophomore Phil Vestergaard and first year Matt Ratajczak both will be looked at in central defensive as well as outside back positions.  Senior Kiel Bonhomme, junior Gordon Atkins, sophomore Natanael Von Huler-Hogan and first years Joe Haddad and Andrew Trainor will vie for the starting outside back positions.

Joe Vella '11

The Ephs allowed 20 goals in 16 matches in 2008 and one of the priorities for the coaching staff is to reduce the number of goals allowed.  Training will focus on individual, group and team defending. 

“The goalkeeper and backline positions will be critical in determining the 2009 season’s success,” stated head coach Mike Russo. “Four goalkeepers will compete for the starting position and there will be intense competition for the outside back positions.”

A well-balanced midfield should be a key factor in the Ephs battle to regain form.  Seniors Colin Ainsworth (3 goals) Ben Mackinnon, Alex Johnson along with sophomores Angus Kennedy and Nick Pugliese will challenge for the important central midfield positions while senior Will Whiston and sophomores Mike Essman and Matt Staiger will compete with several others for the wide midfield spots.  Midfield depth should be a positive and will allow for several different tactical variations during the season.

“The midfield is the engine room of any soccer team and the returning players should provide us with a high work rate, technical proficiency and with several tough ball-winning candidates,” commented Russo.

On attack, 31 goals were scored in 16 games but eight of those came in one match.  Coach Russo and his staff will continue to emphasize an attacking style of play, moving the ball skillfully and quickly.

Alex Johnson '10

Seniors Pierre Meloty-Kapella (3 goals) and Peter Houston along with juniors Gaston Kelly, Charlie Romero and sophomore Dan Morrisroe will compete for positions in the forward line.  Jeff Levin, a transfer from NYU will be looked at as a front player and attacking midfielder.  First year, Doug Weinrib, will be sidelined with an injury until early October but he will be looked at in the backline and also in a striker position.  Other promising first year players are midfielders Peter Christman, Patrick Ebobisee and Caleb Hoffman-Johnson.

Depth should be a factor in determining how successful the 2009 boosters will be.  Russo believes that there should be keen competition for the starting 11 positions as a core group of veterans will compete with some excellent younger players and this competition should remain throughout the season.

“Barring unforeseen injuries to key players, I believe the season will be a positive one,” said Russo. “The late starting date for preseason means we will have to be at the top of our game especially early in the season. One of our main goals this season is to imprint a team style of play and then impose that style of play on our opponents, limiting their goal scoring opportunities and increasing ours.”

Pierre Meloty-Kapella'10

As always, the NESCAC conference will be very difficult this fall.  The Ephs play Amherst and Middlebury away from home this year and those teams are always in the hunt for the league title.  The other conference teams have all improved as the NESCAC Conference continues to be the best in the country from top to bottom.  Williams also has a difficult non-league playing schedule playing the likes of Wheaton, Babson, Springfield, New Paltz and Castleton State.

Williams open the season at home on September 12th with a game against Little Three and NESCAC rival Wesleyan. Wesleyan participated in a 10-day tour of Argentina in August so the Cardinals will likely have a leg up on the Ephs in the opener.

A five-game stretch of games from September 20th through October 7th will give Russo a good feel for his team a little over halfway through the campaign.

New to the Eph schedule this season is New Paltz, which is coached by former Eph goalie Eric Watson ’97, who was a member of the Ephs’ 1995 NCAA championship squad.

Gaston Kelly '11