2012 Spartan Men’s Soccer Preview
CLEVELAND, Ohio – Despite graduating one of the most successful senior classes in program history, the defending University Athletic Association Champion Case Western Reserve University men's soccer team maintains lofty goals in 2012 behind four returning starters and 13 letterwinners.
Last fall, the Spartans finished one of the best seasons in program history at 15-5 overall and 5-2 in the UAA. The team earned a share of its second UAA Championship and reached the NCAA Championship Tournament Second Round for the second time in team history.
As a team, Case set school records for goals (52) and assists (50), while producing two All-Americans as well as the UAA Most Valuable Player and Co-Rookie of the Year.
The team will have to withstand significant losses in each of facet of the game, specifically on offense with the departure of four-year starter Vinny Bell, who was a two-time UAA Most Valuable Player and All-American.
Hoping to fill the scoring void will be the All-UAA duo of sophomore forward Patrick O'Day (Plano, Texas/Plano Senior) and senior forward/midfielder Eric Erb (Worthington, Ohio/Thomas Worthington).
During his rookie season, O'Day tallied 31 points on 11 goals and nine assists, ranking second in the UAA in all three categories. The conference's Co-Rookie of the Year, O'Day scored the game-winning goal in his collegiate debut versus Washington & Jefferson College (Pa.) early last September, and he added a score in the team's NCAA Tournament First Round victory versus DePauw University (Ind.) in mid-November.
Erb, also a two-time second-team Ohio College Soccer Association Academic All-Ohio honoree, played in 19 matches with 16 starts. Erb was third on the squad with 21 points on nine goals and three assists while ranking second with four game-winning goals.
In the midfield, Case returns a pair of starters in seniors Ross Twanmoh (Fallston, Md./Fallston) and Kostis Theoharides (Brookline, Mass./Brookline) in addition to a three-year contributor in Rene Silva (Hudson, Ohio/Western Reserve Academy).
Twanmoh started all 20 contests and produced nine points on two goals and five assists with a game-winner. Theoharides started each match alongside Twanmoh and tallied a pair of scores with four helpers. Theoharides' first goal came at a key moment when the Spartans rallied to defeat Emory University (Ga.) in mid-October. Silva saw action 16 matches with five starting nods and totaled two goals and two assists.
Defensively, the team loses four-year starter and All-American back Niro Wimalasena as well as three-year starting goalkeeper Ben Yabrow.
Expected to lead the backline is senior Sam Kuehnle (Toledo, Ohio/Ottawa Hills), who has started all 39 matches during the past two seasons. In addition to helping the team to eight shutouts and a 0.98 goals agains average, Kuehnle tied for third on the squad with four assists.
Back between the pipes is senior goalkeeper Ryan Koepka (Venetia, Pa./Peters Township), who served as Yabrow's back-up for two seasons. Sophomore Jay Darby (Flower Mound, Texas/Argyle) also returns with playing experience.
Koepka logged over 208 minutes of action in seven matches and recorded nine saves. Darby saw 18 minutes of action in a pair of contests last fall.
The team also returns five letterwinners with significant playing experience in sophomore backs Ryan Meyer (Lebanon, Ohio/Bishop Fenwick) and Bairdy Hansen (Cazenovia, N.Y./Manlius Pebble Hill), senior midfielder Aaron Mayer (Merritt Island, Fla./Merritt Island), junior midfielder Elshaday Belay (Houston, Texas/Bellaire) and sophomore forward/midfielder Ryan Finstad (Rochester, Mich./Rochester Stoney Creek).
Meyer scored a goal in 19 matches played, while Hansen appeared in 16 contests with two shots. Mayer played in 10 contests with a trio of shots, Belay played in 11 matches and Finstad saw action in 13 contests with an assist.
In addition to the cast of returnees, a deep and talented freshman class will be expected to contribute immediately. Overall, 24 newcomers join the fold this fall.
The Spartans open the 2012 regular season on Friday, August 31 versus Washington & Jefferson at 7:00 p.m. at Case Field. The ultra-competitive UAA schedule opens at home versus New York University as part of CWRU's Homecoming Weekend festivities on Sept. 29.
