Men’s Soccer 2017 Season Preview

August 24, 2017 04:56 PM | Men's Soccer

By: Charlie Healy

The West Virginia University men's soccer team is taking it one day at a time in 2017.

That's the mantra the Mountaineers have coming off an 8-7-1 season in 2016. WVU blazed out to a 6-1-1 start, but a slow finish resulted in the Mountaineers being one of the first teams left out of the NCAA Tournament. The team's goal is to look at things day by day, one day at a time, without getting ahead of itself, focusing on the big picture.

Coach Marlon LeBlanc, in his 12th season in Morgantown, has seen his squad finish agonizingly close to an NCAA Tournament berth in three of the past four years. That's the source of this year's theme, which began with spring practice and continued through a trip to Spain in May.

"The idea of just taking things day by day is really a reflection on the way things really worked out for us last year," LeBlanc said. "We got out to such a hot start at 6-1-1 and hadn't given up a goal in seven games on the trot. I think everybody was really feeling pretty good, and then a whole bunch of things started to happen.

"Looking into the spring, and building towards Spain, we talked about getting there day by day, and we really kept that same mantra heading into the fall. Even through preseason, it was just about day by day getting to Cal and then Santa Clara. The idea for us is, as much as you have to look at the big picture, you have to look at things day by day before you can look at the big picture. We saw how quickly a season can turn last year, and I think this group wants to make sure we get out to a good start again but that we're able to continue that throughout the season."

West Virginia returns nine starters from last year's squad, which was nationally ranked for six consecutive weeks and recorded a school-record seven consecutive shutouts that totaled a program-best 758 consecutive minutes.

The roster features six seniors, four juniors, eight sophomores and 11 freshmen. It includes three goalkeepers, nine defenders, 12 midfielders and five forwards.

Leading the charge will be six seniors: midfielders Jad Arslan, Heath Honold and Joey Piatczyc, defenders Steven James and Louis Thomas and goalkeeper Jose Santos.

All six played in every match last season. James, Piatczyc and Santos started all 16 games, while Arslan and Thomas made 15 starts. They bring valuable leadership and experience ~~both~~ on and off the field that will be key to WVU's success.

"These guys have all played a lot of games," LeBlanc said of his senior class. "That in-game experience goes a long way in terms of lessening the burden on some of your younger players. I also think you look at the standards that we've set and we've been so close. We've been a bubble team. The standards that we've set for ourselves and coming up just a smidge short, so close that you could taste it, that I think it's also lit a fire under this senior group. This group has that fire and has that pain of being so close. Having that pain is going to drive them and it's going to pull others with them."

While Piatczyc will miss the 2017 season due to a knee injury sustained prior to the start of preseason training, he will continue to provide leadership off the field.

Along with an experienced group of veterans, the 29-man roster includes 12 newcomers, many of whom are expected to make an early impact.

"We have some guys who might fly under the radar, but I think that with some of these young guys they're not going to fly under the radar very long," LeBlanc said. We've added some pretty good quality that was needed to this team, we've got some creativity, we've got an element that was missing to our team a year ago and some game changes that we really haven't had, in the final third, for quite some time."

The newcomers join a core of returning players that had an extended spring season thanks to a trip to Spain in May. The 10-day trip to Seville was the program's first overseas tour in LeBlanc's tenure.

Along with playing three games in Spain, the Mountaineers met with Real Betis physical coach Marcos Alvarez and 2010 World Cup Champion Carlos Marchena. The team toured several Spanish stadiums and was immersed in the Spanish culture while bonding as a team.

The trip gave the Mountaineers an opportunity to continue to grow before the start of the 2017 season, which has paid off in preseason training.

"There's going to be a renewed energy and excitement about our play in the final third that was missing a year ago," LeBlanc added. "Defensively, I think we're going to be rock-solid like we were a year ago. I like the ingredients between the experience and the newcomers. I think time will tell, obviously, how good we can be, but I'm very much encouraged by what I have seen so far through preseason."

Forwards
The forwards are led by junior Rushawn Larmond, the lone returner at the position. Larmond played in 15 matches as a sophomore with six starts. He had a goal and an assist with nine shots, three on goal.

Larmond will be joined by freshmen Tom Shepherd, Brendan Hogan, Spenser Myers and Tsubasa Takada.

"We have a number of choices here," LeBlanc said. "Rushawn Larmond is back for his junior year and Tom Shepherd, who's a Knutsford Academy product, is going to play in that No. 9 position as well. Brendan Hogan, who's a gap-year freshman we love, is going to get some time in there. Jad Arslan can play up for us, and has in the past. So, we can play out of a 2-3 striker system; we can play with a solo back to goal. We've got some good intangibles there, and I think we've got some good options to play at forward for us and, hopefully, see some production out of it as well."

Midfielders
Despite the loss of Piatczyc to injury prior to the start of preseason practice, midfield is one of WVU's strongest positions in 2017.

Arslan is back for his final season after scoring a team-high-tying four goals as a junior and finishing second on the team with nine points. Sophomores Logan Lucas and Ryan Kellogg played in all 16 matches last year, with Lucas making 15 starts and recording a goal and an assist. Sebastian Garcia-Herreros played in 15 games with 13 starts as a freshman and had a team-high-tying four assists.

The newcomers at midfield include Jorge Quintanilla, a junior transfer from Louisburg College. Quintanilla won a national championship at Louisburg with current WVU senior defender Steven James.

"The midfield took a little bit of a hit losing Joey Piatczyc, our all-everything midfielder, our maestro," LeBlanc said. "Despite losing Joey, we've got a good group in there. Jorge's a classic No. 10 who can carve you up and down the park, and it's nice to have a kid who can pull the strings the way he can. We have a freshman, Tsubasa Takada, who is going to excite and energize our crowd. He's a fantastic young player. Lucca Barbaris and Ethan Shim are back in our midfield. Spenser Myers comes in and scores a goal against Charleston in the exhibition match in our midfield. We have unbelievable choices we can rotate into different roles and play different spots. Andrew Rullow is a U-20 international player from Trinidad."

Barbaris played in 14 matches for West Virginia last year and had one assist, while Shim made 10 appearances. Rullow comes to WVU after a season at Charleston, where he played in nine games.

"I like the pieces we have," LeBlanc said. "We can change shape; we can attack; we can sit a little deeper and we can do a lot of things with our midfield. I think that's one of our strongest areas in our 2017 squad."

Defenders
Defense was a strength for the Mountaineers last year, featuring seven consecutive clean sheets. WVU held the opposition to 13 goals in 16 games and a 0.78 goals-against average, and more of the same is expected in 2017. Even with the loss of Jack Elliott, who is now excelling for the Philadelphia Union and a strong candidate for Major League Soccer's Rookie of the Year, WVU has depth and experience on the back line.

Seniors Steven James and Louis Thomas return after playing in all 16 matches last year, with 16 and 15 starts, respectively. Add in sophomore Albert Andres-Llop, who started eight matches before getting injured, and Ryan Kellogg, who started six games, and three-fourths of WVU's back line is back.

"Three of the back four that started for us last year are returning," LeBlanc said. "Obviously, Albert missed quite a bit of time at the end of the season, but he's back healthy and was healthy all spring. Louis Thomas, a senior captain, returns at right back. Steven James, another senior captain at the center-back position, and we've got a bevy of guys who can take Jack's place in the center-back position."

The newcomers on the back line are headlined by Pascal Derwaritsch, a transfer from Saint Leo who joined the Mountaineers in January. Kevin Morris and Rayan Bahri will add depth to the position.

"Pascal was with us all spring and got to a depth of the system," LeBlanc said. "So, he's the leader in there. Kevin Morris, a freshman, has looked unbelievably prepared to step in and do the job in that role as well.

"We feel really good about our back line today and in the future," LeBlanc added. "Ryan Kellogg has the ability to play at right and left back, which he did for us last season when Albert got injured. So, we've got lots of depth in the back and in goal. I feel good about our defense and, even though there are two seniors in that back line, we've got our future pretty much set and in good hands moving forward there as well."

Goalkeepers
There is stiff competition at the goalkeeping position. Senior Jose Santos, who played every minute in his first season in 2016, returns, along with junior Stephen Banick and freshman Steven Tekesky.

In 1,492.42 minutes last year, Santos posted eight shutouts, seventh-most in school history. He helped lead WVU to a school-record seven consecutive shutouts, lasting a program-record 758 minutes. Santos made 49 saves with a .790 save percentage while allowing 13 goals.

Banick transferred to WVU from Wingate before the 2015 season, but has redshirted the last two years due to injuries. Banick, who is healthy this season, saw playing time this past spring, including during WVU's trip to Spain.

Tekesky comes to WVU from Raymore, Missouri, and helped Raymore-Peculiar High win the state championship in 2013 and '14. He also played for Sporting Kansas City Academy, where he was the captain of the U-18 Academy Team in 2015-16 and 16-17.

"The competition is a little stiffer than I probably imagined it was going to be, and that's not a bad thing, but competition in that spot has caused us a problem and it's a good problem," LeBlanc said. "Obviously, Jose Santos is the incumbent at that position. Stephen Banick has come on unbelievably strong and is certainly challenging for that starting job. Steven Tekesky really impressed everybody in our exhibitions, not just with what he did saving the ball but what he did with his distribution of the ball, his kicking, his play under pressure, which you'll see with our style, is really what the bulk of our goalkeepers do playing with their feet.

"We have a really good competition in there for the goalkeeping position. The three of them have caused the coaching staff some good problems to have."

Schedule Breakdown
The 2017 schedule features 17 regular-season contests, with 10 coming at the friendly confines of Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium.

"Every year we look to challenge our team with a regular-season schedule that pushes us," LeBlanc said. "We've got a great schedule in 2017 that accomplishes that task. With nine returning starters from last year's team, we believe this group is ready for the challenge ahead."

Three of WVU's four Mid-American Conference contests will be played at home, including perennial national championship contender Akron, the 12-time defending league champion. The home slate is also highlighted by a matchup against Big Ten foe Michigan State, one of four teams on this year's schedule that made the NCAA Tournament in 2016.

On the road, the Backyard Brawl resumes in Pittsburgh, when WVU will face rival Pitt for the first time since 2011. The Mountaineers open the year with a trip to California, and also travel to Baltimore and Washington, D.C., along with a match at MAC-newcomer SIU Edwardsville, an NCAA Tournament team a season ago.

The complete 2017 WVU men's soccer schedule, with match times, can be found here.

Ticket Information
WVU Soccer Scarf ticket packages are now on sale, which includes the official 2017 WVU soccer scarf and 10 tickets to be used at any men's or women's soccer match during the 2017 regular season. Packages are just $30 and are available while supplies last. To order, visit WVUGAME.com or call 1-800-WVU GAME.

Additionally, single game tickets for all 10 of WVU's regular-season home matches are now on sale at WVUGAME.com or by calling 1-800-WVU GAME. All dates and times are subject to change, and fans are encouraged to stay tuned to WVUSports.com for updates.

To provide a safer environment for Mountaineer fans and to expedite entry into all ticketed WVU athletic events, the West Virginia Department of Intercollegiate Athletics enforces the NFL's Clear Bag Policy. The athletic department invites and encourages fans to visit WVUsports.com/clearbag for more information, to view pictures of permissible and non-permissible items and to obtain answers to frequently asked questions about the clear bag policy.

For more information on the Mountaineers, follow @WVUMensSoccer on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.