Seabolt: Team Chemistry Key
August 05, 2003 12:01 PM | General
August 5, 2003
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -- Championship teams and seasons happen when all the stars are in alignment – talent, hard work and good fortune coming together in just the right formula. The 2003 edition of the West Virginia University men’s soccer team is being led by a new head coach working to find that formula for success.
Michael Seabolt was named interim head coach in late July, making the move up from his position as last year’s top assistant.
“I am excited the university is prepared to head in the same direction we started last year,” says Seabolt. “I have prepared myself to become a head coach at this level. We are putting a solid team together to move forward.”
The new coach will be busy learning more about the talents and personalities of his many new players. Seabolt inherits a squad that returns only eight members from a Mountaineer squad that finished in the lower half of BIG East competition last year.
They will be joined by a large group of 20-plus newcomers.
“The transition has been a positive one thus far,” says Seabolt. “The returning players that know me understand that I am ready to become a head coach. Certainly, all of the recruits know me very well. They are all comfortable with the situation and look forward to contributing to the program.”
Coach Seabolt has already enjoyed one championship season. He spent two seasons at the University of Tampa under former WVU coach Keith Fulk before following him to Morgantown. Seabolt helped design the swarming defense that allowed the Spartans to capture the 2001 Division II National Championship trophy.
“I want our squad working hard and being organized on defense,” offers Seabolt. “I think that is how you win soccer matches. At the same time, we want to play soccer when we have the ball. We will look to keep the ball as much as possible. As long as we have the ball, they can't score. We will look to create chances off of quick counters and build up through combinations.”
Fans and returning players will see a new coach on the sidelines, but changes in the style of play will be subtle.
“The players who are returning from last year have an idea of what it takes to compete at the major D-I level. They are very committed to working hard to be competitive in the BIG EAST,” he said.
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| Aaron Pitchkolan returns as the team's top goal scorer last year with five. (All-Pro Photography/Dale Sparks) |
Offensively, the Mountaineers will look to junior Aaron Pitchkolan as a scoring threat. Last year, he fired 32 shots on goal and led the led the team in scoring with five goals.
“He stepped it up last year for us,” says Seabolt of Pitchkolan. “We are looking for him to score some goals and help mesh a young unit up front. As a returning starter, we think Aaron will provide some leadership to his teammates as well.”
Competing for time at the forward positions will be number of new faces. Mario Lara, a transfer from the University of Tampa, could make an immediate impact. A pair of freshmen, Matt Anstey and Jarrod Smith, will log significant minutes up front because of their playmaking ability.
The talent level may run deepest in the midfield area. Senior Rusty Girton will help guide the flow of the game. Girton, who is coming off preseason surgery, appeared in 16 matches as a junior.
“Joining Girton at midfield will be sophomore Devon McTavish and possibly freshman Travis Hutchinson,” added Seabolt. “We can also see Ansty, Pitchkolan and senior Mehran Mostafavifar rotate positions for us. There are some minutes to fight over for some freshmen if they come and adjust to the college game.”
Critical to the team’s chances is how well the young players perform on the defensive front as they adjust to the speed and physical play of major college soccer. Senior Kevan Ford, junior Bernard Oussa and Mostafavifar will anchor a defensive front. Ford has 36 career starts and Mostafavifar started 13 matches in 2002. Oussa provided a physical presence to the backfield as he started every match a year ago.
“Cole Beasley, Guillermo Cancio-Bello and Joe Dennison have a chance to play right away,” says Seabolt. “Defenders are a critical part in our style of play. It is really a matter of figuring out what guys adjust the quickest.”
Protecting the goal is one area of concern for the Mountaineers. Opponents fired 285 shots on goal last season. Competition for the goalkeeper’s position is wide open and several freshmen will challenge for the job.
“Every single goalkeeper we have is a freshman,” noted Seabolt. “Adam Shutler could get the nod in goal. He is a great athlete who was highly recruited. Andrew Gretton, Nick Noble and Steve Westernik can all play. It is interesting to see who can come in and challenge Adam for time.
“We don't have individuals who can take over a game right now,” states Seabolt. “It will be a team effort. We have a lot of talented guys who we hope can develop some kind of chemistry in a hurry.”
Coach Seabolt knows how grueling play can be in the BIG EAST Conference. One goal for the Mountaineers is to make a return to the conference tournament, a feat not accomplished since 1999.
“It will be a tough and challenging year because we are so young,” explains Seabolt, “although we do have talent on our roster. That makes a difference because some of these young guys are going to play right away. It will be tough in the sense that we have a lot to learn. At the same time, the team is made up of guys who are committed to working hard and improve as soccer players. We will see gradual improvement as the season goes on.”
The 2003 schedule will also test his young team. The Mountaineers face five of the top thirty nationally ranked teams according to College Soccer News. WVU will take to the road 11 times this fall and play host to only seven schools.
“With the schedule we have, every team we face will be very good,” said Seabolt. “It's a challenging schedule for our young guys, but that is what we expect. We want to prove ourselves against the best and build as a team each week.
“All of our opponents have had recent success in their program's history,” adds Seabolt. “We are putting together a solid team who can compete with the best in the country.”
When evaluating this year’s team Seabolt says, “The returning players all have an understanding of what I expect as a coach. The veterans need to take the freshmen under their wings. There needs to be a quick learning process on getting fit, organized and learning daily routines of a student-athlete. If we can come together as a team, we will improve each week.”
It may be the most important element for success in team sports, but there is no easy way to build or measure team chemistry.
You will find no measurement of it as a statistic when you evaluate a team’s won/lost record. However, it is the challenge faced by coach Seabolt as he works to find a formula that mixes young but untested players with a few returning veterans. It is a tough task, but one the new coach is excited about as the Mountaineers prepare for 2003.
