Men's Soccer "Hits The Road" For Midweek Match Against Rockhurst
10/23/2007 7:15:00 PM | Men's Soccer
UMKC returns to action in men's soccer on Wednesday night, taking on
Rockhurst University at 7 p.m. from Bourke Field. Scheduled as an away
match for the Kangaroos, this marks the first time in several years
that the schools have met in a meaningful contest. The last meeting, on
November 4, 2004, resulted in a 1-1 draw.
About The Hawks
Celebrating their 11th season at the Division II level, Rockhurst has compiled a 11-4-2 overall record on the campaign, with a 7-4-2 mark in conference play earning a place in the Great Lakes Valley Conference tournament. The Hawks will take on Quincy University this weekend, with UMKC serving as a final non-conference opponent.
Offensively the Hawks are led by Tom Heinemann who has potted 15 goals and added six assists for 36 points on the year. Haggai Leboo has also scored in double figures for the Hawks with 11 goals and four assists, but no other player has scored more than two goals for the squad. Adam Johnson tallied the most assists for Rockhurst with nine on the campaign.
Chad Becker has patrolled the penalty area well for the Hawks on the year, picking up five clean sheets en route to a 0.97 goals-against average. He has saved 46 of the 63 shots on goal he has faced on the year for a .730 percentage.
Last Time Out For The Kangaroos
Goals in the opening 15 minutes of both
the first and second half from UMKC would be answered by a pair of
Drake goals in the second half, sending the Kangaroos into overtime for
the second time in as many matches. Neither team could tally in the
extra frames as the game ended 2-2.
In the third minute, the Kangaroos had a nice chance, as Brian Harris outpaced his defender to collect a long ball, playing a cross from the byline to John Bayron Sosa with a nice look at goal, but the Drake defender slid from behind to knock the ball out of danger.
Sosa
would have no trouble with the defense in the ninth minute, as he
dribbled down the left side of the field with just Philip Brauer to
beat. The freshman coolly rounded the Drake goalkeeper and slotted the
ball into the net.
Drake nearly equalized in the 18th minute, as the UMKC backline couldn't quite clear the ball following a corner kick, but Ken Cooper was able to read Garrett Webb's shot through a mass of bodies and make the save diving to his left.
UMKC
nearly found themselves up by two in the 31st minute, as Sosa found his
cross turned into a shot via a deflection off the Drake defender, but
the effort rolled just to the right of the post.
The teams were
level in shots on goal for the first half, but the hosts recorded five
total efforts to just two for UMKC. The foul count was close, with UMKC
whistled for seven infractions to Drake's six.
The Kangaroos would double their lead in the 56th minute as Harris ran onto a hopeful through ball from Josh White.
Brauer came out to challenge Harris, but the Kangaroo junior coolly
slotted the ball below the keeper and into the left corner of the net.
Both players were shaken up on the collision but would be able to
continue.
Drake was able to pull one back in the 70th minute,
after a great save from Cooper. UMKC was whistled for a foul on the
right wing and on the resulting free kick, Calvin Clark found himself
at the left corner of the six-yard box. He blasted an effort into the
chest of Cooper, but collected the rebound and touched it to Keith
Gorczyca who found his brother Luke on the back post through a group of
players for a tap-in.
The Bulldogs equalized in the 79th minute,
with Webb finding Matt Kuhn off the right corner of the penalty area.
The freshman uncorked a solid shot to the near post that snuck just
under the arm of the diving Cooper.
Sosa nearly reclaimed the
lead for the Kangaroos in the 84th minute, but his rocket of a shot
caromed off the bottom of the crossbar and spun out for a Drake throw.
The Kangaroos pressed the issue to open the first overtime but were a bit too eager and were whistled offside four times.
UMKC had its best effort of the second overtime period in the 107th minute, but Bryan Perez put his shot just wide.
With
the draw, UMKC moves to 5-5-3 on the year. Cooper was credited with
three saves on the evening. The Blue-and-Gold recorded seven shots on
the evening to 14 for Drake.
Fair Play Please...
While playing tenacious defense so far on the 2007 campaign, the Kangaroos have also been very well-behaved. UMKC has been whistled for just 185 breaches, with opponents whistled for 220. Just 20 cautions and one red card have been issued to players from the Blue-and-Gold. By contrast, the Kangaroos' opponents have gone in the referee's book 30 times, with two players receiving red cards for second cautionable offenses and one player receiving a direct red card.
UMKC's caution total is the third lowest in the league, behind only Oral Roberts with 17 and IUPUI with 17.
Split Decisions
Ties are not altogether uncommon in soccer, although the overtime rules associated with the NCAA game make them slightly less frequent. Despite all of that, last Saturday's match against Western Illinois marked the first time that UMKC had battled to a draw in league play during Rick Benben's tenure as head coach and only the second time in program history.
The previous draw also came at home, as the Kangaroos ended their Oct. 6, 1996 match against Northeastern Illinois in a 2-2 deadlock.
Kangaroos Return To NSCAA/adidas Midwest Regional Rankings
With a hard-fought draw at Drake, UMKC remained among the top ten ranked teams in the Midwest Region for NSCAA after returning to the rankings for the week ending October 16. UMKC has been in the rankings for most of the year, peaking at the number five slot. Joining UMKC in the rankings is Summit League leader Oakland, with a 7-5-2 record.
To The Byline
One of the harbingers of offensive possession is the number of corner kicks generated. On the 2006 campaign, UMKC is second in The Summit League, having earned 60 corners on the year in 13 matches. IUPUI leads the league with 67, while Western Illinois has earned three fewer corner than the Kangaroos, although UMKC holds two games in hand.
Taking into account only conference games, UMKC sails to the forefront with 22 corners in three games. The Kangaroos' average of 7.33 corners/gm. is three better than any other squad and higher than one team's tally for the entire season.
Student Comes First
It's that time of year again, as CoSIDA and the NSCAA open the nominations for the academic accolades, which recognize those student-athletes who have excelled both on the pitch and in the classroom. UMKC has four nominees this season, two of whom are seeking repeat accolades.
Garret Guthrie was recognized as a CoSIDA District 7 Academic All-American last year and has only improved this year. Guthrie has three goals for the Blue-and-Gold - including two game-winners - on the season.
Ali Dorri was recognized as an NSCAA Midwest Region Scholar All-America selection in 2006 and has tallied twice this year while starting every match in the Kangaroo backline.
UMKC's remaining two nominees are Richard Harris and Miguel Rodrigues, both of whom are in their first year of eligibility for the award after transferring prior to the 2006 season. Harris returns home to the Blue-and-Gold from Marquette, while Rodrigues played one season for Stetson.
Guthrie Named The Summit League Offensive Player Of The Week (Again...)
Junior Garret Guthrie picked up his second Offensive Player of the Week accolade in the span of three weeks after scoring twice in UMKC's 2-1 win at Central Arkansas. The Wichita, Kan., native beat out Centenary's Aaron Volanski ? who scored a hat trick ? on the strength of his second game-winning goal of the season.
Guthrie Named The Summit League Offensive Player Of The Week
After being involved in two of the three goals scored by UMKC in the UMKC/Mr. Goodcents Brookside Invitational - tallying the game winner against Loyola Chicago and setting up Miguel Rodrigues' unassisted strike - junior Garret Guthrie was chosen as The Summit League Offensive Player of the Week for the second week of the season.
Amaya Named The Summit League Defensive Player Of The Week
On the strength of two solid performances in the opening weekend's action, Brandon Amaya was named The Summit League Defensive Player of the Week. The Edmond, Okla., native picked up his first weekly accolade after posting a 0.50 goals-against average and earning his first collegiate shutout. He compiled a save percentage of .923, facing 13 shots on goal.
The honor is the first for a Kangaroo goalkeeper since Todd Dohlman was honored three times (Sept. 6, Sept. 26, Oct. 3) during the 2005 season.
Summit League Players Of The Week
Week 1: Brandon Amaya (Defensive)
Week 2: Garret Guthrie (Offensive)
Week 4: Garret Guthrie (Offensive)
2007 All-Tournament Team Honorees
UMKC/Mr. Goodcents Brookside Invitational: Garret Guthrie, Bryan Perez, John David Hernandez
NIU-adidas/Baymont Inn Invitational: Ali Dorri, Bryan Perez
Making History
Through its first five games, the UMKC men's soccer team posted a 3-1-1 record, marking the first time in school history that a team had started the season with three consecutive wins. It was only the third time that a team had posted three wins in its first five matches as well, with the 1994 and 1999 teams establishing that feat.
With five wins through 12 games, the Kangaroos are have already equaled their win total from the 2006 season.
Scoring First
The Summit League-opening win at IPFW marked the first time that UMKC battled back for a win after conceding the first goal in a match on the 2007 campaign. The Kangaroos have made a habit this season of earning wins by scoring first. In the five games that have seen UMKC score first, the squad holds an undefeated 4-0-2 record. In games where the Blue-and-Gold have conceded the first strike, UMKC is just 1-5-0. Saturday's conference match was the first 0-0 draw of the season for UMKC.
Kangaroos In Conference Openers
The win over IPFW was the sixth win in a conference opener during head coach Rick Benben's tenure. Overall, the Kangaroos are 9-5-0 in matches to open league play.
Spot On
The Kangaroos continue to be deadly accurate from the penalty spot this season. Fully half of UMKC's tallies this season have come from the spot, including three consecutive goals (two against FIU in addition to the opener against Loyola) from the run of play. The Kangaroos have not missed a penalty in 13 straight opportunities from the spot during the run of play dating back to the 2003 season. The streak runs to 17 when you include the 2006 Mid-Con Tournament shootout against Oral Roberts.
In 2006, Ryan Kaufman bagged five successful spot kicks, with 2007 returnees Perez and Richard Harris tallying once each as UMKC connected on each of its eight trips to the spot.
On the flip side, UMKC's opponents were successful on just half of their attempts (5-of-10) last season. Junior Brandon Amaya made correct reads on four of the five attempts he faced in 2006, including the decisive stop against Oral Roberts. The Kangaroos yielded their first penalty kick of the season in the 4-1 loss at IUPUI.
Kangaroos Picked Fifth In Preseason Summit League Poll
For the second straight season, UMKC was predicted to finish fifth in the Summit League in the preseason coaches poll, with one coach picking the Kangaroos to win the league regular-season title. Despite losing eight seniors, Western Illinois picked up five first-place nods to repeat as the preseason favorites. 2006 Mid-Con Newcomer of the Year Martin Brown and 2006 Mid-Con Defensive Player of the Year Stephan Paterson both return for the Leathernecks.
Oral Roberts took the steady route to second spot in the preseason table, failing to record a single first-place vote but earning 27 points. Oakland was ranked third, recording the final first-place vote, while IUPUI was tabbed fourth. League newcomers IPFW took sixth slot, with Centenary rounding out the table.
Summit League Preseason Poll
1. Western Illinois - 35 (5) -- 15-8-0 (5-1-0)
2. Oral Roberts - 27 -- 6-8-4 (2-4-0)
3. Oakland - 25 (1) -- 5-12-1 (2-4-0)
4. IUPUI - 23 -- 8-11-0 (3-3-0)
5. UMKC - 19 (1) -- 5-13-2 (4-2-0)
6. IPFW - 10 -- 2-15-1 (N/A)
7. Centenary - 8 -- 5-11-0 (2-4-0)
New (Temporary) Home
During the 2007 season, UMKC will play all of its home matches at Bourke Field on the campus of Rockhurst University. With the additional amenities provided at Bourke Field, the decision was made to play the entire 2007 season at this temporary home.
Head Coach Rick Benben
Entering his tenth season at the helm, Rick Benben is the most successful soccer coach in UMKC history, having guided the Kangaroos to two NCAA tournament appearances, notching an overtime win (2-1) over UW-Milwaukee in the 2001 tournament. A three-year letterwinner at goalkeeper for SIU-Edwardsville and former head coach of the Kansas City Comets in the MISL, Benben has compiled a career record of 71-92-14 for a .441 winning percentage. In The Summit League, he holds a .548 winning percentage with a record of 28-23-1.
Local Connections
If the relative proximity between the two schools were not enough to breed some sort of familiarity, there would still be ample cause as nine players on the Drake roster hail from the Kansas City area. In addition to the Gorczyca brothers (Luke and Keith), seven Bulldog players hail from the metro area.
Brass Section
Over the summer, three UMKC players saw considerable action with the Kansas City Brass of the USL Professional Development League. Seniors Josh White and Ali Dorri, along with junior Garret Guthrie saw action in more than half of the Brass' games on the year, with White and Guthrie each tallying three goals. The Brass stumbled to a third-place finish in the Heartland Division, finishing with an 8-3-5 record after breaking out of the gates with five wins and two draws in the squad's first seven league games.
Dorri and White were instrumental in the Brass' qualification for the knockout rounds of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, helping the team to a perfect 4-0 record during the first four games of league play. Dorri was named to the PDL Team of the Week for week five (week ending May 20) after helping the Brass to a 3-1 win over the Des Moines Menace in the season opener for both sides. White earned PDL Player of the Week honors seven days later, after scoring game-winning goals for the Brass in both the third and fourth matches for the team.
Invasion Alert
Miguel Rodrigues also saw action in the PDL over the summer, tallying eight appearances with the Indiana Invaders. Rodrigues played 251 minutes for the squad, who finished fifth in the Great Lakes Division, putting together a 5-9-2 league mark.
O Brother, Where Art Thou?
Folks familiar with the history of the UMKC soccer program will have a bout of deja vu to watch for this season, as three players on the 2007 squad are following in the footsteps of older brothers.
Senior Kyle Perkins' older brother Drew was a standout for the Kangaroos, sitting atop the all-time goalscoring table with 21.
Junior Oran Andrews follows older brother Shawn Andrews, who had a solid career despite struggling with injuries during his senior campaign.
Incoming transfer Colin Kuster rounds out the band of brothers, as his older brother, Erik, played one season for the Kangaroos. The elder Kuster was a stalwart on the offensive end for the Blue-and-Gold in 1999, leading the squad with nine goals, six assists, 24 points and 63 shots on the year, en route to a first team all-Mid-Con selection.
Reaching For New Heights
The 2007 season marks the first for The Summit League, formerly known as the Mid-Continent Conference. The name change is part of an initiative launched to improve the welfare of the student-athletes at the respective member institutions. Announced in May 2007 by the Mid-Con Presidents Council, the Summit Plan is a strategic plan that places a renewed emphasis on improving the academic and athletic performances of all its student-athletes.
In addition to the name change, three new schools join the league for the 2007-08 academic year: North Dakota State, South Dakota State and IPFW. Of these, IPFW is the only school to sponsor men's soccer, leaving the league set with seven competing schools.
