Postseason Berth Locked Up, Kangaroos Head To Oakland With Championship Aspirations
11/7/2008 6:00:00 PM | Men's Soccer
Game 17
UMKC at Oakland
Saturday, November 8, 2008 ? 1 p.m. (12 p.m. CT)
Oakland, Mich. (Oakland Soccer Field)
Although the Kangaroos have already booked a trip to The Summit League Championship, the UMKC men's soccer team enters Saturday's match at Oakland with its sights set on a share of the regular-season championship. With a win, the Kangaroos guarantee themselves a share of the title and the top seed in the tournament.
About The Golden Grizzlies
The longest-tenured coach in The Summit League, Gary Parsons has piloted Oakland to a 12-4-0 record on the 2008 slate. He has amassed a career mark of 361-138-56 record, with a 115-71-21 mark in Division I action.
Stefan St. Louis continues to lead the offense for the Golden Grizzlies, with four game-winning goals among his seven strikes on the season. Sebastian Harris has had a helping hand in six goals for Oakland, adding four goals for 14 points on the season, level with St. Louis. Makesi Lewis has also chipped in four goals on the year.
Defensively, the Golden Grizzlies have been outstanding, yielding only nine goals on the year, and haven't given up a goal in five consecutive matches. Steve Clark has recorded 10 clean sheets on the year en route to a 0.56 goals-against average.
Last Time Out
Missed chances in the first half came back to haunt the Kangaroos in a post-Halloween match against Centenary, as Bryan Perez's ninth goal of the season wasn't able to hold up as UMKC fell 2-1 to the Gents.
Vote Early, Vote Often
Senior Garret Guthrie was named a finalist for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award, one of the most prestigious awards in college athletics. The winner, who will be recognized at the NCAA College Cup, will be selected based on voting from media, coaches and fans. From now until November 19th, visit www.seniorclassaward.com/votelist.aspx to cast your ballot for Guthrie. Fans are allowed one vote per computer per day, with the overall tabulation counting for one-third of the total tally for the award.
New for this season, fans can also vote via text message by sending the code “S7” to 839863. Standard text messaging rates apply and the service may not be available on all carriers.
Three Tabbed For ESPN/CoSIDA Academic All-District Team
Garret Guthrie nabbed his third consecutive nod to the ESPN/CoSIDA Academic All-District Team this week, and was joined by Brian Harris and Matt Kopsky. For the 2008 season, the minimum cumulative GPA was increased to 3.30, with all three easily surpassing the mark. The Kangaroos led the way in The Summit League, with three of the six honorees coming from the Blue-and-Gold.
What Up, B?
It must be good to be named Brian (or Bryan), as three of the five Kangaroo hat tricks overall have come from players bearing that name. Brian Harris and Bryan Perez have each struck for three goals in a game on the 2008 slate, with Brian Garcia recording the most recent - prior to this season - during the 2004 season. Brian Wallace also tallied a brace for the Kangaroos, scoring two goals against Valparaiso on the 2000 season.
Taking Aim At The Dozen
Senior Brian Harris currently sits in second place all-time on the single-season goals table, having notched 11 this season. He needs just one goal through the remaining games on the schedule for UMKC to tie the single-season record, a mark that was established more than 12 years ago. Mike Anderson tallied 12 goals during the 1996 season, in the fourth year of Mike Brown's tenure.
Around The Summit League
In the final week of the regular season, the midweek matches saw transitional institutions providing foes for both Oral Roberts and Centenary. The Golden Eagles hosted Division II newcomers Newman University, prevailing by a 5-2 margin, while Centenary traveled to Houston Baptist - who rejoins Division I after a short absence. The Gents picked up their second straight overtime win to close out the regular season, winning 2-1.
Western Illinois and Oral Roberts will battle for the final playoff spot on Saturday, while Oakland looks to hold off both UMKC and IUPUI to keep sole possession of the league championship. The Jaguars visit IPFW on Friday night, looking for a win and a Kangaroo win to split the championship three ways.
The Kangaroos can take the top seed in the postseason tournament with a win over the Golden Grizzlies, while the Leathernecks host the Golden Eagles needing a win - a tie leaves ORU and WIU on level terms, with the tiebreakers falling to the third option (total goals scored) where the Golden Eagles hold a scant edge with five goals in league play to WIU's four.
Hat Trick Begets Hat Trick
After recording a hat trick against Oral Roberts in league play on Saturday, Brian Harris recorded a hat trick of another color on Monday, earning Summit League Offensive Player of the Week honors for the third time on the 2008 season. The trifecta marks the first time in program history that the Kangaroos have had a player nab weekly honors three times on the year, with the Blue-and-Gold continuing to expand the total count beyond previous program highs.
Bryan Perez also swept up a trifecta earlier this season. On the strength of the first hat trick for UMKC since the 2004 season, the Miami, Fla., native was named The Summit League Offensive Player of the Week, also earning a nod as a member of collegesoccernews.com?s National Team of the Week. Tuesday he snapped up another indivdual honor as Soccer America tabbed him as a member of the week's best XI. UMKC's upset of Creighton sparked the first busy week for the men's soccer program with regards to weekly individual accolades, starting with the recognition of Harris and Ken Cooper as offensive and defensive Players of the Week for The Summit League. It was the first time that UMKC had swept the weekly league honors since the 2004 season, when Brian Garcia and Blake Martin picked up the offensive and defensive honors, respectively, on November 4.
Matt Kopsky added his name to the list later in the day, earning a nod on collegesoccernews.com's team of the week. In the last, Cooper would be the best, earning the first-ever selection for a UMKC player to the Soccer America team of the week.
2008 Weekly Accolades
Brian Harris (Summit League Offensive Player of the Week - September 2)
Brian Harris (Summit League Offensive Player of the Week - September 15)
Ken Cooper (Summit League Defensive Player of the Week - September 15)
Matt Kopsky (collegesoccernews.com National Team of the Week - September 15)
Ken Cooper (Soccer America National Team of the Week - September 16)
Ken Cooper (STLsoccer.net Player of the Week - September 30)
Bryan Perez (Summit League Offensive Player of the Week - October 6)
Bryan Perez (collegesoccernews.com National Team of the Week - October 6)
Bryan Perez (Soccer America National Team of the Week - October 7)
Brian Harris (Summit League Offensive Player of the Week - October 27)
Exciting, Attacking Football
The Blue-and-Gold continued to show the offensive prowess that Rick Benben's teams have been known for, with 35 goals so far this season and one games left in the regular season to challenge the two most recent regular-season high-water mark of 36 goals - achieved in the 2001 season. This year's pace equals the 2003 season's mark of 35. Both of those marks found the Kangaroos headed to the NCAA tournament to close out the year.
UMKC returns four of the five leading scorers from last season. Bryan Perez led the Kangaroos with six goals last season, with Garret Guthrie and John Bayron Sosa each tallying four. Brian Harris struck net three times last season, including the only goal surrendered by Summit League champs Oakland in league play.
Seven's Heaven
Although the Kangaroos have been forced to spend the past two seasons as renters on Bourke Field, the squad has certainly made the best of the temporary home in 2008, keeping a perfect record on the year. The 7-0 record marks the first time in program history that the Blue-and-Gold came out on top in every home match on the year. The perfection stretches back into the 2007 season as well, with the streak extending to 10 straight home games. UMKC has won 11 games on the trot at Bourke Field, as the 2007 meeting between Rockhurst and UMKC went into the books as a home game for Rockhurst.
Not Rain, Nor Snow, Nor Gloom Of Night
Bryan Perez must be honoring the old saw describing the dedication of the letter carriers of the United States Postal Service, as he has not missed a single game due to injury or suspension during his career at UMKC. He has recorded 55 consecutive appearances for the Blue-and-Gold, all of them in the starting XI.
Not Plane, Nor Bird, Nor Even Frog
During head coach Rick Benben's tenure, the Blue-and-Gold have relished the role of underdog quite a bit, knocking off three of the four top-10 teams they've faced. Two of the three upsets have come at home, as UMKC bested #7 Marquette in 2000 by a 3-1 scoreline at Swope Park and handed #5 Santa Clara a 2-1 defeat in 2003, en route to the Kangaroos' second NCAA Tournament appearance. UMKC nearly handed #3 SMU another upset in 2006, but the Mustangs would benefit from a late goal to prevail 2-1. On the 2008 season, the Kangaroos are unbeaten against teams ranked in the top-25, besting both #3 Creighton and #19 Drake after earning a 2-2 draw against then #16 UIC.
At The Summit Of The Summit
Despite the loss to Centenary last Saturday, UMKC still stands as one of only two teams with a positive goal differential on the season. The Kangaroos hold a +7 edge in league action to Oakland's +6 mark.
The Blue-and-Gold also lead the league in all three offensive categories (goals - 35, assists - 32, points - 102). However, the Kangaroos have also been whistled offside more times per game than any other team.
Individually, the Blue-and-Gold boast a 1-2 punch in the scoring table, with Brian Harris on 26 points and Bryan Perez on 24. UMKC also claims six of the top 10 assist providers on the year, led by Perez's six (t-2nd) and Levi Coleman's 5 (t-4th).
With five league games in the books, UMKC has a commanding lead in the offensive categories, recording 11 goals in league play to just seven for nearest foes Oakland. UMKC has been quite judicious with its shots in cruising to the offensive pinnacle, recording just 83 shots through five games - good for tops in the league.
Harris has penciled his name on the league's golden boot, with his six tallies sitting head and shoulders above anyone else - only three other players have scored more than once in league play.
Extra Time Finally Good To The Roos
Although the Kangaroos have seen their share of overtime matches over the past several years, wins in the extra stanza had been hard to come by - until Wednesday against Rockhurst, that is. The game marked the first overtime victory for UMKC since October 13, 2004, a 3-2 win at UIC.
Benben Inducted Into SIU-Edwardsville Athletics Hall Of Fame
On Saturday, October 18, UMKC men's soccer head coach Rick Benben was inducted into the Southern Illinois University - Edwardsvile Athletics Hall of Fame. A standout player and coach for the Cougars, Benben picked up national championships as both a player and coach, in 1972 and 1979 respectively.
Tops In The Association
The Kangaroos have slipped ever so slightly, but remain the 10th-most potent offense in all of Division I, striking for 2.19 goals per game. The Kangaroos join such company as Wake Forest, Notre Dame and North Carolina in the role of offensive juggernaut, and are averaging more goals per game than traditional powerhouses Virginia, UIC and UC-Santa Barbara.
Brian Perez and Brian Harris continue to play leapfrog in the offensive rankings, with Harris now ranked 22nd in the country with a 1.63 scoring average. Perez ranks 28th in the country in scoring average, and crept past Levi Coleman into the top-50 assists table, sitting in 32nd.
Ironman Squad
Garret Guthrie has been a true ironman for the Kangaroos, entering the top-10 career games played list against Oral Roberts. The Wichita, Kan., native has appeared in 71 matches for the Blue-and-Gold with 50 starts over his four-year tenure. Also among the Kangaroo ironmen are senior transfer Miguel Rodrigues and junior Bryan Perez, each with 55 games under his belt. Perez has been in the starting XI for each of his 55 appearances, with Rodrigues missing just two starts. John David Hernandez has also been busy, recording 51 appearances for the Blue-and-Gold, with Caleb Mitchell also recording 53 appearances.
Friends For Brandon
Throughout the 2008 season, the UMKC men's soccer team will be playing for a bit of a higher calling, as redshirt freshman Brandon Nilsson was diagnosed with cancer in July. His family has created a website through Caring Bridge (http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/BrandonNilsson) as well as a Facebook group (Friends For Brandon) so that his friends and the community can keep in touch.
The UMKC softball team also offered a helping hand to the Nilsson family, organizing a pair of fundraisers on October 19. The Friends For Brandon Wiffle Ball Tournament and Walk-a-Thon raised over $600.
Showing Some Class
On Thursday, October 16, senior Garret Guthrie was announced as a finalist for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award. He becomes the first player from any Summit League school in any sport to make the finalist cut, joining nine other players across Division I who were selected for the honor.
Through November 19, fans can cast a vote for the award, with rankings by the fans to comprise 25 percent of the overall weight. Coaches, media and sponsors of the award will also cast votes, with the tallies from each group combined to determine the winner. The recipient will be recognized in a ceremony during the 2008 Division I Men's Soccer Championship, December 12-14 in Frisco, Texas.
The Kangaroos had two nominees for the award - Guthrie and Miguel Rodrigues. The Senior CLASS Award was first created in 2001 as an acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School. This unique award is designed to honor the attributes of seniors who remain committed to their university and elect to pursue the many rewards that a senior season can bring.
Guthrie and Rodrigues are both solid performers on and off the field, with Guthrie serving as a lab instructor for the UMKC Summer Scholars program and Rodrigues serving as head clinician for the FCA Multi-Sports camp in Albion, Mich. during the summer of 2008. Candidates will be judged on four criteria - Classroom, Character, Community and Competition.
Quest For The Cup
The first release of the NCAA RPI found UMKC ranked in the top 50 along with two other Summit League Schools. The Kangaroos are ranked 49th, with a 5-3-2 mark on the year. Western Illinois sits just three spots in front of UMKC, while Oakland is nearer the top of the table in 25th.
2008 Media Guide Available
The 2008 UMKC men's soccer media guide is now available. The guide features detailed player bios and history of the Kangaroo program along with opponent capsules for the upcoming season. An electronic version of the guide is available online at www.umkckangaroos.com, with print versions also available. For more information or to request a copy of the media guide, contact the UMKC Sports Information Office.
Moving On Up
The career top 10 lists are seeing a lot of activity this year, as no fewer than 12 categories have seen new entries, with two more poised for new entries by the end of the season. Garret Guthrie's stay in the top 10 was all too short after the senior notched his 13th career goal earlier this season, as he was passed in the very next game by Bryan Perez's 13th, 14th and 15th career goals in UMKC's 4-3 upset of then #19 Drake. Perez tallied for his 17th career goal against Centenary, good for fourth on the all-time list, tied with UMKC Athletics Hall of Fame inductee Larry Scheller and Mike Anderson. His nine goals are also good for fifth on the single-season table.
Brian Harris roared past Perez on the single-season goal scorer's table against Oral Roberts and needs just one goal to tie the single-season goals record for UMKC at 12.
Perez is tied for sixth on the career shots list for UMKC, having taken 99 attempts over his three-year career, and also ranks fifth on the career points list with 41.
Sophomore Ken Cooper moved up one spot on the career minutes list against Central Arkansas, currently with 2640:18 in the books, and is tied for fourth with Tim Baum on the career wins list with 13. The St. Louis, Mo., native is also fourth on the career shutouts list with six. He has also continued to climb the careers saves ladder, currently sitting in seventh with 117.
John Bayron Sosa also made the assists table, with his nine career helpers good for a three-way tie for sixth.
Poll Position
For the first time in program history, UMKC received votes in the NSCAA/adidas National rankings following its 4-3 defeat of Drake. The Kangaroos, who moved up to third in the Midwest regional poll, received six votes in the weekly poll of Division I coaches. UMKC is also receiving votes in the College Soccer News national rankings after making an RV cameo in the Soccer Times poll following its 1-0 defeat of Creighton earlier this season.
The Kangaroos remain in the top-10 for the Midwest region, one of three Summit League squads in the rankings. Oakland leads the way in fourth, with Western Illinois sitting one spot ahead of the Kangaroos in sixth.
A Nod From The Fourth Estate
In addition to the selection of Matt Kopsky and Ken Cooper to national teams of the week, the UMKC men's soccer team has also gotten nods from other members of the fourth estate. Most recently, UMKC's upset of Drake garnered a spot mention in Soccer America's College Soccer Reporter e-mail blast - under the title “Tuesday Night Thrillers”. The Kangaroos were also featured prominently on ESPNsoccernet.com, in a feature by Maria Burns Ortiz. Ortiz's column discussed the rash of upsets sweeping through Division I during the opening months of the 2008 season. The article can be found by visiting http://tinyurl.com/4j9cdx or checking out www.umkckangaroos.com.
Road Warriors
In anticipation of the opening of the Stanley H. Durwood Stadium for the 2009 season, the Kangaroos were a bit of a nomadic bunch for the opening of the 2008 season. UMKC played its first seven matches away from Kansas City and will play 10 matches total away from home. The Kangaroos will be rewarded, however, as the seven home matches on the slate are grouped together, with UMKC opening its Summit League slate against IPFW in the first of a three-game home stand, and closing out with a four-game home stand in October.
A New Look For The Roos
At the end of the 2007-08 school year, UMKC Athletics and Kansas City, Mo., advertising firm Bernstein-Rein began work on transforming one of the most unique mascots in college sports. Two options were presented to the community, drawing 2,200 votes. On May 6, 2008, the new set of marks was unveiled.
The new identity encapsulates a strong competitive nature and fierce attitude. The Roo icon and typography establish a sense of motion and direction, with the kangaroo in one if its most iconic poses - side-on in full stride. Its eyes are focused with a snarl adding to its aggressive attitude.
The colors draw inspiration from the classic blue and gold of UMKC, with an addition of black to create a bolder presence. The iconography draws inspiration from UMKC's position as a part of a growing urban community.
The Kangaroos debuted the new kits to great results against Creighton.
Kangaroos Tabbed Fourth In Preseason Summit League Coaches Poll
The UMKC men's soccer team was picked to finish fourth in The Summit League during the coaches preseason poll. The Kangaroos garnered one of the seven available first-place votes, earning 23 points. 2007 champion Oakland was tabbed the early favorite with five first-place nods and 35 total points. The poll mirrored the final league table from the 2007 season, with IUPUI picking up the seventh first-place vote and second place overall and Oral Roberts taking third. Western Illinois, Centenary and IPFW rounded out the rankings.
On The Small Screen
Head coach Rick Benben and senior Garret Guthrie were featured on the UMKC Coaches Show with Brad Porter in the second show of the season, along with women's head coach Anita Rodriguez.
Busy Summer
Many members of the UMKC men's soccer team were busy during the summer. Several players spent time with clubs in the PDL, with players also serving as camp counselors for UMKC's residential camps.
To close out the summer, senior Miguel Rodrigues and juniors Levi Coleman, Ricardo Guerra and Bryan Perez took part in the Mayor's Night Kicks tournament, a six-week event sponsored by the Kansas City Wizards and the City of Kansas City. Coleman ran away with the golden boot in the competition, netting 11 goals in three games during group play - the next highest total was six. The squad swept through group play, and although the college players had to bow out due to commitments to UMKC's preseason training, the four Kangaroos still received medals as the Taqueria Mexico squad finished third in the tournament.
On The Spot
UMKC has stumbled slightly from the penalty spot, as the Kangaroos have made just one of three attempts this season, after holding a string of 14 consecutive makes to enter the 2008 season.
However, UMKC has never been bested in a penalty shootout in the league tournament - defeating Oakland 4-3 en route to the 2001 Mid-Con Tournament title, downing Western Illinois by a 3-0 count in 2003 and advancing past Oral Roberts by a 4-2 scoreline in 2006.
Looking Forward
The UMKC soccer program took a giant step forward in April 2008, with the announcement of the largest-ever single gift to UMKC Athletics. A $5 million pledge from the the Stanley H. Durwood Foundation and its trustees Raymond F. Beagle, Jr. and Charles J. Egan is set to fund the construction of a new soccer stadium in the heart of UMKC's Volker campus.
The competition venue of the Stanley H. Durwood Stadium is anticipated to be complete in time for the first game of the 2009 season, as the Kangaroos add women's soccer to the mix. The entire complex - including locker room facilities for men's and women's soccer, softball, and men's and women's track and field - is expected to be completed by the spring of 2010.
Stan Durwood was one of the University's and the athletic program's most ardent supporters. His affiliation with UMKC began when NCAA Division I participation was a pipe dream. Durwood's enthusiasm for UMKC Athletics continued through admission into Division I and the Mid-Continent Conference. In 1994, he was awarded the Chancellor's Medal, the highest non-academic honor the University can bestow upon a community member.
Giving Back
One of the hallmarks of head coach Rick Benben's tenure has been a dedication to giving back to the community. In addition to the team's work with the Kansas City Parks and Recreation Department, several players took time out of their summer schedule to put on a demonstration at Spectrum Station.
Giving Back Again
UMKC men's soccer team captain Miguel Rodrigues was invited to speak at the Pembroke Hill School during the first week of classes. The senior spoke briefly about his views on the characteristics of leadership - both on and off of the soccer field - and answered questions about his experiences. The appearance was part of an annual tradition at Pembroke Hill, with Raiders head soccer coach Matt Pritchett inviting speakers from the community to address students at the beginning of each school year.
Live Stats Available
With a new partnership with AT&T, UMKC broadcasted live stats from every home match during the 2008 season. Several of UMKC's road matches will also have live stats feeds available, with links from the men's soccer schedule page at www.umkckangaroos.com keeping fans far away in touch with the action.
Finding True North
UMKC sets its sights once again on The Summit League Championship, looking to stretch its league lead with a 13th appearance in the postseason tournament. The Blue-and-Gold have qualified for postseason action in 12 of their 13 years as a member of the Mid-Continent Conference/The Summit League. The Kangaroos were the first team to capture a league double, grabbing the regular season title and tournament championship in both 2001 and 2003.
Amazingly, the Kangaroos were not the top seed in either double season, as they lost seeding tiebreakers in both 2001 and 2003. UMKC qualified as the top seed in the Western Division in 1998, although they fell to Howard in the championship match.
These Go To Eleven
Proving that familiarity doesn't always breed contempt, head coach Rick Benben and assistant coach Fred Schlichting both enter their 11th season at UMKC. Benben, the longest-tenured coach at UMKC has been a fixture in Kansas City soccer for several years, formerly serving as the head coach of the MISL Kansas City Comets. Schlichting has also made a name in the Kansas City coaching ranks, named the KSYSA Boys Coach of the Year in 2005 and leading the St. Teresa's Academy varsity team to a Missouri State championship appearance in 1998.
