2010 Season in Preview: Buccaneers FC

(First, assuming someone actually reads this drivel, an apology for the tardiness in getting this thing up: the inside of my laptop monitor is completely wrecked, and kept me away from a computer for the last three days.)


There is a sense of anticipation of something very special in the offing this season for Bucs FC. After a resounding victory over Lipscomb (which featured the most baffling own goal I have ever seen), Scott Calabrese's side ran into the team's first real nemesis in its brief existence, the Stetson Hatters, in the semi-finals of the conference tournament. Now, loaded up on fresh faces and with some strong returning talent, Calabrese (left) and assistant Ian Luya have their best chance yet to bring a championship to the young program. We'll take a look at departing and incoming players, as well as the rest of the conference and how everything will fit together.



It's always tough to lose players before they graduate. Sadly, in lower-level conferences like the Atlantic Sun, this is a reality that must be dealt with (see Johneshia Good with the Lady Bucs in April). There are several players that Scott Calabrese depended on that will be gone this season. Here's the rundown of outgoing outfielders:

Kyle Franklin, Midfield
Tyler Hoek, Midfield
Tony Nunes, Midfield
Andrew Brown, Midfield
Mohsen Pourmorteza, Midfield/Defense
Nathaniel McElroy, Midfield/Defender
Conrad McCue, Defender
Tim Nixon, Midfield

Of this group, only Franklin and Hoek exhausted their eligibility. There were a lot of rumblings that several of the players had lost their scholarships and would be moving to a more affordable institution. Pourmorteza was supposedly going to Med School, but again, I have no definitive answers. I wish I did, because I'd really like to know what happened to these guys.

The big problem here is the loss of three regular players from the end of the season. Nunes, Brown, and Pourmorteza were in the starting XI that beat Lipscomb in the first round of the conference tourney. Pourmorteza finally seemed to find a home for himself at right back, and Brown was a huge asset on the wings who had worn the armband on more than one occasion. Nunes was essentially omni-gel, playing just about anywhere he was needed and doing a solid job in all respects.

The biggest loss for the team this year, however, is the one I didn't list: Scott Rosman, who was clear and away the best goalkeeper in the Atlantic Sun last year. It doesn't take long to see just how the numbers lean towards Rosman as a key part of the team, when you consider that the club had as many wins as he did clean sheets (though those numbers don't necessarily line up) and scored just 22 goals over 17 games (1.29 goals per contest, which isn't that great). When you consider how hard it is to come by good goalkeeping in the States (MLS keepers are by and large as effective as a piece of soggy cardboard), the Buccaneers can't expect James Holt to bail them out on a regular basis this season, especially after watching him in the spring games, where he didn't inspire much confidence (although he would make a great Aussie Rules player, probably a central forward, with the way he can launch the ball off his foot).

That's not to say there's no good news for the team. Based on what I've said, one might get a feeling of gloom and doom about the team, but the returning group is still excellent. Guilherme Reis (right) will be one of, if not the best center back in the league by default. The fiery Brazilian, who has played every single minute for the Bradenton Academics in the Premier Development League this summer, will also likely be sporting the arm band as the team's only senior. He'll team up with Texan junior Jaron Westbrook to form a very solid tandem in the middle of the field. Matt Reed is a lock for the left back slot and will look to play forward quite a bit to help the attack.

Where things get tricky is on the right side. It would seem like Blake Pelton's spot to lose at first glance because of the size he adds in the backfield, but his lack of comfort with the ball may relegate him to role player status, with Calabrese putting him on to contain bigger forwards. Incoming freshman Henry Klein will likely have his best chance to get playing time at this sore spot in ETSU's lineup, but he could also move into another area of concern: the midfield.

Let's get the obvious out of the way: Sean Hoek will play. He'll play a lot. I suspect he'll be used as much as Calabrese can use him before his legs fall off. He's going to have to be the conduit between defense and offense for this team to be successful. Alongside him, Alesi Osorio will be looking to build off a strong freshman campaign, and if his past work ethic is any indication, he could be in for a breakout year.

On the flanks, things once again get tricky for ETSU. They have Mohammed Bowers coming back from a redshirt (he'll be a freshman), and he had a strong showing in the spring. Blake (or is it actually Blaike?) Woodruff was an ESPN RISE winter all-star in Texas. Mario Samperio is getting sparing playing time with Bradenton, and is more of a central player, but don't count him out just yet. Ultimately, I think Woodruff wins out on the right side, and Calabrese will put Theo Yang on the left.

No, I'm not out of my mind. Yang is suited for the wing because of his speed and ability to service great balls (I dare you to read that with a straight face). My reasoning for doing this can be summed up in two words: Itode Fubara.

Okay, so maybe those aren't actually words. But they are a name for a new footballer in the ETSU ranks up front. Fubara, while a very raw player, has a tremendous amount of skill with the ball at his feet. As he gets used to the more physical North American style of play, he'll become an integral part of the squad and should score quite a few very nice goals when paired with Aaron Schoenfeld. I had the pleasure of watching "Fuby" play this past spring, and if that's him when he's out of shape (most of the players were), then I can't wait to see him when he's on his game.

Also up front is another freshman to watch: local product David Geno. DG finished his career at Dobyns-Bennett with 101 goals in just over three seasons, making him the most prolific scorer in the school's history. He has good speed and a nose for the net, which can take you very, very far at this level.

And at last, we've come back around to goaltending. With the loss of Rosman, there are big shoes to fill between the pipes. Is 6'4" James Holt the man to fill them? Tough to say, really. If his play in limited time with the atrocious Nashville Metros is any indication, I see no reason why not. He has conceded three goals in two matches despite facing 34 total shots in 180 minutes (28 of which were on goal). The Metros, by the way, have conceded 26 goals total in 12 matches, and are an embarrassing 1-9-2. But at least they aren't last, right?

Also keeping the cage clean will be Steven Matlock. At 5'10", Matlock may not seem like the ideal keeper in an era when the likes of Petr Cech and Gigi Buffon are the most successful around, and, well, it's not. Matlock does have quite a bit of untapped potential as a keeper, but may be better suited to moving to the outfield to continue his career. Things are further complicated by the arrival of Ronnie Hreha from Lees-McRae College, where he lost out on the starting gig to Sean Paradise, who helped the team to a 17-3 record. I will avoid making any jokes about a name that sounds like it belongs to a public fornicator, mainly because they should make themselves.

So, what we're looking at, boys and girls, is a team assembled like this:

Schoenfeld-Fubara
Yang-Hoek-Osorio-Woodruff/Pugh/Bowers
Reed-Reis-Westbrook-Pelton/Klein
Holt

And for the reserves:

Purcell-Geno
Campbell-Samperio-Haba-Woodruff/Pugh/Bowers
Hodges-Dykes-???-Pelton/Klein
Hreha/Matlock

So what can that lineup do that makes it so special? It can score goals by the bucket load. Five of those starters (Schoenfeld, Fubara, Yang, Hoek, and Osorio) could account for as many goals among themselves as the whole team produced last year. They'll have to, because as big and athletic as Holt is, they can't depend on him to bail them out when they make a mistake up the field. If they can get 20-25 goals from those five guys, and five or six goals from the rest of the team, they're one of the best offensive sides in the conference, if not the best. They should play fluid, attractive football with lots of fancy footwork, but don't forget that this is an American side, and a lower-level side at that, so they won't forget their gritty roots.

Ultimately, I expect this team to get to the final of the conference tournament, even with the players the squad lost over the summer. Maybe those expectations are a bit high, but a team that wasn't nearly as good as this one is offensively blew out Florida Gulf Coast, the best defensive team in the conference last year. I have absolute faith in Scott Calabrese and Ian Luya to make this into a team that can contend for the school's first College Cup appearance in 2010. Who knows, a berth in the big dance might convince Stanton and Mullins to get Buc Brass out to Summers-Taylor?

On second thought, maybe that's a bad idea...

That's it for this time. On Monday, we'll have a look at the ladies, and, if you're on your best behavior, a look at the Atlantic Sun in men's soccer, as well.