"Those who do not know history are doomed to repeat it," goes the saying. AU men's soccer coach Todd West knows the history of Patriot League Soccer, and hopes it doesn't repeat itself.
"You have to look at the history of the league," West said. "Last year we won the Patriot League with 6 seniors. In 2004 Lafayette won with nine seniors. It's a league dominated by upperclassmen."
With only three seniors on the team, West may hope history is about to change."
After last year's impressive run to the second round of the NCAA tournament, the Eagles look like a team rebuilding. Gone is Shawn Kuykendall, AU's points leader last year and 2004 Patriot League Player of the Year. (He's down the road at RFK Stadium now playing for DC United).
Also gone is 2004 Goalkeeper of the Year Thomas Myers, who registered nine shut outs for the Eagles in 2004. Yet despite the losses, including four other seniors, American was picked this year to win the Patriot League by the league's coaches. The pre-season ranking is one spot higher than last year when they won both the regular season and Patriot League tournament.
There is a reason for the ranking. American returns a team with NCAA experience. 14 players from last year's team are back. Couple that with the incoming freshmen class, which was ranked by 29th in the country by collegesoccernews.com, and it seems that all the elements of another successful run toward the NCAA Tournament is in order.
"This is a young team," said West," and there might be times when there are no seniors on the field so the young guys are going to have to grow up quickly."
Sophomore Chris Sedlak, who will likely fill in for Meyers' departure this season, might have to grow up the quickest, as he fights challenges from fellow freshmen 'keepers Ryan Germann and Joseph Monthey. All played well in a preseason exhibition against No. 6 Virginia, with Sedlak recording three saves and Monthey with two.
Then there's Tremaine Chinapoo. The Harrisburg, Pa., native was named one of the "100 Freshmen From Coast to Coast to Keep an Eye On in 2005" by CollegeSoccerNews.com. He'll make up part of the youthful defense, which boasts one upper classman, junior Nathan Baker.
If AU hopes to repeat as Patriot League champs, they'll do so through midfield. Junior Sal Caccavale, who was second in points for AU last year, will have to have a big year. He will be helped out by senior Gordon Templemen, both of whom Coach West said he believes are big pieces to the championship puzzle.
Once again AU's youth must come through at forward when Caccavale is playing midfield. Freshman Justin Turco was named the 2004 Ann Arundel County player of the year by the Baltimore Sun and Freshman Ryan Studner led Montgomery county in assists in 2004. Coupled with transfer student Larry Mark, there is hope that the striking unit can be at least as powerful as last year's modest forward corps.
AU begins the season on Friday against George Washington in the DC College Cup at Georgetown University. They begin the defense of their 2004 Patriot League title at home against Lafayette on September 24th at Reeves Field. However their toughest match in the Patriot League may be on October 29th, when American must travel to Lewisburg, Pa., to battle a tough and experienced Bucknell team with eight returning seniors.
If American is to break the upper-class domination of the Patriot League, that game will be the one that validates the youth movement.
