The 2008 Clark University men’s soccer team certainly had a year to remember. The Cougars, who finished the year with an 11-5-2 (3-2-1 NEWMAC/3rd) record, not only posted their sixth consecutive winning season, but also earned their first NCAA Division III Tournament berth in 21 years.
Clark’s road to the NCAA’s was not easy. Facing a stack of regionally touted squads, the Cougars went unbeaten against five of the seven teams ranked in New England throughout the season. Highlights during that run included, a 1-1 tie against Worcester State College, a 2007 ECAC Tournament semifinalist, in front of a crowd of 500 fans at the Worcester City Soccer Classic at Granger Field and a scoreless draw against eventual NEWMAC Champion Babson College, not to mention 1-0 victories against Rhode Island College (OT) and Framingham State College, both winners of their respective conference championships, and regional power Wheaton College in Norton, Mass. It marked the first time in eight tries Clark beat Wheaton on their home field and just the second victory in 15 attempts overall.
Winners of five of its final regular season games, Clark earned the right to host the first-round of the NEWMAC Tournament for the fourth straight year. Despite a disappointing showing against Wheaton College (L 0-1) in the quarterfinals, the Cougars’ strength of schedule and three consecutive weeks in the final regionally rankings led them to their first NCAA Tournament bid since 1987.
Traveling to last year’s NCAA Tournament Champion Middlebury College, Clark’s season would come to an end in a tough 1-0 loss to Norwich University in the first-round.
Following the season, head coach David Kulik earned the NEWMAC Coach of the Year award for the second time during his tenure. The ninth-year coach also nabbed the honor in 2005. Senior goalkeeper Peter Wise was named to the NEWMAC All-Conference first-team, while junior defender Preben Gietz and sophomore forward Baran Doenmez (8-4-20) were second-team selections.
Under the direction of head coach David Kulik, the Clark University men’s soccer team has become a forced to contend with. During his eight-year tenure, the Cougars currently have a five consecutive winning season stretch, earned national and regional acclaim, qualified for postseason play with an ECAC New England final appearance in 2005, and earned its first-ever win over perennial power Wheaton College just last season.
Although proud of its past accomplishments, Clark returns to the field minus four key players, all of whom helped the Cougars realize those lofty goals. While the departed includes the school’s all-time points leader, a pair of NEWMAC all-stars, and the backbone of the Cougar backfield, Kulik will look to eight returning starters and a strong recruiting class to usher in the dawn of a new day for Clark soccer.
“We have turned a corner in our program,” said the Cougars’ coach. “We graduated four players who all had significant careers during their tenure at Clark. While we’ll miss them, we are looking forward to a new look and a fresh approach this year. We are starting a new era.”
Plagued by injuries, overtime games and high expectations last fall, the Cougars finished with a 7-5-6 (3-2-1 NEWMAC/Tied,3rd place) record. Kulik is hoping the team will dribble past those traps in 2008.
“Last year, the expectation of the team held us back a bit and ended up hurting us,” Kulik said. “This year we don’t have that expectation. The team has prepared themselves well over the summer, and if we stay healthy, develop chemistry with our frontrunners, and have a different sense about how we are going to accomplish our goals – that will be the biggest difference.”
While the nucleus of the backfield returns, the Cougars will miss a valuable element in Joe Silva, a defensive fixture and leader for four years. However, Preben Gietz, Devin Weafer, and Lucas Neustadt bring both the talent and experience – after starting two seasons – to spark a backline that produced four shutouts in six conference games last season. The junior trio will have to stave off pressure from newcomers Matt Yalouris and Trevor Hendry – a member of Northfield Mount Hermon’s 2007 New England Tournament quarterfinal round team, who are both in contention for solid playing time. Freshman Anthony Ebstein, a spark-plug player from Glastonbury (Conn.) High’s state finalist squad, will also be in the mix.
Riding the momentum of a second-team All-NEWMAC selection, senior Peter Wise is back for another year between the pipes. Wise topped the league in goals against average (.97), save percentage (.817), and saves (4.72). Baran Cansever, a first-year keeper from Central Mass. Division I Champion Algonquin Regional High School, will back him up.
“Defense will always be a staple for our program,” said Kulik. “We’ll always be focused on the overall team defending with the understanding that if we don’t give up a lot of goals, it will be hard to lose.”
Junior Jeremy Radovsky and sophomore Kyle Klapp will be counted on to fill the void left at midfield by three-time All-Conference All-Star Lino Goncalves. Radovsky has returned to form after an ACL injury, while Klapp is expected to flourish with a year under his cleats. Juniors Andrew Ninnemann and John Machado, and freshmen Kenny Howard, a first-team All-Western Mass. player, and Adrian Blackadar, a two-time Most Valuable Player at Pilgrim (R.I.) High, are all battling for the final starting spot. Other options off the bench are senior Ben Wajda, junior Harry Banks, and sophomore Alon Trappler. Rookies Alexander Herlich and Max Travers also hope to contribute.
Despite the loss of record-setting David Blum and first-team All-NEWMAC pick Marc Labbe, Kulik is confident that senior Mike Trobagis and Baran Doenmez can fortify the Cougars’ frontline. While Trobagis will finally have his time to shine up front, Doenmez, a sophomore transfer from Division I Hartwick College, appears ready to step up and add to the offensive attack. Senior Jenner Alpern, junior Sorean Hilck, and sophomore Greg Jancarik will provide depth.
“We have more players in our program that have the capability of scoring goals this year,” Kulik said. “We will have a much more balanced attack.”
With a loaded non-conference schedule and NEWMAC slate, not to mention a new-look roll call this fall, Clark will certainly have its hands full. “We are going into the season with a fresh start,” said Kulik. “We have a deeper, more talented incoming group than we’ve had in the past couple of years, and enough athleticism in the program to be a very competitive team. Whether or not we can be as successful as we’ve been, remains to be seen; but it’s my hope that we can certainly be a surprise.”
Dedication. Discipline. Success. Clark’s men’s soccer program is driven by these core values and recruits and cultivates players who are dedicated to athletic and academic excellence. The coaching staff works to bring out the best in the players, fostering a commitment to the classroom, playing field and community. Coaches engage players through an open-door policy and one-on-one attention, and inspire team unity and leadership. As a member of the NEWMAC conference – one of the toughest in Division III men’s soccer – Clark encapsulates the chemistry essential to playing high quality possession-style soccer. This Cougar team trains and plays hard – its rigorous effort has paid off, yielding five consecutive winning seasons for the first time since the 1980’s era. Team unity is a hallmark of the men’s soccer team – the players work for each other, play for each other, and support each other both on and off the field. “Family” – this is how teammates describe the experience. During the three-month soccer season, players are together six days a week and thus develop a deep understanding of and respect for one another. They depend on each other as would brothers. “Every player is part of this family,” says Coach Kulik. “And they are supported and pushed to reach their peak potential in the classroom, as well as on the field.” Each player plays an important role in the team’s ultimate success; learning these specific roles is a continual process. As each player progresses in his individual role, hones his talents and perfects his ability, he strengthens the group at the core. “The main reason we have experienced success over the past few years is our willingness to grow individually and collectively each day,” said David Blum ’08, Clark’s all-time points leader. “We are all working towards one common goal – victory. Whether it’s in soccer, the classroom or the community, we can achieve greater success together.”