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Bucs ready to reload
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| Beloit’s Silas Connelly, left, and Rockford’s Aaron Powers battle for control of the ball Wednesday. Staff photo by Jim Franz |
By Jim Franz
Sports Editor
Soccer team planning to join MWC elite again
Beloit College qualified for the Midwest Conference Men's Soccer Tournament a year ago and will be headed back again if the league's Preseason Coaches' Poll is accurate.
Head coach Tim Schmiechen says his team has even higher aspirations than the No. 4 slot the coaches awarded them.
“We made the tournament last year, but we felt it was a disappointing season,” Schmiechen said. “We had won the conference the year before and last season we didn't finish .500. The guys weren't happy. I think there is an urgency to get back to where we're one of the top two teams in league.”
In their defense, the 2007 Buccaneers had a lot of new faces and some of the missing belonged to key performers off that MWC title team. The 4-4-1 MWC record and 7-9-2 overall mark in 2007 were the result of some growing pains.
“We were young last year and we're going to be young again,” Schmiechen said before his team improved to 2-1 with a 4-0 victory over visiting Rockford College Wednesday night at the Strong Stadium Complex. “We have a number of new players who have joined us and are going to be playing some big roles. The players we had last year, however, are a year older and we have every indication this will be a good year.”
Schmiechen said the biggest unknowns this season are at goaltender, where junior Nathan Lipps has stepped in to replace graduated Chris Lowry, and goal scoring. The team's leading scorer from 2007, Will Swendson, graduated. Like Lowry, he was an All-MWC Second Team selection.
As for Lipps, Schmiechen said the junior has played well so far this season after seeing only limited action last year. He had two saves Wednesday, sharing time with Tyler Isham.
Offensively, the Bucs have scored eight goals (four over weekend) in three games.
The Bucs are counting on junior midfielder Bo Wilkins, a returning All-MWC Second Teamer, to give the attack a boost after scoring two goals and three assists last season. He had a goal against Rockford, along with Thomas Lancaster, Silas Connelly and Jorge Selva. Connelly also picked up a pair of assists as Beloit outshot the visitors 26-3.
“We actually struggled to score last year and that has to come from somebody,” the coach said. “I am excited about our potential with Bo, Kris Wingo, Silas Connelly, Noah Koritz, Tom Slusher and Tom Lancaster, who only got to play a little last year before he blew out his knee. We also added Jorge Selva from Madison and he has tremendous potential.
“I'm excited about the season. We had a great recruiting class added to a strong returning class. I'm very confident we will be a better team this season.”
The coaches selected defending MWC Tournament champion Carroll as the team to beat with nine first-place votes. St. Norbert, which has won six of the past regular-season titles and five of the past six tournaments, got the other first-place vote and a second-place nod. Grinnell was three and Beloit four.
The Bucs host Concordia at 7 p.m. Saturday.
Beloit College qualified for the Midwest Conference Men's Soccer Tournament a year ago and will be headed back again if the league's Preseason Coaches' Poll is accurate.
Head coach Tim Schmiechen says his team has even higher aspirations than the No. 4 slot the coaches awarded them.
“We made the tournament last year, but we felt it was a disappointing season,” Schmiechen said. “We had won the conference the year before and last season we didn't finish .500. The guys weren't happy. I think there is an urgency to get back to where we're one of the top two teams in league.”
In their defense, the 2007 Buccaneers had a lot of new faces and some of the missing belonged to key performers off that MWC title team. The 4-4-1 MWC record and 7-9-2 overall mark in 2007 were the result of some growing pains.
“We were young last year and we're going to be young again,” Schmiechen said before his team improved to 2-1 with a 4-0 victory over visiting Rockford College Wednesday night at the Strong Stadium Complex. “We have a number of new players who have joined us and are going to be playing some big roles. The players we had last year, however, are a year older and we have every indication this will be a good year.”
Schmiechen said the biggest unknowns this season are at goaltender, where junior Nathan Lipps has stepped in to replace graduated Chris Lowry, and goal scoring. The team's leading scorer from 2007, Will Swendson, graduated. Like Lowry, he was an All-MWC Second Team selection.
As for Lipps, Schmiechen said the junior has played well so far this season after seeing only limited action last year. He had two saves Wednesday, sharing time with Tyler Isham.
Offensively, the Bucs have scored eight goals (four over weekend) in three games.
The Bucs are counting on junior midfielder Bo Wilkins, a returning All-MWC Second Teamer, to give the attack a boost after scoring two goals and three assists last season. He had a goal against Rockford, along with Thomas Lancaster, Silas Connelly and Jorge Selva. Connelly also picked up a pair of assists as Beloit outshot the visitors 26-3.
“We actually struggled to score last year and that has to come from somebody,” the coach said. “I am excited about our potential with Bo, Kris Wingo, Silas Connelly, Noah Koritz, Tom Slusher and Tom Lancaster, who only got to play a little last year before he blew out his knee. We also added Jorge Selva from Madison and he has tremendous potential.
“I'm excited about the season. We had a great recruiting class added to a strong returning class. I'm very confident we will be a better team this season.”
The coaches selected defending MWC Tournament champion Carroll as the team to beat with nine first-place votes. St. Norbert, which has won six of the past regular-season titles and five of the past six tournaments, got the other first-place vote and a second-place nod. Grinnell was three and Beloit four.
The Bucs host Concordia at 7 p.m. Saturday.
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