George Washington University Athletics
GW Men's Soccer 2015 Season Outlook
8/28/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
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Aug. 28, 2015
2015 Quick Facts | 2015 Schedule
The George Washington men's soccer team will look to build upon last season's results when it kicks off the 2015 campaign this weekend.
The 2014 Colonials made strides by knocking off No. 22 Navy for the program's first win over a ranked opponent since 1997, while starting the season 3-1-0.
GW boasts a veteran roster which features 19 returning players, including 14 upperclassmen, as well as five sophomores who saw considerable minutes during their rookie campaigns. Fourth-year head coach Craig Jones and his staff brought in seven newcomers to add considerable depth.
"We have a good mix within the group and good team cohesion," said Coach Jones. "Some new faces have added some depth to the group, and combined with the returners, we hope can pull us through and win some of the close games we lost out on last season."
The Colonials return nearly 90 percent of their offensive output from last season, including sophomore Christian Lawal (3g, 1a), junior Garrett Heine (2g, 3a) and senior Jonny Forrest (3g). Six-foot-5 senior Philip McQuitty (1g, 2a) and junior Angel Valencia (2g) are poised to step up, and junior Alex Portela, a transfer from Siena, has been added to the mix after tallying a pair of goals in each of his first two collegiate seasons.
"Similar to past years, I firmly believe that to be successful we will need offensive production from more than one player," said Coach Jones. "If someone can get 7-to-10 goals and others can chip in some, it will be a successful year. One player is not going to hold the key to our offensive success this year, so again we will rely on getting goals from all areas."
The Colonials' midfield should generate some competition with the return of a number of contributors from a year ago, including seniors Eddie Painter, Oliver De Thier (1g) and Ross Higgins (1a), junior Spiros Tsakos (1a) and sophomores Alex Conning (1a), Oliver Curry (4a) and Koby Osei-Wusu. Scottish import Alastair Berry also joins the group after earning Atlantic 10 Preseason All-Rookie Team honors earlier this week.
"With two of our captains (Painter and De Thier) in this group and other returners who have played many minutes and got some individual points last season, this area is where we see our biggest competition for places," said Coach Jones. "Knowing we have the players available, and our starting lineup here could change from game to game, is a big bonus for us and a compliment to the group, as we know anyone who starts or comes off the bench can be successful."
Though GW's defense will miss two-time team captain Andri Alexandersson (1g, 1a), who graduated last fall, the backline is the most experienced unit on the team. Graduate student Matthew Scott (1g, 1a), who has started 42 of 45 games in his career, returns for his fifth season, along with juniors Tobi Adewole (2g), Miles McClearn and Sam Summerlin (1a), the reigning team MVP. Sophomore Ismail Lapp-Kamara also saw significant playing time last season, while freshman Jack Houston is also expected to contribute.
"We return most of our back line, so we have some experience there as they've all played substantial minutes in their careers," said Coach Jones. "We will need the whole group to lead from the back, help our newcomers adjust when they are added to the lineup and give us the defensive foundation to work from. I think we can add more goals and assists this year from this group in addition to their defensive responsibilities."
The Colonials will have a new starting goalkeeper in 2015, as Jean-Pierre van der Merwe and Luke Farrell, who combined to make all 34 starts over the last two seasons, both graduated in the spring. Senior Jack Lopez, who played 39 minutes between the pipes a year ago, is the only returning goalie, but he will be pushed by German rookie Thor Arne Höfs and fellow freshman Jason Re.
"I'm excited about the competition for the starting spot," said Coach Jones. "Our senior keeper will be under pressure for the starting spot from our two new guys, who will see some time early on to get them some game minutes before the start of conference play."
GW opens its 50th anniversary campaign at the Kuykenstrong D.C. College Cup against District rivals American and Howard on Friday, Aug. 28, and Sunday, Aug. 30. The Colonials will play four teams which advanced to the 2014 NCAA Tournament, including national champion Virginia and national semifinalist UMBC, as part of their 18-match 2015 slate.
"It's the toughest schedule we've had as we want to play against top opposition to compete at that level and make the group better," said Coach Jones.
