University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
UNC Asheville
Mercer
Bulldogs To Open 2011 Season With Mercer
08.26.2011 | Men's Soccer
With a solid senior class coming back and a talented group of newcomers coming in, the UNC Asheville Bulldogs are looking for a much-improved 2011 season.
A year ago, Asheville competed hard and battled in every match but just couldn't get over the hump in a lot of matches as the Bulldogs finished with a 4-13-1 overall record.
Second-year coach Matt Kern believes Asheville can be better in 2011.
"We have a veteran team coming back plus some new guys who we think can help us right away," commented Kern. "We're a little more athletic in the midfield than we were last season and I think everyone is ready to take the next step with our program.
"A key for us is improving our collective defending," added Kern. "We would like to decrease the number of shots on goal our opponents average per match.
"I believe we have a chance to be quite good on the counter attack," Kern also said. "If we can score between 25-to-30 goals on the season and have our goals against average less than 1 per match, we have a chance to have a pretty good season."
Asheville will open regular season play at Greenwood Field on Saturday, August 27 at 2 p.m. against the Mercer Bears of the Atlantic Sun Conference. UNC Asheville will be honoring the 2001 Big South Conference Championship team at halftime of the game, with members of the 2001 squad in attendance.
GOALKEEPER
The Bulldogs will be led in goal this year by one of the best in the region, senior Lassi Hurskainen.
Asheville had a tough season in 2010 but Hurskainen still earned second team All-Conference honors for his play.
"We would love to see Lassi earn All-Region and All-American honors this year because he's that good of a goalkeeper, but we're going to have to help him," declared Kern. "We can't ask him to make 10 saves every match and expect to win. Lassi really improved as a communicator last spring, and our defensive cohesion was better.
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"Lassi is a tremendous shot stopper," added Kern. "He's very quick and an outstanding distributor of the ball. Having Lassi on the field is like having an 11th field player."
Backing up Hurskainen is talented freshman Dan Jackson. The Chapel Hill native played at a high level in both high school and club.
"Dan is an able back-up to Lassi," admitted Kern. "We're going to try to get him some experience in the pre-season in case we need him if Lassi gets hurt. He's very quick with his feet and is a good athlete."
DEFENSE
The Bulldogs bring back a nice blend of experience and depth in the back.
Heading up the returnees is senior tri-captain J.J. Morrow. The talented Morrow has been a leader and a starter for Asheville since his freshman year. He enjoyed an excellent spring and during the summer he played on an Under-23 team that won the national championship. He did suffer an injury that may sideline him early in the season.
"J.J. is a great ball-winning central defender who just knows how to play the game," stated Kern. "He's a terrific leader and will be one of our top players in 2011."
Also returning in the back is J.J.'s brother, Eli Morrow. The senior will provide depth in the back.
"Eli won our Bulldog Award last spring for his play," commented Kern. "He's a versatile player who can play both in the midfield and in the back. Eli does everything we ask him to do, and I know he'll be ready to play in 2011."
Junior David Parra went through a transition year in 2010 but moved to the back late in the season and then enjoyed a great spring season.
"We moved David from a central midfielder spot to the back and he really blossomed," said Kern. "He will be a key player for us in the back this season. David is a tremendous athlete, and we're looking forward to seeing him back there this year."
Sophomores Bobby Castro and Hans Lohmeyer earned valuable experience in 2010. That experience should pay off for the Bulldogs in 2011.
"Bobby was moved to the back at the end of last season and he did a great job," explained Kern. "He's turning into a fine player for us plus emerging as a leader in the back.
"Hans got better with each week as a freshman," added Kern. "He does things simply and gets the job done. The more you watch him play the more you like him."
Kern and the Bulldogs will have four freshmen vying for playing time on defense this season. All four have enjoyed standout prep and club careers and could earn playing time.
Alex Chu joins the Asheville program from Charlotte.
"Alex is a smart, tactical player," admitted Kern. "He's a hard worker who has played at a high level during his career."
A.J. Iiames comes to the Bulldog program from Raleigh.
"A.J. is tall at 6-1 and is a real presence when he's on the field," stated Kern. "He's very good in the air and we expect him to contribute right away."
Freshman Quentin Reynolds is also from the Raleigh area (Apex) and comes highly regarded.
"Quentin is very athletic and is an excellent one-on-one defender," declared Kern. "He can play anywhere in the back. Quentin just needs to make the transition to college soccer."
Inaki Uriz is from Durham and played at Jordan HS plus the Triangle Futbol Club.
"Inaki reads the game quite well and is a hard worker," stated Kern. "He's also quick and knows how to battle."
MIDFIELD
Heading up the returnees in midfield is senior tri-captain Jake Hagedorn. He scored three goals for the Bulldogs last season and has six in his career.
"Jake is a true two-way midfielder," said Kern. "He likes to get forward but is willing to get back and track on defense. Jake is a wonderful leader and I look for a big year from him in 2011."
Senior Kye Grooms has gotten better with each season and is expected to contribute this year.
"Kye has developed into one of our best passers," commented Kern. "He had an excellent spring. We look for him to be heavily involved with our set pieces and would not be surprised if he ended the season as our assist leader."
Sophomore Kenneth Lingerfelt is moving to midfield after playing up front as a freshman. He played well as a striker and earned Big South All-Freshman honors for his play.
"Kenneth has a goal-scoring mentality," stated Kern. "He's not afraid to shoot and can take a defender on one-on-one. We believe he'll be a real help to us in midfield."
Junior David Wood moves to the midfield in 2011.
"David is a terrific server and gets the ball where it needs to be," Kern pointed out. "He had a solid spring, and I believe he'll be effective for us in the midfield."
Senior Nick Stemkowski is a player who has steadily earned more and more playing time as his career has progressed.
"Nick is an exciting player who we look to give us some important minutes throughout the season," said Kern. "He will give us some experienced depth at midfield."
Sophomore Sam Rossabi worked hard as a freshman and should be rewarded with some more playing time in 2011.
"We moved Sam to an outside midfielder, and he gives us some real energy there," stated Kern. "He's a player who should benefit from some experience learned last year."
Sophomore transfer Rob May should give the Bulldogs some real experience in midfield. May is an Asheville native who prepped at Roberson HS and enjoyed a sensational career. May began his collegiate career at Charlotte but only played in three matches in two years.
"Rob can play a variety of positions and has an unbelievable first-touch," said Kern. "We're happy to have him here at UNC Asheville. He was a member of a very good Charlotte program and even though he didn't play much he got some great experience."
Three freshmen are going to compete for playing time here in 2011. They include Asheville native Paul Egle, Joey Cutting and Patrick Phillip.
Egle played locally at Roberson HS and scored a lot of goals for the Rams program.
"Paul enjoyed a great career at Roberson and on the club level. He has played at an extremely high level and had success against that kind of competition," commented Kern. "Paul can play anywhere on the field and knows how to find the ball. We're looking quite forward to watching him play for the Bulldogs."
Cutting is another local product as he played at nearby Tuscola HS in Haywood County.
"Joey just needs experience with the college game," stated Kern. "He is a good technical player who moves well with the ball."
Phillip is a product of Dripping Springs HS in Houston.
"Patrick gets up-and-down the flank quite well," commented Kern. "He has good service and is another freshman who just needs experience."
Freshman Stabler Cochrane will probably red-shirt this season as he has some injuries coming into the year.
"We're probably going to rest Stabler this year and make sure he's 100 percent," admitted Kern. "He's a two-way central midfielder who will get his minutes once he adjusts to the college game."
FORWARD
The Bulldogs bring back nothing but experience up front in 2011 as three seniors and a sophomore return.
Senior Bryan Bartels scored two goals and had five points in 2010. He is a talented striker who should be ready to have a big senior campaign.
"We're looking for Bryan Bartels to have a breakthrough season in 2011," declared Kern. "He is capable of scoring a lot of goals. We need to do our part by giving him high-quality service into the box and let him score. Bryan's a hard-worker and is ready to have a big year."
Senior Branden Lassen has been a consistent player for the Bulldogs up front during his career.
"Branden is the most technically gifted player we have on our team," explained Kern. "He is a fun player to watch when he has the ball. We hope to get him the ball a lot this season."
Senior Bryan George has seven career goals and has been a threat up front for Asheville since his freshman season.
"Bryan is a natural goal-scorer who can score in a lot of different ways," said Kern. "He's an electrifying player who can score with his head or his feet."
Sophomore Tim Kynast came on strong for Asheville down the stretch.
"At 6-4, Tim's height makes him terrific in the air," stated Kern. "He has a year under his belt which will make him a better player."
