Soccer Duo Hopes For Repeat Trip

Nov. 18, 2002

They come from very different parts of the country and came here for different reasons.

But now seniors Yuri Morales and Derek Rhodes are intent on one thing -- leading the UMass men's soccer team back into the NCAA Tournament.

And it would be quite a feat. The Minutemen made the trip last year after winning the Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament, and then made headlines after knocking off the 2001 national runners-up Creighton, 1-0 in the first round, before falling to St. John's, 1-0, in the second round.

But 2002 is a new year and the Minutemen are right in the thick of things again. UMass claimed its second Atlantic 10 regular-season title in the last three years with a tie against Richmond on Nov. 3.

However, both seniors know that to get back to the NCAA Tournament, the only route is through the Atlantic 10 Tournament.

"It would be great to get back to the NCAA Tournament," said Morales. "We deserve it. We are just as good as last year. The only thing that could stop us is ourselves."

"It would be a great way to go out as seniors," added Rhodes. "It would help the program in recruiting and be such a boost for UMass soccer. It would put this program on the map. Getting there two years in a row proves we are legit."

Rhodes hails from DePere, Wis., and had other options to play beside UMass. Michigan State, a team that the Minutemen fell to 3-0 earlier in the year, was also in the picture.

"The UMass assistant coach at the time, Dave Wright, saw me play and recruited me hard. I came out to visit and fell in love with the campus. I had never been to the East Coast, so I wanted to come out for a few years and see how much I liked it. I also knew a couple of the guys that were coming as well, and I knew that we were going to have a strong freshmen class and we all wanted to turn the program around."

Morales comes from Santa Cruz, Calif. All he wanted was a chance to play somewhere.

"All through high school, I wanted to play D-I soccer. If that meant going somewhere away from my friends and family, that's what I had to do. I had a couple of options in California, but I didn't believe they would be as good as the team at UMass. I came to some camps before my freshman year, and really liked the school and the community. I met some of the guys, and I think it was the best decision I ever made."

The squad before Morales and Rhodes arrived on campus in 1999 struggled through a 4-12-2 season. All the senior class has done in the last four years is be a part of three Atlantic 10 championships and post a 52-23-5 record.

Rhodes also went through a transition stage regarding a position change. Six games into the year, Rhodes was switched to a backer from his midfielder position. It is no secret that Rhodes wasn't thrilled with the idea, but no one can argue with the success of the move. Since the switch, the Minutemen are 10-0-2.

"It was a hard transition for me. I thought coming into the season, I would be up there with Yuri and Jeff scoring goals. You don't get in the headlines when you're playing in the back, but I feel really comfortable back there now. It gives our offense confidence that the defense is going to hold, and that wasn't there at the start of the year. It was hard on me back then, but we're winning now and I see how much more successful we are because of it."

With the switch, Rhodes has spearheaded a vastly-improving defense to go along with a high-scoring offense. The results have been immediate.

Through 18 games this season, the Minutemen have scored 51 goals (2.83 gpg). The school record for goals in a season is 54 set in 1995.

But it has been the individual records that have highlighted the success of the team. Senior Jeff Deren holds virtually every school record, both season and career, imaginable, and Morales has set the school record for career assists with 27. The offense's punch has made the job much easier for Rhodes and his young counterparts on the defensive end.

"It takes a lot of pressure off us," said Rhodes. "Even Yuri has been marked pretty tight. Ptah (Myers) up there is so fast, and it drives people crazy. He has set up a ton of goals for Jeff with his speed. Our total offense is unreal. Makes it a lot easier on us back there. We know if we give up a goal, it usually doesn't matter, because we will usually score three goals."

"Jeff is scoring a lot of goals, even though he is marked pretty tight," added Morales. "He finishes his chances. If we give him balls in a place to score, he'll finish it. It just makes our job a lot easier, because of the year he has had."

However, when the Minutemen started the season 2-4-0, there were some doubts about the team's ability. Coincidentally, that is when the switch occurred and UMass hasn't lost since.

"We start slow every year and once we all learn how to play with each other, we become a much-better team. That happened again this year," said Morales.

"I knew in the preseason we had the potential to do good things. We played up in Canada and played well," added Rhodes. "At the start we had some close games that didn't go our way, and I didn't know if that is the way it was going to be this year. When we beat Xavier and Dayton and dominated them doing it, I think that was the turning point in the season. It just gave us confidence in what we were doing."

Each player brings a different element to the team. Rhodes brings a confidence to the team, more specifically the defense, that carries onto the field.

"My leadership and my willingness to work hard and I refuse to lose. I bring that spirit to the team and show that by the way I play," said Rhodes. "As a defense, we have really played well. I think we surprised teams, because we lost a lot of people from last year, and no one thought our defense would be as good as it is."

Morales brings a strong physical presence to the front line.

"When I was younger, I was really fast. In high school, everyone caught up to me, so I had to learn how to score other ways. I always felt comfortable around the ball and confident in my skills," said Morales. "One thing that really helped me was when I went to Brazil and played in some games. I learned to use my body and my weight, and to really be able to fight for position. The coaching staff really encouraged me over the years to get in the weight room and I took it to heart. I have gotten a lot stronger the last few years."

Both players are hoping to play professionally after their time at UMass, but know if they don't make it, they will have had successful careers.

As for their time at UMass, both Rhodes and Morales have made the most of their time in Amherst.

"I love the area. I have met a lot of great people. We all hang out with each other on and off the field. It's been good coming from Wisconsin, to have a family like this out here," said Rhodes.

"I am happy with the way everything has turned out. I'm glad that we could accomplish so much on the field and become a nationally-known team. I'm glad to be part of a class that turned around UMass soccer. It's a lot more than I expected coming in. I can't believe that we cracked the top 25 last year. Its come a long way since we were freshmen," added Morales.

The duo knows there is more soccer to be played in the next couple of weeks. Morales and Rhodes both hope that after coming from two totally different parts of the country, they can end their UMass careers in the same place.

At another NCAA Tournament.

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University of Massachusets Athletics

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