Men's Soccer Season Preview

Aug. 31, 2005

AMHERST, Mass. - The UMass men's soccer team enters the 2005 season looking to return to Atlantic 10 prominence with a solid nucleus of upper classmen and a talented corps of newcomers. Highlighted by All-Conference selection senior Oral Bullen (Brooklyn, N.Y.), the Minutemen boast a roster of veteran players including seven starters from a season ago and nine players who saw significant time on the pitch.

Head Coach Sam Koch enters his 15th year at the helm, his 20th season overall, and returns his entire defensive back row, Bullen and senior Ernie Billittier (Mundelein, Ill.) at the forwards and a gifted group of players who can rotate in the midfield. For the first time in two years, UMass enters the season with a true starting goalkeeper in junior Nick Billman (St. Louis, Mo.) who is athletic and aggressive in the net. In his time at UMass, Koch has guided the Minutemen to three A-10 regular season titles, an A-10 tournament title, and the program's only NCAA Tournament bid which was in 2001.

This season's seniors were freshmen on the 2002 team which went 12-6-2 overall and won the last regular season A-10 title. Koch feels that will serve as a source of motivation for the team and the senior class who want to finish what they started.

As in 2003, last season's team met an early end to the season at the hands of Rhode Island. In 2004, the Minutemen made a late season push to qualify for the A-10 tournament being ranked fourth prior to the last game. After starting the season with three straight losses, UMass went 8-4-2 from Sept. 14 to Oct. 29 including four straight wins. However, consecutive losses at Duquesne and Rhode Island were enough to keep the squad out of the tournament in what shaped up to be a highly competitive league.

The team gained valuable experience during the season playing in a school-record seven overtime contests. UMass posted a 4-1-2 in those games including a 3-0-2 record in double-overtime games. It was evident that the team never backed down from a challenge and proved resourceful in finding a way to win. Eight games last year were decided by one goal, five of which were A-10 contests.

Chicopee native and senior Craig Canavan will serve as co-captain of the 2005 squad.

Forwards
Bullen returns for his final season in the Maroon & White and looks to gain a spot in the school's top-10 career scoring list. He needs just 16 points to crack into the list as the 2005 A-10 Preseason All-Conference selection currently has 45 points on 18 goals and nine assists. Over the last two seasons, he has posted 20 goals (2003) and 23 goals (2004) to lead the Minutemen. The 2004 All-Conference Second-Team honoree will once again serve as captain of the team along with fellow senior Craig Canavan (Chicopee, Mass.). Bullen is a quick, relentless forward with excellent foot skills and a strong shot. Tactically, he makes quality runs on offense placing himself in strong scoring positions.

Billittier will also start at the forward position after seeing significant time in that position throughout his career. Billittier has played in 54 career games making 24 starts. Although he does not have Bullen's speed, his transition game through the midfield is strong and he has a nice touch on passes.

After a tremendous freshman season, sophomore Greg Cirillo (Warren, R.I.) will add support and depth at the position again. Cirillo is one of the fastest players on the team and proved last year that he can play in the big game. Against A-10 rival Xavier (10/17) he first set-up the game-tying goal with 16 seconds to play and then scored the game-winning "Golden Goal" in the second overtime of the contest. His second assist of the season came against Dayton (10/15), when he set up the game-winning goal in the 94th minute of play. The Rhode Island native has good vision of the field and is a skilled passer. His ability to transition through the midfield will be an asset to the Minutemen. Sophomore Sam Griswold (Vineyard Haven, Mass.) and freshman Mike DeSantis (Stoneham, Mass.) round out the forwards for UMass.

Griswold saw limited action in his first season playing in six games as a reserve. DeSantis joins the Minutemen after a celebrated prep career where he was named to the NSCAA/adidas All-New England Team and was a two-time All-Massachusetts selection. He helped guide Stoneham High School to two state titles and three Eastern Massachusetts titles posting an impressive 62-3-7 record during his career and a No. 15 national ranking in 2004.

Redshirt freshman Chris Brown will strengthen the defensive back row.

Midfielders
The midfield position will be youthful this season for Koch's Minutemen with only one returnee from last year's squad. Sophomore Matty Lemire (Ipswich, Mass.) made 15 starts last season at the position scoring nine points on three goals and three assists. Junior Jason Scudamore (Shaker Heights, Ohio) returns to the line-up after sitting out the 2004 campaign. Newcomers Tony Bassett (San Francisco, Calif.) and Michael Connolly (Amherst, Mass.) should vie for minutes in the midfield as well. Lemire's nine points ranked fifth on last season's team. The aggressive, hard working midfielder has quick feet and a fundamental understanding of the game. He recorded points in three consecutive games last season and the Minutemen posted a 4-2-0 record when he was able to produce offensively. His assist to Rob Charest sealed yet another overtime win for UMass in 2004.

Returning to the line-up is Scudamore who missed the 2004 season. The junior has played in a total of 36 games starting all but three. A midfielder who can drop back and play more of a defensive role, Scudamore will be a key figure in the transition game. He has nine career points on two goals and five assists - highlighted by the gamewinner in overtime against Mercer in 2003.

Bassett joins the team after a successful prep career at Marin Academy in San Rafael, Calif. A three-time Bay Counties All-League selection, he posted 33 goals and 41 assists for the Wildcats. He scored 16 goals and had 16 assists en route to being named MVP of the Bay Counties League.. Connolly is a local product from Amherst, Mass., who comes to UMass after spending the last two years training in Argentina where he played club soccer with Tetra Brazil and worked out at the CEFAR Soccer Training Center.

Defenders
Koch's defensive back row features the most returning experience made up of versatile players. Canavan, senior Tim Kitchell (Pompton Plains, N.J.) and sophomore Doug Rappaport (Tucson, Ariz.) each started last season. Junior Todd Skelton (Manassas, Va.) and red-shirt freshman Chris Brown (Tucson, Ariz.) will make a significant impact on the team this year.

As a second-year captain, Canavan is a vocal leader in the back. He played in 16 games last season making 14 starts in his second season for UMass. Canavan gives the Minutemen an experienced, mature leader on defense. With not only his collegiate experience but also his success as part of the All-Navy and All-Armed Forces teams during his naval career, the Chicopee, Mass., native adds a wealth of knowledge to the team. Kitchell and Rappaport can each work up the pitch supporting the midfield. An aggressive, physical defensive player who also saw time last season in the midfield, Kitchell provides a mix of defensive size and offensive passing ability. He has a strong accurate leg and is able to place the ball in scoring position. Rappaport worked his way into the starting defensive back row in 2004 after playing in his first four games as a reserve but starting the next 14 consecutive. His is a fast, tactical player who understands how to play defense and is a consummate team player.

The defensive row will be bolstered by Skelton and Brown. Skelton played in 13 games last year making 12 starts and can provide support offensively in the midfield. A good transition player, he is aggressive and physical when marking up.

Brown red-shirted last season, but will be a pivotal addition to the team who will see a great deal of playing time. He is a quick, calculating player.

Adding size to the back is sophomore Kenny Cook (Fairport, N.Y.) who gives the Minutemen a strong reserve. At 6-foot-5 he is the tallest player in the line-up. He played in 12 games last season and is a player who makes a strong impact with his minutes. With under 10 minutes to play at Fordham (10/22) last year, he set up Bullen for the game-winner.

Junior Nick Billman returns as the UMass goalkeeper.

Goalkeepers
For the first time in two seasons, UMass will not be rotating games between two goalkeepers. Junior Nick Billman adds veteran experience in net. An athletic and aggressive player who does not shy away from contact, Billman started 10 games last season. The St. Louis, Mo., native has the second-best single season goals against average in the history of UMass soccer when he posted a 0.90 GAA as a freshman. For his career, Billman has a 1.57 GAA and has made 76 saves with three shut out wins.

Backing up Billman will be sophomore Zack Simmons (Durham, N.H.) who earned a roster spot last spring. Simmons is one of the tallest players on the team at 6-feet-2 and provides solid depth in the net. A smart player, Simmons has good vision and understanding of the game.

Schedule
Four teams which qualified for the 2004 NCAA Tournament and the addition of Atlantic 10 foes Saint Louis and Charlotte highlight the schedule.

"This is a very competitive schedule as we begin the season with tournament teams from last season," said Koch. "We will know very early where we are and what we need to do to get better."

The meetings with Saint Louis (10/16) and Charlotte (10/28) will be the first in UMass history as the two programs enter their first season as A-10 members after leaving Conference USA.

"The Atlantic 10 will be very competitive this season with how our teams did last season and what the conference returns. Saint Louis and Charlotte are very well coached, well organized programs who have had success over the last several years."

Saint Louis has one of the most successful programs in NCAA history winning 10 national championships in 13 trips. The Billikens fell in the semifinals of the Conference USA Tournament last season marking the first time in 15 years that SLU did not advance to the NCAA Tournament. Charlotte has made three NCAA appearances in the last 15 years earning a trip to the Final Four in 1996. According to Koch, the addition of the two teams "will only strengthen the league as a whole."

Sam Koch enters his 15th season at UMass and is the program's all-time winningest coach.

The regular season begins on the road as UMass travels to the Michigan State Fall Classic in East Lansing, Mich., playing the host Spartans (9/4) and the Michigan Wolverines (9/5). Both teams earned berths to the NCAA Tournament last season with MSU falling in the first round and Michigan defeating Akron before losing 1-0 to Indiana in the second round.

UMass opens its home schedule with a two-game stand against Cornell (9/16) and Navy (9/18). Following a trip to New Hampshire (9/21), the Maroon & White will return to Rudd Field for matches against Harvard (9/25) and Boston University (9/28). The Terriers won the America East Tournament in 2004 and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament before falling to St. John's.

Rhode Island (10/8) visits Amherst to begin conference play. After games at Duquesne (10/14) and Saint Louis (10/16), the Minutemen return home for a four-game home stand that could prove vital in the stretch run of the A-10 season.

"That four game stretch is going be very important for us. With a nine game league schedule it's so important to do well at home because playing on the road is so tough in our conference. Traveling to Saint Louis after playing Duquesne and traveling to St. Bonaventure after playing a night game at Fordham will be challenging due to the distance and short amount of time between games," said Koch.

George Washington (10/21), the defending league champions, visits to begin that home stretch. UMass defeated the Colonials last season in Washington before GW closed the season with a 9-1-1 record including a 1-0 win over North Carolina.

UMass will close out its home season when it hosts Richmond (10/30). Trips to Fordham (11/4) and St. Bonaventure (11/6) will close out the regular season.

Saint Louis will host the Atlantic 10 Tournament from Thursday, Nov. 10 through Sunday, Nov. 13. The conference champion will earn the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Scoreboard

University of Massachusets Athletics

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