Inside Programs on the Rise

[PaulNewman]

I am very interested in this topic, although I am self-aware enough to acknowledge that the headline topic is more than partially cover for my self-interested tribute to Kenyon's senior class that just graduated with the added hope that I will exorcise myself from the painful ending of a glorious season and thereby can more ably move ahead into the future.

Let me note at the outset that "programs on the rise" does not necessarily mean that such programs didn't enjoy considerable success before.  I've mentioned Brandeis and Franklin & Marshall in other posts, and in the case of Brandeis I know that Coach Coven and his program enjoyed great success, including a national championship, many moons ago.  Kenyon also previously had an extended period of being very competitive.  After years of relative mediocrity, Kenyon was consistently quite good from around 1988 through 1997.  Mike Pilger, now at Trinity (CT), jumpstarted the program in a four year stretch from '88 through '91, including a team that went 19-0 before losing in the NCAA tournament to (of course) OWU.  Pilger was followed in '92 and '93 by Fran O'Leary, and O'Leary's brief tenure brought a Final Four appearance in 1993 where Kenyon lost in the semis to UC San Diego 2-1.  O'Leary left for D1 Dartmouth (and has had stints at Bowdoin, Toronto FC, and now D1 UMass-Amherst), but he apparently was instrumental in recruiting Jack Detchon to the college from England who had coached the England U18 national team and has published a book on zonal defending.  Detchon had a very successful four year run from '94 through '97, highlighted by Kenyon hosting the 1996 Final Four in tiny Gambier and losing the championship game in 4 OTs to TCNJ.  Detchon's '97 team also had a sterling record but lost in the NCAA tournament to....yeah, you guessed it (just like a handful of other years not mentioned).

I know nothing of the details but Detchon's departure was followed by perhaps the darkest period for Kenyon soccer, especially given the heights the program had reached.  Under the guiding hand of Des Lawless from '98 through 2004 the Lords had a string of losing seasons, including a final season under Lawless that saw the Lords finish an embarrassing 3-16.

Chris Brown was hired for the 2005 season (and you can read his bio if you wish on the Kenyon site).  Brown endured two seasons of 4-9-4 in '05 and '06.  Then, in '07, Brown led Kenyon to a NCAC title, and I'm guessing the only regular season title won by any team other than OWU in 20 years.  That squad was 14-2-2 and 7-1-1 (in conference) and apparently did not get a NCAA bid.  The archives suggest that perhaps they lost to Allegheny in the NCAC tourney semis in PKs.  Over the next few years, Kenyon had good seasons, but the first NCAA appearance for Brown (I think) did not come until 2010.  That team had some great players -- Nolan x2, Hoffman, Myers, Barrera, and Dangarembwa, to name a few.  They beat York (at York) in a 1st round matchup, and found themselves across the field from OWU in the 2nd round.  Yep.

2011 brought last year's senior group.  A grand total of 20 freshmen joined the team that was depleted by the strong senior class of 2010.  Oddly, and I'm only 90% sure about this, the recruiting year that brought in those 20 started out with some disappointments and fears of not enough recruits.  Apparently some kids targeted for early decision admission went elsewhere, and the bulk of the class came from regular admission in April.  My guess is that every soccer player who was considering Kenyon in the regular admission round (and got in) picked Kenyon.  My guess is that Brown was hoping to bring in 11 or 12 kids and ended up with 20 on his hands due to unexpected high yield.  Some outstanding leaders remained, notably senior Keith Dangarembwa, and soph Andrew Parmelee (who would go on to play three seasons with the 2011 group and would have been an All-American if not riddled with injuries in his senior year).  Justice and Carney were defensive starters basically from Day 1, and remained so throughout both of their superb careers.  Mitsuyama and Petrou also started the majority of games their freshmen and sophomore years, and Mitsuyama went on to become one of the most featured players.  Scott started at right back for his last 3 years.  Ernst began starting late in his junior year at centerback with Justice and was an unsung star during the junior year playoff run and for all of his senior year.  Christoff was a key substitute for all of his final 3 seasons.  Arceo, a senior and key reserve last year as well, was a 5th year and another bridge with Parmelee from the 2010 class. 

The first year in 2011 was an education.  Kenyon finished 7-8-2, playing competitively but losing a bunch of close games, including a game at OWU that the Lords led until the 60+ minute mark when Travis Wall broke through.  Kenyon missed out on the NCAC playoffs on a tiebreaker to Allegheny.  The next year was better, finishing at 9-6-3, and impressive showings with away draws against a very talented DePauw team and OWU.  Kenyon lost to OWU in PKs in a NCAC semifinal and were just short of being a legit candidate for a NCAA bid.  The original 20 from the 2011 class over the years dwindled down to 10 or 11 by senior year, but a core group of 8 seniors really was the heart and soul of the squad through all of the exhilarating 2013 season (and the Messiah classic) and last year's magical (mostly) campaign.  It must be said that this group needed the infusion of offensive talent to become NCAA contenders in 2013 and 2014, and that came from Barnes, Amolo, Glassman, Lee, and last year, Eudy.  A superb GK in Clougher certainly was critical as well.

Last year's senior group did not get to the mountain top.  An incredible season and an incredible opportunity came to a crushing, tears-triggering end, after being set up with hosting two weekends and a clear path to Kansas City.  Nevertheless, that group was the bridge, or at least the pillars holding up the bridge, to put Kenyon more solidly on the D3 soccer map with a very bright future.  Other factors should not go unmentioned -- Coach Brown's coaching acumen, demanding standards, and competitiveness, and bringing in Asst Coach Moore who devotes a good portion of his time to recruiting.  The current exciting cast of characters have taken the mantle and will impact future players coming to Kenyon.  But I'm not sure Kenyon gets to where they are without the 2011 class, who played together, lived together, and share a love for each other and Kenyon soccer.  They represented the college about as well as could be imagined, and no doubt, since parents we know are key factors in the recruiting game, more than soccer results can impact decisions.  Fitting with a school -- whatever school -- in terms of mission, academics, vibe, etc, is huge, and especially at the D3 level, the old adage of "make sure you'll be happy at the school if the soccer falls through," is an important one.  The 2011 class, in addition to lofty purely athletic accolades, boasts two Academic All-Americans, a District Academic All-American, 4 magna cum laude grads, 3 PBKs, a NCAA Postgraduate Scholar, a Fulbright award winner, one player now at a top 25 medical school, two more players applying to med schools currently, and a couple more players in graduate school programs.  They did not get to a Final Four or win a national title.  Instead, they left a legacy...and figurative shoulders for current and future players to stand on.

So that's my tribute to the class of 2015, and hopefully some insight into the building blocks of an elite program.  There will be real memories of ecstasy that I'll always have, and also flashbacks of a clearance that didn't quite get past Ramirez with under 2 minutes to go at Shoemaker Field, and last year a cross from the left to Jeon who hit the post followed by Amolo missing wide, and exactly a minute later Bloecher drawing a PK.  Sometimes the ecstasy and daggers to the spleen happened in the same game, like at Messiah.  I will never forget that game...two pairs of long underwear under flanneled pants, foot and hand warmers inside fleeced boots and thick gloves, still freezing and shivering, but mesmerized by the electricity and twists and turns of an unforgettable game under the lights at a special venue.  All in all, though, what a ride...what a f*&#ing ride...a ride I am thankful for, and the reason I'll keep riding for at least a little while longer.

I do hope others will share their stories and insights about their programs, and I hope no one will be too offended by my indulgence.  Sorry and/or thanks.

NCAC


Addendum:  I was remiss in not mentioning a couple of other names/things.  Also from the group of 2011 frosh class were Guju and Konkol.  Guju tore an ACL early in his freshmen season (and was starting) and then was a mainstay at holding mid for his soph and junior seasons.  Unfortunately he tore an ACL/MCL again in his junior season during the NCAC tourney final at OWU, missing the 2013 NCAA run.  He was an All-NCAC selection.  Glassman had a medical issue after the wins over Ohio Northern and Wheaton, missing out on the Messiah game.  Konkol also had starts as a freshmen and played as a soph before a medical issue forced him to stop playing thereafter.  Additionally, two other original members of the group of 20, along with Guju, served as team managers last year.

Injuries of course are only relevant when they happen to YOUR team (haha), but they certainly do make an impact.  Guju and Glassman were out for Messiah and Parmelee was basically playing on one leg as he kept injuring a hamstring all season.  Last year Justice, Ernst, and Eudy were injured for the OWU Sweet Sixteen tilt (and Glassman could not play at all), and OWU dissected the vaunted Kenyon defense with repeated piercing balls between the two centerbacks.

Events that impact venue also play an interesting role.  Some may forget that OWU, not Messiah (partly owing to the Lycoming loss in PKs), was the #1 team in the nation in 2013 and would have hosted the Kenyon vs Messiah game if not upset in the 1st round by Rose-Hulman, and of course last year Messiah SHOULD have hosted but did not, apparently because it was the women's team turn to host at Messiah.  I feel like we were cheated out of seeing Messiah play OWU in 2013, and of course I would have loved to see Kenyon and Tufts tangle last year.  The 2013 Messiah bunch was the best D3 team I've ever witnessed.  I'm definitely not a Messiah insider, but they obviously do a lot of things right, and with class.  The venue is immaculate, with chair-back stadium seating for I suppose the most ardent Messiah faithful (and parents?).  The atmosphere was just off-the-charts, and watching Messiah just go through warm-ups was intimidating to say the least.  They looked like a pro team, and after Sheldon Myer crushed a strike just 2:43 into the game I was sure we were looking at a 4-0 or 5-0 mismatch.  Jack Thompson looked absolutely uncontainable.

[Corazon]

Good stuff, NCAC. Really enjoyed reading it.

[blooter442]

Good stuff, NCAC. Really enjoyed reading it.

Seconded. I always enjoy NCAC's in-depth analyses, and I think this might have been the best one yet. I'll put in my own "homer alert," but it's been really cool to see the resurgence of the Brandeis program, which I've detailed below.

I came to the school in 2011, and met Coach Coven out on the pitch. The turf was open, practice wasn't scheduled to begin for another few hours, and I - no more than a recreational player myself - was just messing about, taking some free kicks. He and Gabe Margolis came over and asked who I was, and gave me perhaps the best soccer-related compliment that I've ever received, especially considering his pedigree: "you're a very good striker of the ball." Regardless of the compliment, the fact that he just came over and chatted with me - without even knowing who I was - typified the guy who has roamed the sidelines of Waltham for 43 years.

Anyway, as someone who liked sportswriting and soccer, I started covering the team for the school newspaper, so I started to really take an interest in the Brandeis program. However, my biggest apprehension was what it would be like interviewing the players. After all, you never know who you're dealing with - I had transferred from another NE D3 school where the players weren't nearly as friendly. I was very pleasantly surprised to find that the Brandeis players were, objectively speaking, some of the most approachable and humble guys I've ever met. That first season, Brandeis fell short of an NCAA bid, losing some close games, like Babson in 2OT, while also dropping some clangers, like 1-0 away at Clark. I remember the guys were pretty upset, but they said "we're going to go out and win the ECAC tournament and show them they deserved to be in the Tournament. They did just that, beating Albertus Magnus 8-0 in the final.

Before the 2012 season - which resulted in Brandeis' first trip to NCAAs in 27 years, I remember speaking to Coven before the season, asking him what he thought of his team. His response was rather downbeat: "We lost (CM) Theo Terris, who was probably our best player, an (CBs) Ari Silver and David McCoy (who were four-year starters.)" They started well enough, but for me the moment they really announced themselves was when they defeated an Eric Anderson-led Babson (which went on to finish 13-4-3) at home in double-OT, 2-1. Anderson had scored against and beaten Brandeis every time he'd played them, and while he scored the opener in this game, Russo countered with a second-half equalizer before Ocel scored the winner. That was when I knew they had "arrived." They won the UAA, sharing the title with WashU, Carnegie, and Emory, and made NCAAs for the first time in 27 years. In the Tournament, they breezed through their first game against Baruch, before defeating Vassar in the best 1-0 victory I've ever seen - between the two teams, there were 34 shots, 2 disallowed goals, 2 shots off the line, 2 woodwork hits, and a goal from Ocel with 29.4 seconds left. The next round, they lost to Williams 1-0, bringing down the curtain on a great season, which was made even better when Ocel was named a 3rd Team All-American - Brandeis' first in quite some time.

The next year was a bit different. Losing Russo and Minchoff in net were big challenges, as well as Eisenbies at CB. The start of the season looked good, with early wins over Babson and MIT, but they certainly took their lumps: being completely outplayed by Tufts in a 2-0 defeat, losing 3-2 at home to Rochester, and getting beat on the road by CMU and Emory in convincing fashion. I remember calling Coven at the airport for quotes on their way back from that UAA road trip, and he had pretty much resigned himself to the fact that they weren't going to make NCAAs again. The pipe dream looked even less likely when, hosting WashU at home with 15 minutes left and the score tied at 0-0, Bears forward Kirkwood broke in and dribbled around Graffy with the goal gaping. Out of nowhere, Conor Lanahan - who had been culpable of some big mistakes in earlier UAA games - made a goal-saving tackle, which kept the game at 0-0. Had they lost that game, they would have likely been out of the running. Instead, they got a solid draw against a ranked opponent, won the next two games against Chicago and NYU, and made the Tournament again. Two home victories followed, against Johnson & Wales and Roger Williams, before another loss to Williams.

The big question going into 2014 was how Brandeis could cope with NESCAC teams. The Judges got manhandled against Williams in both the 2012 & 2013 Tournament games, and were thoroughly outplayed by Tufts, but the guys were confident they could take it to Tufts at home. They did just that, winning 2-0 and matching Tufts physically. Tufts certainly had chances to score, but once Brandeis woke up (after being outshot in the first half 7-0), only one team looked like scoring. I think that beating Tufts was when the Judges started to get some respect, as I had heard a lot of talk about Brandeis being inferior to some NESCAC teams because of their previous lack of physicality. Two uncharacteristic road losses to Rochester and Chicago denied them the UAA title. Regardless, the Judges were an easy pick for NCAAs again, where they defeated Husson and - another NESCAC team - Bowdoin at home, before downing Amherst on PKs in the third round. The Judges were comprehensively beaten by Oneonta, 3-0, but the team picked up three victories (technically 2-0-1) against NESCAC teams, silencing some of their critics - myself included. Despite missing out on the Final Four, Savonen was named a 1st Team All-American, while Lanahan garnered 2nd Team All-American and D3soccer.com defender of the year (excuse me if I butchered that title.)

There have been rumblings on this board that the Brandeis administration was considering axing Coven because of bad results. And while I wasn't around the program at the time, I could definitely see that, as the Judges did go 6-10-2 in 2009 and had some dismal records in the years previous - not to mention that they hadn't qualified for NCAAs in 20+ years. What's cool, though, is that 2009 was the year that the senior class of 2012 were freshmen. What happened? Well, for one, the recruiting classes started getting significantly better. Bringing in Applefield in 2010, who was an All-New England selection, as well as guys like Lynch and Savonen the year after, who were All-Scholastic and All-New England selections, really began to shape the program. Since then, Brandeis has brought in (an average of) a couple All-New England selections per year, and has had some former D1 players transfer in as well - Terris in 2010, Soboff in 2013, and Caron from BU this year. Regardless, it was very cool to see a group of guys who came in and won six games their first year make NCAAs - something the team hadn't done in 27 years - before they left.

What else? Brandeis' turf came into existence in 2005, which put them on a similar playing field (no pun intended) to their UAA rivals, as Brandeis was the only UAA school without a turf prior to that. And while good grass pitches are certainly excellent, Brandeis' pitch was - from my understanding - terrible. In that case, the turf - as well as hosting night games, something which Coven has done with increasing regularity due to their popularity - has breathed new life into the program. More importantly, having Gabe Margolis on board is a huge help, and my suspicion is that he'll take over when Coven retires. He's an excellent recruiter and a very good tactician: he knows his own players extremely well, and he is able to scout the opposition very effectively. Most importantly, and I've seen this firsthand, the guys simply love playing for Coven. He's an intense and emotional coach, but he genuinely cares about his players, and his near-encyclopedic knowledge of their hometowns, families, and "outside of soccer" lives is impressive. His players revere him, and it's little wonder that he - coupled with Margolis' tactical acumen - has been so successful in recruiting top-notch Massachusetts players. And the fact that he's a very personable, friendly guy to everyone he encounters - including me, the "newspaper guy" - speaks to his class.

The Judges are having some trouble scoring this year, and they were convincingly beaten by Trinity 2-0. How Brandeis will compete this season, I don't know (I suspect they could make NCAAs again, but not sure beyond that.) What I do know is that it was really cool to observe a program that didn't make NCAAs my first year associated with it, qualified for the first time in 27 years and won two NCAA games the second year, did the same in the third year, and made it to the Elite Eight and went undefeated against NESCAC teams in the fourth year - as well as the individual honors that have come along. Most importantly, I have really enjoyed getting to know Coach Coven, Margolis, and the Brandeis players, whom I objectively hold in very high esteem. Whether Brandeis can compete with the "top" D3 teams remains to be seen, but I would certainly say that - especially considering the last 10 years - the Judges are a program on the rise.

[PaulNewman]

blooter, that's off the hook.  Great job!  Your journalism skills on full display.

[PaulNewman]

FWIW, had to add an addendum above.

[lastguyoffthebench]

Haverford comes to mind when I think of a program on the rise...

Consistently playing the best possible schedule and have improved year in year out.  Wouldn't shock me to see them make it to the Elite 8 in the next few seasons.

[Mr.Right]

Ummm...You could say Tufts is on the rise..Winning a National Championship under Josh Shapiro in only his 4th season at the helm. He took over for the aloof Ralph Ferrigno who after hosting a 1994 Sweet 16 game against Johns Hopkins n front of 3,000 fans managed to drop the program to basically being irrelevant in Nescac. Shapiro turned that around in 4 years with his recruits only. Ferrigno left him a couple bodies and a ball bag.

[Mr.Right]

As for Kenyon---Excellent re-telling of the program history. Based on my memory and my own re-telling that is very accurate. FYI---Peter Gooding, the Former Amherst AD and Head Coach and NSCAA President was instrumental in bringing over the legendary Jack Detchon. His assistant and very crafty recruiter was none other than Peter's son Milton, who also was Amherst Head Coach before Serpone. Milton Gooding was an A+ recruiter and a much better recruiter than coach. Detchon  meanwhile was a character in itself and I believe had basically one leg. He was legendary and could coach with the best of them. I forgot the reason he left the program in 1997 but I felt Milton should have gotten that job but instead he went to work with his father Peter at Amherst

[PaulNewman]

Ummm...You could say Tufts is on the rise..Winning a National Championship under Josh Shapiro in only his 4th season at the helm. He took over for the aloof Ralph Ferrigno who after hosting a 1994 Sweet 16 game against Johns Hopkins n front of 3,000 fans managed to drop the program to basically being irrelevant in Nescac. Shapiro turned that around in 4 years with his recruits only. Ferrigno left him a couple bodies and a ball bag.

Absolutely.  I think I said in another thread that Tufts sort of skipped over the "on the rise" deal and went straight TO THE TOP.  That said, would love to hear more details about the Tufts story.  Certainly getting the class of Santos, Hoppenot, Williams and Kramer (may be missing a couple) was HUGE.  Interestingly that was also a 2011 class, as was the Messiah superstud group, and to some extent applicable to Brandeis as well.

Would also love to hear the F&M story.  And, while already very established as a very top program at this point, I'd love to hear the details on Loras' rise to power.

I personally think Haverford may have a hard time breaking through, although I would agree that periodic NCAA bids are in the 'Fords future.  They strike me as like a perpetually mid-tier NESCAC, along the lines of Wesleyan and Bowdoin, with a lot of other very strong programs to work their way through to get to the very top end of D3.

Would also love to see some credible Pac NW fans who can shed some light on the Whitworth program especially.

[PaulNewman]

As for Kenyon---Excellent re-telling of the program history. Based on my memory and my own re-telling that is very accurate. FYI---Peter Gooding, the Former Amherst AD and Head Coach and NSCAA President was instrumental in bringing over the legendary Jack Detchon. His assistant and very crafty recruiter was none other than Peter's son Milton, who also was Amherst Head Coach before Serpone. Milton Gooding was an A+ recruiter and a much better recruiter than coach. Detchon  meanwhile was a character in itself and I believe had basically one leg. He was legendary and could coach with the best of them. I forgot the reason he left the program in 1997 but I felt Milton should have gotten that job but instead he went to work with his father Peter at Amherst

Great info.  Thanks.

[PaulNewman]

Mr.Right, here ya go....Notice the tip of the cap to OWU and Martin.  Great stuff.

http://bulletin.kenyon.edu/x1635.html

[Mr.Right]

Detchon got the job after Fran O'Leary went to Dartmouth. Interestingly, Russo was offered the Dartmouth job but turned it down because rumor had it that back then Williams paid more $$$ than Dartmouth. In the 80's and 90's D1 Men's Soccer Coaches were not paid like they are today, you made your money doing camps all summer

[Brother Flounder]

Ummm...You could say Tufts is on the rise..Winning a National Championship under Josh Shapiro in only his 4th season at the helm. He took over for the aloof Ralph Ferrigno who after hosting a 1994 Sweet 16 game against Johns Hopkins n front of 3,000 fans managed to drop the program to basically being irrelevant in Nescac. Shapiro turned that around in 4 years with his recruits only. Ferrigno left him a couple bodies and a ball bag.

Absolutely.  I think I said in another thread that Tufts sort of skipped over the "on the rise" deal and went straight TO THE TOP.  That said, would love to hear more details about the Tufts story.  Certainly getting the class of Santos, Hoppenot, Williams and Kramer (may be missing a couple) was HUGE.  Interestingly that was also a 2011 class, as was the Messiah superstud group, and to some extent applicable to Brandeis as well.

I just checked with a Tufts supporter and found out that Shapiro started the 2011 class with speed and size and followed with the 2012 class of high soccer IQ and ball handlers, namely kayne, brown, and pinheiro, and added 2012 outside defenders, Patel and Schaible.  The belief was that 2 classes would work well together (which turned out to be true last year).  All have played substantial time since they arrived and some have started all 4 years.  One or 2 of 2012 class had D1 offers (maybe Ivy) and decided on Tufts.  I don't know the reasons for that, nor did my contact....could be promised or perceived playing time, etc. Then, Greenwood came in 2013, and others followed.   I have no insight on what Shapiro did to get these players to commit to Tufts, as some are local, some have a Princeton connection (as I learned earlier on this site and whatever that means), and some come from far away places like California and Chicago. Some were USSDA players and some were not.  Obviously, identification of the mix of players was very important but maybe someone can add as to what was done to get the mix.  That would require talking to parents or players.... Any insight in that regard would be enlightening....

[PaulNewman]

BF, I'm curious about what attracts recruits to Tufts as well. They seem to get a good number of city kids who perhaps like the idea of Boston, even though Tufts really isn't in Boston.  Tufts is also the least "NESCAC-like" among the NESCACs and more akin to the UAA schools and smaller Ivies.

[Mr.Right]

Tufts is one school in Nescac who has traditionally has been the ONLY Nescac school who steals kids from Williams, Amherst, Midd and Bowdoin. Usually a couple times a year you have athletes who get into a Williams or Amherst and Tufts and choose Tufts because of location and / or major. One prime example is Gus Santos. Williams and Amherst would have gotten him in if they gave up 2 Tips for him but he choose Tufts over both. I have mentioned this before but you also have Midd and Bowdoin and Tufts telling some athletes "do not go to Williams / Amherst the work is overwhelming and it you get the same education at a Midd without as much work" which is absolute nonsense but it does work.