Vermont who?
The America East preseason poll is out and the Vermont Catamounts, who defeated the regular season champion Binghamton University’s men’s soccer team in the America East finals, are the favorite.
Just don’t tell that to the Bearcats. Having lost only two starters from a 14-6 year, the ‘Cats are confident and experienced. Though Vermont returns most of its key players and a talented Boston University team returns its leading scorers, Binghamton has established itself as a force to be reckoned with in the America East.
The Bearcats have reached five straight AE championship games, tying a conference record. During that span, Binghamton won two regular season titles and two tournament titles and spent time in the national rankings. Prior to the championship game loss against Vermont, Binghamton had a 20-game undefeated streak at home. At the Bearcat Sports Complex, Binghamton averaged 1,300 fans, one of the highest figures in Division I soccer. The championship match boasted 2,078 fans.
In 2008, head coach Paul Marco’s Bearcats will try to do what they have always done after a successful year: reload. It won’t be difficult to do with eight seniors — all of whom logged significant minutes as underclassmen — returning to lead the charge.
“We have such a good returning class that I think all of our success will be on their shoulders — and feet,” Marco said.
But the team’s two most exciting players are not seniors. Goalie Jason Stenta, among the national leaders in shutouts in 2007, and forward Cameron Keith, who scored 10 goals last season, are juniors who dominate from opposite sides of the field. Stenta, a tall, acrobatic athlete, is known for his dramatic saves and a cool demeanor. Keith, a Scot who lacks speed and elite athleticism but has one of the best shots in the country, wears his heart on his sleeve. After scoring a hat trick last season, Keith blew kisses to the crowd at the Bearcat Sports Complex.
Adding to the mix of personalities on the team is a group of rough-and-tumble international defenders including Scottish-born Liam Carson, Barry Neville and Darren McAllister, as well as Englishman Mark Wood.
“You should hear them in the locker room,” Stenta said. “They’re always talking about their favorite teams, Celtic, Aberdeen, so they’re always competitive with each other. I’m just behind them laughing about it. They have great chemistry; they live together and always watch soccer together. It’s good chemistry and it’s fun.”
To prevent a letdown like last season, when Boston University was selected to the NCAA tournament over the Bearcats, Marco has instituted a new theme for his team in 2008: mindset.
“We’ve got to have the right frame of mind when we start the match,” Marco said. “We’ve got to have the right frame of mind in the moment to do the right things. We’ve got to use our brain. We’ve got sharp guys on the team — guys who have a lot of experience. At any one time I could have 6, 7, 8 seniors playing — at one moment. If you’ve got that much experience, our mindset has to be right.”
Chief to that philosophy is preparing for each opponent thoroughly, no matter the importance of the match.
“You don’t become back-to-back regular season champs by not taking care of each game as it comes. The regular season is just that: how you prepare for your next opponent. We’ll be ready for our next opponent. Everything’s on Duquesne right now.”
Binghamton’s offensive catalyst, Justin Leskow, echoed Marco’s attitude.
“I always walk on the field and I always remember that game we lost in the championship [to Vermont], and it’s been a motivating factor for me in the offseason, and I’m sure with most of the boys,” said Leskow. “But right now we’re just looking forward to our first match with Duquesne.”
Before his team’s expectations run wild, Marco just wants his team to focus on improvement and hard work in the preseason.
“This year the biggest challenge for us collectively as a team is going to be, ‘What’s the space between our potential and our performance?’”