Season Preview: Men’s Soccer bringing experienced roster into 2021 season
By Wes Mayberry
| 2021 Men's Soccer Schedule |
ADA — After posting a 6-4-1 record and falling in the Ohio Athletic Conference Tournament semifinals in the delayed 2020 season this spring, the Ohio Northern men's soccer team has returned the majority of its roster for 2021.
The Polar Bears put together a five-game win streak over the second half of last season's schedule before falling 2-1 in the conference tournament semifinal game at John Carroll. Third-year head coach Chris Matejka is hoping to find some of that positive momentum again this season with an experienced group that includes 25 letter winners.
"All things considered, I thought we had a great spring. But progress is what we're all about, and we want to continue to get better and win championships," said Matejka, a 2012 ONU alum. "We have a ton of experience and familiar faces on our team this season, and they're going to set the tone and lead the way in the locker room, in the classroom and on the field on a consistent basis each and every day. We expect a lot out of the upperclassmen."
Here is an overview of the 2021 Ohio Northern men's soccer team:
Goalkeeper
A three-year starter in goal and three-year letter winner, senior John Lombardo (Solon) returns following a junior season that saw him garner All-OAC First Team and OAC Goalkeeper of the Year accolades.
"John is a true leader," Matejka said. "He is somebody that comes up big in a lot of ways, and he sets a really good example of what goalkeepers mean in this program. He keeps us in every single game and takes a lot of pride in what he does."
Lombardo made 10 starts in the spring, allowing 10 goals and making 25 saves over a span of more than 924 minutes in goal. He has a career record of 26-14-4 with a goals against average of 1.04 and save percentage of .749 in just over 4,172 minutes spanning 46 games.
Defense
Senior Caiman Moore (Linden, Mich.) headlines the Polar Bear defense as a three-year letter winner coming off a season in which he started all 11 games and earned All-OAC Second Team, OAC All-Tournament Team and Academic All-OAC honors.
Junior Ian Conkey (Macomb, Mich./Eisenhower) started 10 of his 11 games a season ago, and sophomore Ben Sundermann (Miamisburg) and senior Cameron Picard (Dayton/Wayne), a two-time Academic All-OAC honoree, return after starting seven and six games, respectively, in the spring.
"We have some experience in the back," Matejka said. "We're going to be much deeper in that part of the field, which will be nice. We have some guys that started and played a lot of minutes and were very consistent last spring, and we hope to continue that consistency."
Senior Joe Bement (Olmstead Falls), a 2020 Academic All-OAC selection, joins seniors Joe Monastra (Wooster) and Jacob Scheufler (Carol Stream, Ill./Glenbard North), junior Jacob Westerkamp (Beavercreek) and sophomores Brian Long (Eighty Four, Pa./Ringgold) and Corbin Fuschino (Springfield/Northwestern) in rounding out the ONU defense.
Midfielders
Seniors and team captains Levi King (Indianapolis, Ind./North Central) and Matt Studenic (Wadsworth) lead the Polar Bears' group of midfielders for 2021 after starting all 11 games in the spring.
"Levi and Matt are going to lead and are statistically very consistent and want to be dangerous," Matejka said. "They both have different roles to play, but they'll definitely lead for us."
A three-year letter winner, King attempted 40 shots and scored a team- and OAC-leading seven goals last season en route to earning All-OAC First Team honors. The 2018 OAC Freshman of the Year led the team with nine goals and was a First Team All-OAC selection as a sophomore. He enters his senior season with 26 goals and 13 assists in his collegiate career, which has spanned 52 starts in 53 games.
Another three-year letter winner, Studenic is a two-time Academic All-OAC honoree and is coming off an All-OAC honorable mention season.
Junior Jeffrey Firestone (Brecksville/Brecksville-Broadview Heights), a 2020 Academic All-OAC selection, returns after playing in all 11 games, including five starts, and scoring one goal as a sophomore.
Sophomore Cade Winchester (Knoxville, Tenn./Alcoa) also returns after notching a pair of goals last season to go with one from junior Aaron Shelton (Ortonville, Mich./Brandon) in their roles as part-time starters.
Logan Whinery (Westlake) is back as a fifth-year senior after playing in six games and getting one start in the spring.
Seniors Alex Kurtz (Franklin/Fenwick) and Jonah Maas (Massilon/Jackson) provide additional depth in the midfield.
"Midfield is always the most pivotal part of the field — some of the most important roles are through the midfield, and a lot of times, games are won and lost in the midfield," Matejka said. "We have a lot of experience, but we also have an influx of talent that we hope to introduce to that part of the field."
Forwards
Seniors Seth Gundlach (Wilmington) and Bryan Kern (Rocky River) are the Polar Bears' top returning forwards for 2021 following the graduation of Zach Yoder, who was an All-OAC Second Team selection after recording a pair of goals and a team-high four assists last season.
"Bryan is very difficult to defend, and Seth is an incredible workhorse who shows up in every game," Matejka said. "Bryan is one of the most unique players in the conference, and Seth is just a sheer athlete."
Gundlach started all 11 games in the spring and tallied three goals and two assists. He is a two-time Academic All-OAC honoree and has twice been named All-OAC for his play on the field (Second Team as a sophomore and honorable mention as a junior). He enters his senior season with 10 career goals.
A three-year letter winner, Kern played in and started nine games in the 2020 season. He finished second on the team and tied for fifth in the OAC with four goals while adding two assists and was named to the OAC All-Tournament Team.
Sophomore Ryan Augustine (Gibsonia, Pa./North Catholic) also returns after playing in all 11 games in the spring as a key reserve.
Juniors Daunte George (Bellefontaine) and Ryan Wightman (Beavercreek) round out the rotation of forwards.
"We have a young group of guys who are going to come through in that position and provide some more depth and give us some different looks," Matejka said. "I think we're going to have a lot more creativity up there this season, and we want to be dangerous and take our chances when we get them."
Schedule
The Polar Bears' 2021 regular-season schedule runs from Sept. 3 to Oct. 30 and includes 19 games.
The season kicks off on Sept. 3 at Calvin (Mich.) beginning at 6 p.m. That is one of nine out-of-state games on the team's non-conference slate.
Northern's OAC schedule begins Oct. 2 at home against Marietta. Other conference home games include those against Wilmington, Heidelberg and Capital. The Polar Bears will travel to play OAC foes Baldwin Wallace, Muskingum, John Carroll, Otterbein and Mount Union.
The OAC Tournament is scheduled for Nov. 2-6.
The NCAA Division III Men's Soccer Championship is set for Dec. 3-4 at UNC Greensboro Soccer Stadium in Greensboro, N.C.