Season Preview: Men's Soccer hopes for more of the same in year two under head coach Chris Matejka
By Tim Glon
| 2020-21 Men's Soccer Schedule |
ADA — Year one under the tutelage of head coach Chris Matejka was a success on many levels.
The 2019 Polar Bears went 13-6-3, finished third in the Ohio Athletic Conference with a 5-3-1 record and reached the NCAA Division III Tournament.
Confidence is high that the 2020 squad can improve on those totals as 17 lettermen and six starters are back for the abbreviated 2020 campaign.
Junior All-Region honoree Levi King (Indianapolis, Ind./North Central) is a two-year starter in the midfield and leads the long list of returners for ONU.
"It is a new year, but we have the same goal - to win the OAC title," Matejka said. "We have key returners to push the envelope. We also have a strong group of newcomers to give us a nice balance of new and old.
"We had a very productive fall and took full advantage of the opportunities we had. It prepared us well for this spring season. It will be very important to get off to a good start."
Here is a preview of the 2020 Ohio Northern men's soccer team, by position:
Keeper
Junior All-Conference honoree John Lombardo (Solon) and sophomore Josh Ellis (Whitehouse/Anthony Wayne) return in goal for the Polar Bears.
Lombardo is a two-year starter and tri-captain with a 22-10-3 record, 13 shutouts and a 1.05 goals against average.
Ellis is also a top-level keeper and is more than capable of stepping into a starting role if needed.
"We excited about our keepers," Matejka said. "It is a tremendous advantage to have this kind of depth in goal. They compete hard and challenge and support each other."
Back
Senior tri-captain Josh Grant (Westerville/North) leads the returners on the back line.
He has played 46 career matches and will anchor the defense in 2020.
Junior Caiman Moore (Linden, Mich.) has 16 matches of starting experience, which is tops in the unit.
Junior Cameron Picard (Dayton/Wayne) and sophomores Ian Conkey (Macomb, Mich./Eisenhower) and Jacob Westerkamp (Beavercreek) are also returning lettermen on defense.
"We have a great deal of experience and key returners back," Matejka said. "This is a very organized group, very ambitious. They are good at keeping opposing teams away from dangerous positions in the middle of the field."
Midfield
King is the third tri-captain and anchors a very talented midfield group.
He has started 41 matches with 19 goals and 51 points in his two seasons as a Polar Bear.
Junior Matt Studenic (Wadsworth) started 20 matches a year ago and is also an Academic All-OAC honoree.
Junior Jacob Scheufler (Carol Stream, Ill./Glenbard North) and sophomores Aaron Shelton (Ortonville, Mich./Bradon) and Jeffrey Firestone (Brecksville / Brecksville-Broadview Heights) also return as lettermen in the midfield.
"The midfield is our strongest position group," Matejka said. "Levi is a terrific talent and can be a special player in our program. We have good depth and talent both in our returners and with our newcomers."
Forward
Five returning lettermen are back on the attack, making this the deepest position on the field.
Sophomore Seth Gundlach (Wilmington) scored seven goals while starting 17 matches last season and earned Second Team All-Conference honors.
Seniors Logan Whinery (Westlake) and Zach Yoder (Goshen, Ind./Northridge) are both three-year lettermen and have played in a combined 85 career matches.
Junior Bryan Kern (Rocky River) and sophomore Daunte George (Bellefontaine) also return as lettermen up front.
"We have good depth and experience on the attack," Matejka said. "We have several dangerous threats and these guys play well together. We are excited about this group."
Schedule
The Polar Bears will play a 10-game schedule in 2020, beginning on Sunday, March 14, 2021.
ONU will play a round-robin schedule against the league's nine other schools.
The top six teams in the regular season standings will compete in the OAC Tournament April 13-18.
The NCAA has canceled the Championships for all fall and winter sports in 2020-21.