MC men’s soccer team looks to rebound in 2005

Release Date: September 7, 2005

MONMOUTH, Ill. — After posting 95 victories in his first 13 seasons at Monmouth College, men’s soccer coach Rue Carthew learned how the other half lives last season. His Fighting Scots struggled offensively and defensively en route to a 2-13-1 campaign.

“We’re seeing a lot more positives this season,” said Carthew, who noted career victory No. 98 last Thursday against MacMurray. “We’re working together better as a team. Communication has improved, and we’re turning into more of a team both on and off the field.”

Carthew is counting on his two bookend classes – a veteran group of seniors and several promising freshmen – to turn things around this fall. The Scots have some talent in the middle classes, too, including junior goalkeeper Brad “Sunny” Hofmann and rocket-footed sophomore Paul Kallal, but more than half of Carthew’s opening day starting lineup was made up of seniors.

Leading the way is two-time All-Midwest Conference selection Brian Potter, a rugged defensive midfielder who often pushes forward into the attack. His classmate, Andrew Prewett, also made the All-MWC squad last fall and is very much at home as Monmouth’s outside left midfielder.

Seniors Justin Williams, Jake Emerson and Rad Habayeb all play a role in the Scots’ defense or midfield, with classmate Matthew Dabbs providing scoring punch up top.

It was two rookie starters, however, who got Monmouth on the board in its 2-1 win over MacMurray, as midfielder Brandon Stacey (Galesburg) assisted Matt Mrowiec’s goal. Stacey, perhaps the team’s fittest player, also had the Scots’ lone tally in a 2-1 loss to the University of Dubuque on Sunday.

Two other freshmen, Matthew Montgomery and Josh Graeber, have seen action in both games, and Carthew also has high hopes for the freshmen quartet of midfielders Robert Ruglio and Dustin Looney and defenders Drew Leschman and Chris Anderson.

Also starting for the Scots on opening day were Kallal, junior defender Brian Blanas and Hofmann, who played all 1,440 minutes between the posts last season, making an average of nine saves per game.

Another junior who will be a factor for Monmouth is forward Sam Beciri, who came off the bench to net the game-winner against MacMurray. The goal was Beciri’s 10th as a Scot.

Rounding out the Monmouth roster are sophomore Trevor Neff, junior Tom St. George and seniors A.J. Danielson and David Danaher. Danielson is a candidate to crack the starting lineup when he returns from a knee injury suffered in the preseason.

“We’re going to be a work in progress for a while,” said Carthew. “We’re trying to heel right now. It seems as soon as we get someone healthy, someone else gets hurt.”

Potter, Prewett and Habayeb are currently hobbled, but Carthew added, “If we keep working as hard as we have been, good things will happen.”

One positive that has already occurred is the Scots’ 2005 schedule. Last fall, Monmouth had the unenviable task of playing the MWC’s four playoff teams on the road on the final two weekends of the season. This year’s slate stacks up much better for Monmouth, with the top four all visiting the Scots’ beautiful Peacock Park in October. The closing opponents have also been changed, as the Scots will visit Illinois College (Oct. 26) and Knox (Oct. 29) in the season’s final week.

Up next for the Scots is a three-game mini-tournament this weekend. Monmouth will play Asbury College – coached by 1998 alumnus Josh Oakley – on Friday at 4 p.m. and will meet Mt. Mercy College on Sunday at 1 p.m. In between, Asbury and Mt. Mercy will square off on Saturday at 1 p.m.

Men's Soccer