Temple University Athletics
Men's Soccer Looks for Success in 2017
8.24.17 | Men's Soccer
PHILADELPHIA – Stepping back onto the turf after 2016's 10-win season, Temple men's soccer's spread of talent and core nucleus of returning players will bring confidence and resilience in 2017. After not quite making it to postseason play in 2016, the Owls hope to top expectations of preseason polls and make this year's American Athletic Conference Tournament.
"I'm pretty excited for the season," says head coach David MacWilliams. "The biggest adjustment for us has been learning how to play without Jorge Gomez Sanchez. I don't expect any one player to replace him, but we need to make sure that we have four or five guys that are scoring three to five goals to make up for that. We are solid at the center midfield, we are solid defensively, and we are solid in goal so I am really looking forward to watching our efforts come to fruition."
In 2017, the team will match its tough schedule with depth throughout each position. With eight starters returning and a host of new, young talent, this season could prove to be a successful year for the Owls. MacWilliams will look to senior Brendon Creed and junior Hermann Doerner in addition to fifth-years Mark Grasela and Alex Cagle for leadership as the four team captains. Also expected to aid in leadership is junior Belal Mohamed.
Four other returners who will have a great impact this season are senior Yonas Yokinen and sophomores Lukas Fernandes, Nick Sarver and Zach Brown.
"We expect Yonas to pick up a lot of the goals that Jorge got last year if we can keep him healthy," says MacWilliams. "We are really counting on Lukas to do a good deal of scoring for us from the outside while Nick has molded into a really good player for us defensively and will get a chance to start this year. Zach, who saw just a little bit of time during his first year, has the ability to really step up and make an impact."
Newcomers projected to contribute immediately are freshman Darri Sigthorsson and sophomore Thibault Candia. A Reykjavik, Iceland, native, Sigthorsson was a key defender for the U17 and U19 Icelandic youth soccer teams. Candia will come in as a forward after over three years playing in the League 1 French Club. Both will be a great help down the road as each get acclimated to the college game. Three newcomers, Justin Hahn, Alan Camucho Soto and Khedive McIntosh will also add to the squad's depth this season.
"This first week is going to be a telling tale," says MacWilliams. "We have three road games in a row before our first match at home, and four games within a span of nine days, so it will be a quick start for us. But, I am really looking forward to getting back into the groove and getting the season started officially."
The team opens the season with three road games, starting on Aug. 25 with an Owls vs. Hawks double-header. The squad will take on Saint Joseph's at Sweeney Field following the Temple women's soccer match against SJU. On Aug. 29, the Owls will head to Villanova, and two days later, on Aug. 31, to Delaware.
The Owls will host Rider on Sept. 3 for the first home match of the season. Next up, the squad will hit the road again for competition against St. John's and Fairfield on Sep. 9 and 16, respectively. On the 19th, Temple will be visited by Duquesne.
Sept. 23 will open up conference play as the Owls host UConn, who ranked No. 1 in the American preseason coaches' poll. September is closed out with another home game against Penn State on the 27th and a road conference match against Memphis on the 30th.
October is slated with five home matches and two road games, beginning with a Philadelphia Soccer Six rivalry as Temple hosts Drexel on Oct. 3. The squad will then host back-to-back conference meet-ups with SMU on the 7th and Cincinnati on the 14th. Temple will play its final non-conference opponent, NJIT, at home on Oct. 17. Rounding out the October schedule are two road contests at Tulsa (2016 conference champions) and UCF on the 21st and 28th, respectively.
Prior to the American Athletic Conference Tournament on Nov. 10, the Owls will host 2016 regular season champions, USF, on Nov. 4. In order to move on to the American semifinals, a team must rank in the top four after regular season play.
"I'm pretty excited for the season," says head coach David MacWilliams. "The biggest adjustment for us has been learning how to play without Jorge Gomez Sanchez. I don't expect any one player to replace him, but we need to make sure that we have four or five guys that are scoring three to five goals to make up for that. We are solid at the center midfield, we are solid defensively, and we are solid in goal so I am really looking forward to watching our efforts come to fruition."
In 2017, the team will match its tough schedule with depth throughout each position. With eight starters returning and a host of new, young talent, this season could prove to be a successful year for the Owls. MacWilliams will look to senior Brendon Creed and junior Hermann Doerner in addition to fifth-years Mark Grasela and Alex Cagle for leadership as the four team captains. Also expected to aid in leadership is junior Belal Mohamed.
Four other returners who will have a great impact this season are senior Yonas Yokinen and sophomores Lukas Fernandes, Nick Sarver and Zach Brown.
"We expect Yonas to pick up a lot of the goals that Jorge got last year if we can keep him healthy," says MacWilliams. "We are really counting on Lukas to do a good deal of scoring for us from the outside while Nick has molded into a really good player for us defensively and will get a chance to start this year. Zach, who saw just a little bit of time during his first year, has the ability to really step up and make an impact."
Newcomers projected to contribute immediately are freshman Darri Sigthorsson and sophomore Thibault Candia. A Reykjavik, Iceland, native, Sigthorsson was a key defender for the U17 and U19 Icelandic youth soccer teams. Candia will come in as a forward after over three years playing in the League 1 French Club. Both will be a great help down the road as each get acclimated to the college game. Three newcomers, Justin Hahn, Alan Camucho Soto and Khedive McIntosh will also add to the squad's depth this season.
"This first week is going to be a telling tale," says MacWilliams. "We have three road games in a row before our first match at home, and four games within a span of nine days, so it will be a quick start for us. But, I am really looking forward to getting back into the groove and getting the season started officially."
The team opens the season with three road games, starting on Aug. 25 with an Owls vs. Hawks double-header. The squad will take on Saint Joseph's at Sweeney Field following the Temple women's soccer match against SJU. On Aug. 29, the Owls will head to Villanova, and two days later, on Aug. 31, to Delaware.
The Owls will host Rider on Sept. 3 for the first home match of the season. Next up, the squad will hit the road again for competition against St. John's and Fairfield on Sep. 9 and 16, respectively. On the 19th, Temple will be visited by Duquesne.
Sept. 23 will open up conference play as the Owls host UConn, who ranked No. 1 in the American preseason coaches' poll. September is closed out with another home game against Penn State on the 27th and a road conference match against Memphis on the 30th.
October is slated with five home matches and two road games, beginning with a Philadelphia Soccer Six rivalry as Temple hosts Drexel on Oct. 3. The squad will then host back-to-back conference meet-ups with SMU on the 7th and Cincinnati on the 14th. Temple will play its final non-conference opponent, NJIT, at home on Oct. 17. Rounding out the October schedule are two road contests at Tulsa (2016 conference champions) and UCF on the 21st and 28th, respectively.
Prior to the American Athletic Conference Tournament on Nov. 10, the Owls will host 2016 regular season champions, USF, on Nov. 4. In order to move on to the American semifinals, a team must rank in the top four after regular season play.
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