Creighton’s men’s soccer program reached the pinnacle of college soccer in 2013, climbing the polls all the way to #1 in the RPI and national polls. However, a daunting schedule and poorly timed injuries were too much for the young Jays to overcome.
Gone are midfield Dynamo Zach Barnes and stalwart winger Bruno Castro as the Jays prepare for the 2014 season. Castro and Barnes formed the core of the midfield over the last two seasons on the Hilltop, and their presence will be missed.
Creighton also loses solid contributors Bentio Amaral, Sonny Mahk and Carlos McCrary to graduation. Along with underclassman Marvin Iskra, Bryce Ciambella, Ben Bakke, Benjamin Kucera, Brock Fitzgerald, none of whom are listed on the 2014-2015 roster, and injury-plagued midfielder JT Seger, who announced he was giving up soccer to focus on school, the Jays are turning over nearly a third of their roster.
All that, and we haven’t even mentioned the biggest loss: Eric Miller’s departure to the MLS ranks. Miller secured a coveted Generation Adidas deal which gives him the ability to return to school if professional soccer does not work out. The GA deal also allows teams to draft and sign him without him taking a big hit on their salary cap.
Impact Rookie :: Eric Miller’s been a solid contributor for Montreal (Photo Credit :: ImpactMontreal.com)
Despite these losses, Creighton’s 2014 squad maintains the same high standards that were set by their predecessors. The 11 new players taking the pitch at Morrison this fall have the same expectation that Creighton soccer always has: an appearance in the College Cup.
Dayton transfer David Abidor and incoming freshman Lucas Stauffer arrived on campus this Spring and were vital members of the squad in pre-season matches. Abidor and Stauffer’s early arrival should put them in prime position to grab minutes this Fall.
Creighton also welcomes two players who should hit the ground running once they get on to campus this August due to their familiarity with Coach Bolowich and his system. Tyler Junior College stars McAmos ‘Mikey’ Paye and Fernando ‘Nando’ Castellanos were integral to Tyler’s back-to-back NJCAA Championship appearances. Both Paye and Castellanos were members of the Triangle FC and CASL soccer clubs, both of which Bolowich was closely aligned with.
Along with Stauffer, Creighton will welcome eight more incoming Freshmen: Ricardo Lopez-Espin, Noah Franke, Dante Spinelli, Jacob Cini, Blake McNelis, Jovan Gorman-Carter and Mitch LaGro. These eight, along with Stauffer, could form a spine for the Jays for years to come. Lopez-Epsin is on of the most talented incoming freshman strikers in the nation, while Franke is an outstanding two way midfielder who has captain material written all over him headline the freshman class.
And then there’s the returnee no one expected. A year ago, senior Sean Kim was lost early in the season to a season ending injury. It could have been career-ending, but the same amazing compliance staff that was able to resurrect Grant Gibbs for a 6th year remarkably found a 5th year for Sean Kim. His return is vital for a team that seemed to lack hustle once he went down to injury. It is my belief that while Kim is not the 10-goal a year striker Creighton needs, his work rate causes opposing defenders to make enough mistakes that it allows players like Timo Pitter and Fabian Herbers to turn those mistakes into goals. Without Kim, Herbers and Pitter were forced to do too much, in my opinion, and not allowed to be as opportunistic with the ball, and when they did get the ball in dangerous positions they were too tired from working to put forth a meaningful effort.
Here’s a breakdown of the Bluejay newcomers, along with some analysis of how each can be expected to contribute.
Meet your new Bluejays
David Abidor :: Senior :: Defender :: 6’1” :: (Dayton University)
The 2014 Creighton central defense took a hit with the departure of Eric Miller; however, I believe Miller would have filled Zach Barnes role as defensive midfielder, leaving the second central defense position to returning junior Eric DeJulio. The arrival of Abidor signals the staff’s intent to fortify the defensive ranks while also adding much needed height on the back-line. Creighton was too often a victim of long throws and high balls that the 6’0” Miller and Hines-Ike were just not able to deal with. Abidor’s abilities in the air are a real asset for the Jays moving forward.
Mikey Paye :: Junior :: Midfielder :: 5’5” :: (Tyler Junior College)
Paye committed to Creighton out of high school. Transcript issues forced Paye to Tyler JC where the ex-US youth international shined in his two years, anchoring the midfield in their 2012 NJCAA National Championship and 2013 NJCAA Runner-Up seasons. Paye knows Bolowich’s tactics and system in fine detail and should have little issue filling in at the defensive midfield spot or even in a more advanced role. Paye’s size might cause some to question his ability to deal with Big East size, but take my word for it: Mikey is a warrior and will quickly become your favorite player on this team. I’ve been waiting two long years to see him don the Creighton crest, and the wait will be worth it Jays fans.
Midfield General :: Mikey Paye with USSDA CASL
Fernando Castellanos :: Junior :: 5’8” :: (Tyler Junior College)
Like Paye, Castellanos is a North Carolina native who joined a strong Tyler program to get his academics in order. Castellanos leaves the Apaches as a National Champion and First Team NJCAA All-American. He’s a tricky midfielder that both creates and scores plenty of goals. Castellanos has the ability to step right into the starting line-up, yet might find it tough to out-shine returning Creighton stars Fabian Herbers and Timo Pitter for wide midfield spots. Castellanos is also an option for the attacking midfield role, or even up top if Creighton is in pinch.
Ricardo Lopez-Espin :: Freshman :: 6’2” :: (USSDA Shattuck-St. Mary’s)
Lopez-Espin comes to Creighton following his most successful season of soccer of his career. The S-SM striker bagged 11 goals for the USSDA squad last season, helping his school to the USSDA finals against NY Red Bulls Academy before falling in OT. Lopez-Espin turned an impressive performance at club level into a U20 National Team call-up in January. By all reports Lopez-Espin had a good camp playing against many players in professional environments. Lopez-Espin is not your typical 6’2” forward either. While he already possesses a body tailor-made for Big East soccer, he has the skills of a South American. His technique and ability to finish are second to none nationally in the 2014 class. Bolowich has shown that he likes to play with a lone striker, and likes to split minutes. With the return of Sean Kim, look for the staff to deploy a “thunder and lightning” approach, with Lopez-Espin and Kim constantly rotating causing opposing defense to shift often.
US U20 Star Striker Ricky Lopez-Espin signing with Creighton (Photo Credit: OWhenTheYanks.com)
Noah Franke :: Freshman :: 5’8” :: (USSDA Orlando City)
Franke joins the Creighton program after being one of most capped players in USSDA history. The box-to-box midfielder plays with his head up and is constantly looking to spring from defense to offense. Franke plays with excellent vision and a great tactical mind, meaning he can control a game without being overly flashy, much like Zach Barnes could. Having seen Noah play a few times on the web I can say that he plays with quick feet and has tricky speed, and while he won’t beat anyone in a foot race down the flank like a Tim Bohnenkamp, his initial speed creates lots of separation, and when a player like Noah can create that space he becomes even more dangerous picking the right ball to play.
The more I research about Franke, the more he seems like a ‘typical Creighton’ player. Franke is captain of Orlando City, was the team’s fulcrum the past two seasons, is an excellent student, and has a tremendous work rate. Franke’s midfield style is very similar to the way Creighton uses its central players, however Franke will be behind Christian Blandon, Vincent Keller and more than likely Mikey Paye for minutes in the center of midfield. Obviously Keller, Blandon and Paye can play different positions but it will be a tight race all pre-season to see who earns the minutes in the center of the park.
Orlando City Talisman Noah Franke joins Creighton (Photo Credit: @thekidfranke5)
Lucas Stauffer :: Freshman :: 5’7” :: (Vejle Boldblub U19)
Stauffer, like Lopez-Espin, helped USSDA Shattuck-St. Mary’s to the 2013 title match, before himself moving to Denmark to train with Vejle Boldklub. Stauffer did not sign a professional deal with the club in order to keep is eligibility intact, yet by all accounts thoroughly impressed playing with players a year older than him for nearly six months. Stauffer is a supremely gifted player with the ball. He is the youngest player ever to represent the US in the Futsal World Cup. For those of you who are not familiar with Futsal, it is soccer played on hardwood in a hockey rink, and is a game that is predicated on skill with the ball and control. First touch and vision are imperative for a Futsal player and Stauffer comes up aces in all categories. Stauffer can do things with the ball that will have the Creighton faithful Stauffinho by October. Stauffer naturally plays out wide in the midfield but might be a candidate to play some full-back much like Eric Miller did his freshman season. The staff will want to incorporate Stauffer’s skills for the onset.
Former Shattuck St Mary’s star and US Futsal starlet Lucas Stauffer already making an impact at Creighton (Photo Credit :: OWhenTheYanks.com)
Mitch LaGro :: Freshman :: 5’11” :: (USSDA Solar Chelsea SC)
LaGro joins the Creighton family from a Solar Chelsea club that has produced its fair share of top talent over the years. He paired with Furman’s freshman All-American Trevor Haberkorn (who is now looking to transfer), two seasons ago with Solar to form one of the better defenses in all club soccer. LaGro is a classy defender who does not make many mistakes with his feet or in the air. He has been a staple of the Solar spine and will likely push DeJulio, Kucera and Abidor for minutes at the center of defense.
Solar Chelsea defender Mitch LaGro pens with Jays
Dante Spinelli :: Freshman :: 5’9” :: (USSDA IMG Academy)
Spinelli was brought in from Florida super club IMG Academy. Dante hails from Connecticut and will be a solid addition for the Jays march into the Big East this Fall. He is capable of playing in the midfield, but will likely be tested as an outside back for the Jays 2014-2015 roster. He’s spent time as a left back. Dante is a solid defender and good at playing with both feet. Look for Spinelli to battle Alex Prusa for time at the left back spot early in pre-season.
Jovan Gorman-Carter :: Freshman :: 5’7” :: (USSDA Minnesota Thunder Academy)
Jovan joins the Jays after multiple stints with Club Olympia in Chile. Gorman-Carter spent time with the Chilean club in 2009-2010 and returned to the Minnesota Thunder shortly after. He is a well-rounded player who can play nearly anywhere on the field. His versatility is his greatest attribute.
Blake McNelis :: Freshman :: 6’1” :: (USSDA Real Colorado)
One of the most glaring holes on the Creighton roster last year was lack of size and strength on the back line. It was clear that Big East opponents attempted to exploit the Jays lack of pure height. This off season, Bolowich and staff has done a great job of addressing this issue with the arrival of Abidor, Lopez-Espin, LaGro and Colorado’s Blake McNelis. The 6’1” central defender was a key member of the solid Real Colorado club in last year’s USSDA season. McNelis started 17 of 20 games.
Jacob Cini :: Freshman :: 5’9” :: (FSV Erlangen-Bruck II)
At Creighton we’ve become familiar with unknown incoming freshman from Germany poised to make an big impact . Cini is the next in the line of the German imports with one slight difference: Cini is American. The Ohio native left his home in Columbus in 2013 to join German club FSV Erlangen-Bruck to test his skills amongst some of the more technically gifted players his age in Germany. Cini should prove to be an impact player for the Jays. He’s got a lethal left foot, much in the same respect as Timo Pitter. Cini could see time at either left or right wing, or possibly as an attacking left back.