Kicking off its 2008 campaign at the Marquette Invitational this weekend, the Columbia men’s soccer team is hoping that its third season under head coach Leo Chappel will be the charm. The Lions open the tournament against DePaul University on Friday night at 6 p.m., and they will go on to face Marquette University on Sunday at 2 p.m.
The past two seasons for the Light Blue have been characterized by early-season optimism and Ivy League disappointment. While the Lions have often beaten quality teams during their nonconference schedule, the team has failed to win an Ivy match during its last two campaigns. A new generation will take over the team this year, as 10 freshmen join the roster and forward/midfielder Bayo Adafin and Pepe Carotenuto enter their sophomore years. The newcomers will have to fill the shoes of departed seniors Tom Davison and Michael Testa. Davison was an integral dynamo on offense, while Testa was a stalwart goalkeeper whom a trio of goalkeepers will be challenged to replace. This season’s team is captained by senior defender James Pounder, who has been the anchor of the defense over the past few seasons.
The Lions’ first opponent of the weekend—DePaul—suffered a disappointing setback in its season opener against Valparaiso University. DePaul was unable to convert any of its 10 corner kicks last Sunday, resulting in a 1-0 loss. Having been picked to finish fourth in the Big East, the Blue Demons will look to get back on track against Columbia.
DePaul’s roster boasts preseason Big East goalkeeper of the year Brian Visser as well as an experience-laden squad featuring 12 juniors and seniors. While the Columbia offense will shoulder the burden of solving Visser, the Light Blue defense will be charged with containing junior striker Steffen Vroom, who led the Blue Demons with two shots on goal last Sunday.
While the Lions’ second opponent of the weekend is not rated as highly by members of the press, the Marquette Golden Eagles have performed well so far this season, winning their season opener against Bryant University, 4-1, as well as two of their three exhibition matches. The Golden Eagles’ roster features just one senior, midfielder Dan Addis, but sophomore forwards Anthony Colaizzi and Matt Stummer will be looked upon to shoulder the offensive load. The two second-year strikers netted three of Marquette’s four goals on Monday.
Looking ahead to the rest of Columbia’s season shows a home date with UC Santa Barbara, which promises to be the highlight of the squad’s nonconference slate. Columbia head coach Chappel formerly served as an assistant to the seventh-ranked Gauchos, and Santa Barbara is returning Columbia’s trip out west last year with the match at Columbia Soccer Stadium on Sept. 14.
The Lions will open their Ivy season on the road against defending champion Brown on Oct. 4, and close out their 2008 campaign with a home date against Cornell on Nov. 15.
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