By: Vinnie Birk - Blackburn College Sports Information
After going 7-10-1 in Rob Steinkuehler’s rookie season as head coach, the Blackburn College Men’s Soccer Team is looking for more success in the sophomore campaign. Steinkuehler spent four years as an assistant before being named head coach in 2013. He did some heavy recruiting in the offseason by bringing in 14 new players to go along with 8 returners from last year’s squad.
A big name that will help put Blackburn soccer back on the winning side is senior captain and goalkeeper Shane Rogers (Granite City, Ill.). Rogers started all but two games from a year ago and compiled 138 saves, which was third-best in the SLIAC. Rogers has a total of seven shutouts in three seasons as a Beaver. Steinkuehler admits “Shane is a tremendous leader and outstanding keeper. He’ll give us a chance to win every time and keep us in games we have no business being in.” Brett Eddings (Raymond, Ill.), a junior, will take care of the backup duties.
In front of the keepers will be a back line of mostly returners. Captain Julian Valencia (Highland, Ill.) will lead the defending force. Valencia mainly played in a midfield role last season and scored six goals, but has the calmness and fearlessness to captain the backfield. Sophomores Nate Kinnison (Perryville, Mo.) and Chris O’Connor (Pleasant Plains, Ill.) along with junior Ben Hoover (Charleston, Ill.) round up the defense. Kinnison logged three goals and eight assists last season playing primarily a midfield role. The three played in every game together last season except for one. A defense needs to be on the same page at all times and with these four having some chemistry together in the last line of defense, they should be a rock before Rogers.
Newcomers Brandon Smith (Mt. Zion, Ill.) and Tommy Millburg (Litchfield, Ill.) will also see some time in the back. “Brandon has tremendous speed and tenacity which is something you definitely like to have as a defensive back. Tommy is a solid defender but can also be used in an attacking role as well.” said Steinkuehler. Brett Becherer (Granite City, Ill.), a senior who took a year off, will be a force in the back with his very physical play. “Brett will make the top attackers in the conference have fear. That’s how physical and tough he is.” Austin Isringhausen (Jerseyville, Ill.), who features an excellent flip-throw and Justin Naugle (Carlinville, Ill.) will provide depth on the bench.
Sophomore Jonathon Velazquez (Bolingbrook, Ill.) will be the main man in the middle for the Beavers. In 2013, Velazquez had three goals and an assist in 16 games. Steinkuehler praises Velazquez and his playmaking ability, “He has the ability to have a major attacking role on our team as well as solid defensive play. We’re going to look for him to be our playmaker in the middle.”
A trio of skilled freshmen will help out Velazquez in the middle. Harry Arter (Jerseyville, Ill.), Jake Pope (Waggoner, Ill.), and Sam Lomanto (Riverside, Cali.) all play a little different style of game. “Harry has a very good touch and is competitor that will stabilize the midfield,” said Steinkuehler. “Jake has excellent speed and plays a hardnosed game. I wouldn’t be surprised if he was one of our top scorers come the end of the season,” added the second year coach. On the freshman from California, Steinkuehler stated “Sam is very intelligent and has good vision on the field. With those tools he will help out our attacking game tremendously.”
Leandro Fonteles (Manaus, Brazil) should definitely not be left out of the midfield picture. The transfer will play an attacking midfield role for the Beavers. “His touch on the ball is outstanding and he has a great shot. LeAndro’s one of those players you see on highlight reels,” indicated Steinkuehler.
Besides the flurry of attacking midfielders, the Beavers will feature some powerful strikers as well. Headlining the crew is junior Mikey Stephenson (Raymond, Ill.). Stephenson, who some believe was snubbed of an All-Conference Team spot, posted ten goals and two assists in 2013. Not only is Stephenson a talented athlete, but Steinkuehler praises his work ethic as well, “Mikey is one of the hardest workers I’ve seen here in all of my years (six total) at Blackburn. He is so passionate about the game of soccer and you can tell when just by watching him play the game.” Stephenson will be relied upon again to be the go-to-guy up top.
Dylan Parkin (Athens, Ill.) will play his senior season next to Stephenson at striker. Parkin has improved greatly in the offseason and his good touch on the ball will make him the “assist man” according to Steinkuehler. Junior transfer Drew Wolfer (Decatur, Ill.) will also see time as a forward. Although he came from a school that did not have a soccer program, Wolfer didn’t lose a beat insisted Steinkuehler. “Drew is a gritty player and our fastest guy. He has ability to get behind defenders and put the ball in the back of the net.” Lucas Rinderer (Highland, Ill.), a freshman, is also a speedy player. Steinkuehler believes the freshman just needs some game experience before his name will be seen regularly on the score sheet.
Daniel Ramirez (Chicago, Ill.) and Tim Hoang (Morrow, Ga.) will both provide depth off the bench for the Beavers. Steinkuehler on Hoang: “Tim will definitely be a fan favorite. Everyone will love this guy. He’s very enthusiastic and it will be hard for the fans not to love him.”
When asked about the strengths of this team, Steinkuehler immediately pointed to the outstanding team chemistry. “These guys are like a family. They have mutual respect for each other and it’s really fun to be around a team like that.” He also thinks this 2014 team will be a much better offensive team than in years past. “We have some guys that can get creative and put the ball in the back of the net, which we have been lacking in recent years.”
One thing that Steinkuehler sees as something his team can improve on is the backfield. “Our guys in the back have plenty of talent, but they are still young. If we can solidify that, we will be a scary team to play.” Solidifying the backfield is a goal, but the ultimate goal is to make the conference tourney. “Blackburn soccer is trending upwards and this could be the year that we take a huge step forward and make a splash into the conference tournament.” In order to advance to the tournament, the Beavers must finish in the top four spots in the SLIAC regular season standings.
The SLIAC coaches’ poll recently plotted Blackburn at the eight spot. With 14 newcomers, there are a lot of weapons that the other teams will not know about. The Beavers might find themselves sneaking up on teams and sliding into a conference tournament position.
Blackburn will open up this season against Knox College tomorrow. They travel to Chicago and Indiana before coming back to Carlinville for the home opener on September 11 against SLIAC rival MacMurray. A game that the players are looking forward to is Homecoming Weekend when they host Fontbonne. The stands are always packed and enthusiastic that game. Blackburn enthusiasts everywhere should come out to watch every game as if it was Homecoming Weekend to support the 2014 Blackburn College Men’s Soccer Team.