Saint John's plays host to Minnesota-Morris for its season opener this Thursday, Sept. 1. The match is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. at George Durenberger Field in Collegeville.
Preview Video:
-Head coach John Haws (0:52)
SEASON PREVIEW: The SJU soccer team hopes the 2011 season plays out like the last five games of the 2010 season.
SJU won four of its last five MIAC matches last season. The lone loss during that stretch was a heartbreaking 4-3 loss in double overtime to eventual conference-champion Macalester. The Johnnies finished with a 6-6-4 overall record and a 5-3-2 mark in the MIAC, missing the four-team MIAC playoffs by two points.
Second-year head coach John Haws needs to replace eight graduated seniors from last fall but returns five of his top eight scorers from a year ago, including 13 of the 17 goals scored in 2010. Among the returnees is sophomore Michael Coborn (St. Cloud, Minn./Cathedral), an All-MIAC honoree as a freshman last fall and the team's leader in five statistical categories.
Here's a look at the 2011 Johnnies, by position:
Forwards
The Johnnies are expected to have plenty of youth at the forward position in 2011, including sophomores Joe Balder (Stillwater, Minn.) and Elliott Olsen (Cedar, Minn./St. Francis). Balder came on strong last season, registering all five points (1g/3a) in the season's final six matches. He could see time at forward, midfielder or defender this fall. Olsen, meanwhile, tallied the game-winning goal in the 1-0 win over Augsburg in the MIAC opener.
Haws needs to replace A.J. Sollom, who amassed 23 career points (6g/11a) in 56 matches for the Johnnies, including a goal and three assists last season.
Midfielders
Coborn is expected to lead the Johnnie midfielders and offense once again in 2011. He ended his freshman campaign as SJU's leader in goals (6), assists (5), points (17), shots (58) and shots-on-goal (28) en route to an All-MIAC honor. Coborn became the first SJU freshman to earn All-MIAC recognition since Tyler Kodet in 2005. He tallied five goals in the season's final two games, including a hat trick in the narrow loss to Macalester. SJU also returns junior Andrew Johnson (St. Louis Park, Minn.), who played in all 16 matches last season and finished second on the team with six points (2g/2a).
Sophomores Matt Carson (Waconia, Minn.) and Calvin Koep (Plymouth, Minn./Wayzata) also return after playing in eight and 13 matches, respectively, last fall. Koep posted a pair of assists in the 4-1 win over Cornell (Iowa) Sept. 5. Both are expected to contribute at either defender or midfielder this season.
The Johnnies need to replace J.C. Artavia, Andre Blaine and Colin Hall due to graduation. The three combined for 41 points (16g/9a) and six game-winning goals in 140 career matches played.
Defense
The Johnnies return a pair of starters from last season's backline, junior Ryan Fuchs (St. Michael, Minn./Rogers) and sophomore Joe Laue (St. Louis Park, Minn./Holy Angels). Fuchs ended the 2010 season with three points (1g/1a) in 14 games played. His first career goal proved to be the game-winner in the Johnnies' 1-0 victory at Saint Mary's Oct. 23. He finished third on the team with six shots-on-goal and fourth with 15 shots total. Fuchs became the eighth Johnnie to earn Academic All-District honors in the last six years. Laue, meanwhile, appeared in 14 matches (13 starts) and posted two goals on four shots, including the game-winner in the 1-0 win against Hamline Oct. 9.
Junior Sam Hautman (Apple Valley, Minn.) also returns and is expected to contend for minutes on defense. Hautman missed all of last season with an ankle injury after seeing action in 12 matches as a sophomore in 2009.
SJU needs to replace a pair of experienced starters, Andrew Lilly and Austin Neuburger, as well as Bobby Schmidt on the backline. Neuburger tallied 12 points (2g/8a) in 60 career matches, including two assists in 15 starts last fall. Lilly recorded a pair of goals and an assist in 43 games, while Schmidt appeared in 12 matches each of the past two seasons.
Goalkeepers
Haws' most intriguing position battle is at keeper, where senior Mike Sikich (Apple Valley, Minn.) and sophomore Ryan Brutger (St. Cloud, Minn./Apollo) are expected to contend for playing time. Each allowed four goals on 19 shots last fall. The two will attempt to replace last year's regular starter, Matt Anderson, who posted a 5-3-2 record in 11 starts, including 80 saves and a 0.91 goals-against average last year. He tallied five shutouts and finished second in the conference (MIAC matches only) with a .870 save percentage to earn All-MIAC honorable-mention honors.
Haws, Coborn Lead Division III All-Star Team in Brazil
The 2011 Johnnies will be bolstered by another impressive recruiting class that includes six Associated Press All-State selections, as well as the experience and innovation Coborn and the coaching staff soaked in as part of the D-3 USA All-Star Team's trip to Brazil in May. Coborn scored four of Team USA's nine goals and led the squad with a total of nine points (4g/1a). Haws '99, assistant coach Tudor Flintham '06 and former head coach Pat Haws '72, coached the team to a 2-0-2 record during the nine-day trip.
2011 Schedule
SJU opens the MIAC schedule at Macalester Sept. 14. The Johnnies host six more matches this fall, including Gustavus for Homecoming (Sept. 24) and three consecutive matches against Bethel, St. Thomas and Saint Mary's in October. Haws' crew travels to face all four 2010 MIAC Playoff teams this fall: Macalester, Carleton (Sept. 17), Augsburg (Sept. 27) and Concordia (Oct. 29).
