Newcomers aiding Bombers' backline

(This article originally appeared in The Ithacan)

It has been a season of transition for the men’s soccer team. Longtime head coach Andy Byrne retired in February 2015, and his first full-time assistant, Patrick Ouckama ’05, was chosen as his successor. Ouckama inherited a large issue for any soccer coach across the globe: He was set to lose the team’s starting goalkeeper.

The graduation of Jordan Gentile ’15 left an opening at the back of Ouckama’s defense. He had a returning player in sophomore Dan Hinckley who saw fewer than 18 total minutes of play last season, as well as incoming freshman Brandon Enny competing for the starting spot.

In the end though, it was junior Zach Jacobsen, a transfer from Lincoln Memorial University in Tennessee, who won the job.

Ouckama said Jacobsen showed solid ability in the net during the preseason, and that he’s being pressured daily by his backups.

“Technically he’s very good and he communicates well,” Ouckama said. “That being said, there are two other goalies that are pushing him as well, and whoever the strongest goalie is will play at the end of the week. So far it’s been him, but he’s certainly being pushed day in and day out.”

Ouckama also said Jacobsen’s experience with the college game also played a role in his selection as the first–choice goalkeeper.

Jacobsen said he transferred from Lincoln not for athletics, but for academics, yet still had a desire to play soccer.

“As I began looking to transfer I still wanted to play, but there was no guarantee I would find a team,” he said. “I found Ithaca by chance [when I was] looking at environmental programs and saw it as a good fit.”

Jacobsen said after deciding to switch to South Hill, he looked at the team’s roster and saw an opportunity to join a squad in need of depth in the net. He thought he had a good shot as a rising junior with games under his belt at the college level.

Jacobsen is not alone when it comes to starting in his first year with the Bombers. Freshman Sam Factor has been playing on the back line throughout the season in his first year.

As was the case with Jacobsen, Ouckama said he liked what he saw from Factor from day one of preseason and has included him as part of his starting defense ever since.

“He has a very high work ethic, he’s very attentive, he learns very well, he wants to do things the right way,” he said. “Whatever year the player is, if they go at it with that attitude, then they’re putting themselves in a position to see the game field.”

Along with a majority of freshman athletes, Factor said he has found the transition to be challenging, but his veteran teammates have made it easier.

“They’ve all been great. They’re all experienced defenders and are always giving me advice in practice and in games,” he said. “Our center backs are constantly communicating during the games, which definitely helps. The leadership of the returning defenders along with Coach O’s defensive knowledge has certainly helped Zach and I have a smooth transition.”

Speaking on his own transition, Jacobsen said he related to Factor.

“Coming to a new team, it made me feel like a freshman again,” he said. “I was a first–year and had something to prove.”

Despite a 4–7–2 record, the Bombers have an Empire 8 best 4–1 record in conference play. The squad has also only allowed three or more goals in just three games this season and has a goals against average of 1.32. Ouckama said this gives the improving defense reason for optimism.

“Having a couple games where we let in one goal or no goals at all, that’s kind of coming along as the season goes on,” Ouckama said.

Ouckama also said Jacobsen is playing with confidence and communicating well with the four defenders in front of him, allowing all five to read the play of the game more efficiently. As a result the defense as a whole can ensure they are in good position to stop an opposing attack.

Factor said he echoed his coach’s sentiments, but there is always room for improvement.

“I think that we have defended well as a back five and as a team for the most part. We just need to make sure we stay focused for the full 90 minutes,” he said. “Most of the goals scored against us have been [penalty kicks] or rebounds, which just comes down to staying concentrated and playing smart.”

Jacobsen said one weakness he has seen is injuries to members of the defense, but that as players return, the Bombers’ end of the field will tighten up.

“Going forward for the rest of the season I think we will only improve,” he said. “As players return from injury and each game becomes more important than the last, I feel we will get stronger as a unit.“

As the season begins to come to a close, and with the Bombers poised to grab the top seed in the Empire 8 conference, they believe that pressure can turn their defense into a diamond.

Q+A With Ithaca Bombers Assistant Men's Soccer Coach Braden Studelska

(Article originally appeared in The Ithacan)

Following former head men’s soccer coach Andy Byrne’s retirement after 31 years at the helm of the program on Feb. 17, assistant coach and former captain Patrick Ouckama ’05 was appointed as the new head coach. This created a vacancy in Ouckama’s former role, and this past summer, Braden Studelska was called upon to fill that responsibility. 

Staff Writer Alex Wong spoke with Studelska to discuss his coaching background, how he pursued the position, what he brings to the Bomber program and what he thinks of the future of the program.

Alex Wong: What is your coaching background?

Braden Studelska: I was a student–athlete at Buena Vista University for four years, and after that I was doing some small coaching during that time, with the local high school and some of the youth programs. Then I took a teaching job and was the head boy’s coach at a small Catholic high school for two years. And then the opportunity came to join the staff back where I had played. They had created a full-time assistant position, so I went back there and was there for two years. After my second year I was looking for something different, and this job came along. It was a good fit for me personally, and I think it’s a good fit the other way as well, as far as what I bring to the program.

AW: How has the transition between schools been going? Has it been relatively smooth, or have there been any road bumps along the way?

BS: It’s been fairly smooth. It was a hectic summer getting everything done and getting moved out here, but beyond that it’s been super easy to jump in with Coach Ouckama and the guys. He’s brought me full on with everything going on with the program, and we’ve seen good results with our guys. There’s a lot of excitement going forward with the group of returners we have, and the incoming players as well have shown well. It’s been pretty smooth as far as the soccer side goes.

AW: Have you noticed any similarities or differences between the schools?

BS: The big difference is the size. The school I was coming from is much smaller. When I was a student there it was about 1,200 undergrad, and by the time I left it was sub-900 in terms of undergraduate enrollment on campus. So just the size of the campus and the number of students is really a big difference. I wouldn’t say there is anything good or bad, it’s just different. Things tend to be much more orderly at a big school with set procedures, whereas at a small school it can be much easier to get things done quickly because there wasn’t those set procedures in place because their volume of work they were doing was much smaller. But there’s definitely still a small college feel here, especially with athletics. I get to see all the different coaches at staff meetings and stuff like that, so that culture is still here, so that’s nice as well. 

AW: Was the position here something you actively sought out and pursued, or was it something that was presented to you?

BS: It was definitely something I pursued. I was fairly selective about the type of school I was looking at and what type of environment I wanted to join. I applied kind of all over, but after doing some initial research about Ithaca College and looking more into it, it was really a place I could see myself doing well and thriving.

AW: What do you think you can bring to the table as a member of the coaching staff?

BS: A lot of it is just a second pair of eyes. I think Coach Ouckama and myself are relatively similar in how we want to play the game and the ideal of what we want to do, but at the same time we have some differences as well, which is good. We see different things — different things stand out to us. Unity in vision, but a diversity of talents. We both have similar goals in mind and broad ideas of how we’re going to get there, but different things stand out to us that way. I also think I bring some experience. The conference I’m coming from, while probably not as competitive top to bottom as the Empire 8, the top three teams are very talented. Usually, three of them are ranked in the top-25 in the nation, and usually we send two, maybe three teams, to the national tournament. So I think having been exposed to that level of play has been beneficial in how I prepare for teams.

AW: What have you seen so far out of the players, or the program as a whole, that you have liked?

BS: One of the things that stands out to me is the history and the culture. There’s high expectations. There’s that cultural excellence built up over the years through the program. Seeing the way the guys had come into the preseason, the commitment they have to their fitness and technical work during the offseason really bodes well and shows it’s important to them to live up to that standard. They want to do credit to the name on the front of the jersey.  They want to be part of that legacy, I think. And hearing the guys talking about it, that’s something special that is hard to build up in certain places, so that’s been really good to see and something I’m excited to be a part of and continue to cultivate with them.

NWSL Final 2015: 6 Takeaways

The 2015 NWSL Final was won by FC Kansas City last night (Oct. 1) by a score of 1-0 over Seattle Reign FC. This was a rematch of the 2014 Final, which KC also won, 2-1. Seattle went into each match as the winners of the Supporter's Shield for best regular season record, but KC showed two years straight that its all about that last game. Here are my takeaways from the match

1. Starpower. Arguably the two most stacked teams in the league. Seattle has USWNT players in Hope Solo and Megan Rapinoe, and add to them with 2014 league MVP Kim Little and Welsh international Jess Fishlock. Beverly Yanez also had a solid season up top for the Reign. But on the other side...

2. FCKC has top tier talent, and lots of it. KC has so much talent its ridiculous. They have four players from the World Cup Winning US roster from this past summer: Amy Rodriguez, who scored the lone goal in this years final, as well as KC's two goals in last year's edition. Lauren Holiday, who is the NWSL's all-time leader in assists (18) and second all-time in goals (22). Becky Sauerbrunn, the only player in the history of the NWSL to win Defensive Player of the Year (she's won three times in the league's three year history). Heather O'Reilly, who was acquired via trade with Seattle following the Championship game last season and provided the assist to A-Rod's goal last night. They also have multiple players with USWNT senior squad experience in goalie Nicole Barnhart, defenders Amy LePeilbet and Leigh Ann Robinson, and midfielders Erika Tymrak and Yael Averbuch. KC has so much talent that last night Averbuch was relegated to the bench before being substituted on late in the second half, and she has some serious skills.

3. Jill Ellis was in attendance. She's always evaluating any player that could help the national team win. And with Lauren Holiday's retirement, there seems to be an opening in the central midfield. Morgan Brian is a surefire starter in the middle in my eyes, but depending on what formation Ellis plays and the personnel she uses, Brian could be paired with Carli Lloyd, or would need a new parter should Lloyd play a more forward role. This dilemma could be a whole separate post, but there were  a few players on the field that fill a central or holding midfielders role when paired with Brian.

4. Erika Tymrak was impressive. She was everywhere and playing with a purpose. Constantly involved and one of the more noticeable players, Tymrak seemed to have drawn what would have been a go-ahead penalty kick when she was taken down in the box, but the referee waved play on. I haven't watched enough of Tymrak to know how consistent she is, but seeing as she is only 24 and has been called into the national team before, I definitely see her getting a call into pre-Olympic camp. While she likely won't make the 18-player Olympic roster, she will most certainly be in the mix through the next cycle. She would be 28 during the next World Cup, which should be her prime years as a player, and with most of the current squad in their mid to late 20's/early 30's right now, young players like Tymrak will be looked at to lead the team.

5. Lauren Holiday goes out in a blaze of glory. As previously mentioned, Lauren Holiday will be retiring from professional soccer following the final USWNT Victory Tour game this year. The 27-year-old is among the most decorated players in US Soccer history. Her accomplishments include: All-Time leader in Assists in NWSL history, 2nd All-Time in goals in NWSL history, 2013 NWSL Golden Boot, 2013 NWSL MVP, 2014 NWSL Finals MVP, 2007 US Soccer Young Female Athlete of the Year, 2014 US Soccer Female Athlete of the Year, Olympic Gold Medalist in 2008 and 2012, Women's World Cup Gold Medalist in 2015, was a 2015 recipient of the Sagamore of the Wabash, and had her #12 jersey retired by FC Kansas City this year, the first player in the league's history to be given that honor.

Representing the United States in international play she has 114 caps and counting, 23 goals and 31 assists.

It is every athlete's dream to win a championship during their final season. Lauren Holiday lived it twice. She will be missed in the soccer community, but at 27 years of age, has a whole lifetime ahead of her. Enjoy retirement #12.

6. HAO and A-Rod want to go to Rio. Heather O'Reilly (HAO, sounds like mayo) and Amy Rodriguez were seldom used during the 2015 World Cup. That didn't mean they weren't still good players, and they've proven it in NWSL and Victory Tour action. HAO has lit up international opponents since the World Cup, netting 5 goals in 3 games. A-Rod has been a rock in the NWSL, having a productive season despite missing time due to the World Cup. She finished 6 chances in 11 games played this year and is one of the more dynamic and unpredictable forwards the US has to offer. Their play following the World Cup to this point, and in the future leading up to Olympic roster selections, has shown, and will have to continue to show, they have had no drop off in form despite getting older and can contribute to the squad moving forward.

The closer we get to Olympic qualifying time is when we can truly start making roster projections for the Rio Games. It may be a pessimistic outlook, but bank on at least one injury to shake up the roster.