University of North Carolina Athletics
Tar Heels Boast Experienced Squad in 1999
August 12, 1999 | Men's Soccer
Aug. 12, 1999
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - A year ago, North Carolina head coach Elmar Bolowich entered the 1998 season with five new starters, poised to rebuild his program. Now, a year later, Bolowich returns all 11 starters from a team that went 11-6-2 and made a strong late-season run for an NCAA Tournament berth.
The 1998 Tar Heel team was among the youngest in the nation but showed glimpses of a bright future with a return to the national rankings and wins over ranked opponents Maryland and Wake Forest. UNC enters the 1999 season with more experience, more depth and high hopes.
"Last year, we had so many freshmen that we were almost a brand new team," Bolowich says. "Although we had a very good year considering how young we were, we got hurt by our inexperience and that contributed to us losing some crucial games that we needed to get into the NCAA playoffs. We need to use the experience we gained last year and not make the same mistakes. Our goal is to make the NCAA Tournament."
Youth abounded on the Carolina roster a season ago. Freshman forward Chris Carrieri was named the Atlantic Coast Conference's Rookie of the Year and Second-Team All-ACC after tying for fourth in the conference with 13 goals. Freshman midfielder Noz Yamauchi led the team with six assists. Freshman sweeper Daniel Jackson anchored a much-improved defense and was voted UNC's MVP by his teammates. Fellow freshmen Chris Leitch and Jon Wean aided Jackson as the Tar Heels allowed 10 fewer goals than they had in 1997. Sophomores Caleb Norkus and Michael Bucy finished second and third, respectively, on the team in scoring.
All of these players, along with fellow 1998 starters Joey DiSalvo, David Popp, Eddie Robinson, and goalkeepers William Woodroffe and Michael Ueltschey, return to the fold for Bolowich this fall. A freshman class seven strong joins the squad this season, filling out the roster with more talent than any Tar Heel team in recent years.
"We're still relatively young when you look at our roster and see that we are getting seven more freshmen this fall," Bolowich says. "But we are adding depth, which is what we've been lacking in the last few years. We'll have competition for starting jobs at every position and we'll be better prepared if we have any injuries. We're looking at a talent pool that is 18 or 20 players deep. If a starter gets hurt, we can bring in a talented reserve and continue with our rhythm and game plan on the field."
Offensively, Carolina returns an abundance of firepower this season. The Tar Heels' 39 goals last year were more than the team had scored in either of the previous two seasons. In flexible, offensive-minded players like Norkus, Yamauchi, Bucy and DiSalvo who can play more than one position, the Heels are versatile enough to tailor their lineup to their opponents' strengths and weaknesses.
"With many of our young players last year you saw spurts of performance for 20 minutes, maybe 30 minutes or a half," says Bolowich. "Now what we need to see are extended performances over a 90-minute game. That will give us the firepower offensively that we need to be a more dominant team. We need to get to the point where we can play our style, in our rhythm, for a full 90 minutes."
Carolina regularly started two freshmen at defender a year ago, and the young group began to gel and play very well together as the season progressed. Woodroffe, now a senior with two years of experience as a starter, and Ueltschey, an athletic freshmen, both return to the goal after splitting time as starters in 1998.
"A key for us going to be our goalkeeper situation who is going to step up to the plate and be the dominant goalkeeper," Bolowich says. "We were young in the back last year, but we need to be in a position to win more games 1-0. We can do that as our defenders continue to mature together and one of our goalkeepers steps it up."
On the brink of a season with bright offensive and defensive prospects, perhaps Carolina's biggest asset is its team unity, a by-product of an entire squad of young players growing up together on the field.
"The strength of this year's team is that I believe it is truly a team," says Bolowich. "There are no people that consider themselves star athletes. This will be a hard-working team. You will not see the flash that you've seen in the past from some Carolina teams. What you will see from these guys is discipline, effort and I hope a lot of team spirit."
The following is a position-by-position look at the 1999 Tar Heels.
Goalkeepers
Woodroffe and Ueltschey split time in goal a season ago, with the junior Woodroffe starting 12 games and the freshman Ueltschey seven. Both played well, and junior Brad Thomas, who started nine games for UNC Charlotte in 1997, is also a capable keeper. Bolowich hopes one will play well enough to claim the starting job exclusively.
"My preference would be not to split time with our goalkeepers and to have one of the three step up and seize the starting job," Bolowich says. "That would give us consistency and stability in the goal.
"Overall, our goalkeepers need to be more dominant in the backfield," Bolowich continues. "Michael has a lot of athleticism. He's strong and quick. What he still lacks is the consistency for 90 minutes, so he needs to have the confidence that he can play and win against any team. William is more of the steady goalkeeper, the one who has experience, does his job, and rarely makes blatant mistakes."
Defenders
The Tar Heel defense started two freshmen along the back line last season and was a much-improved unit, keeping Carolina in contention in almost every game. With Jackson and Wean now more experienced as sophomores and the presence of upperclassmen defenders Robinson and Popp, Bolowich is counting on his defense to be even better in 1999.
Jackson, Carolina's 1998 team MVP, is the undisputed leader of the defensive unit. After sitting out the first two games of last season, Jackson started the final 17 games and directed traffic as a central defender. As a sophomore, he will assume even more leadership duties.
"Danny Jackson will use his experience and be a leader, organizing our defense," Bolowich says. "He is a natural leader who is going to step up, and a lot of the burden that I will put on our defense I will put on him."
The steady and reliable Wean should start beside Jackson as the other central defender in the Tar Heel lineup. The starting jobs on the flanks of the defense will be up for grabs in the preseason with a number of candidates vying for the jobs.
"We have a wide variety of players that we can use in several different positions in the backfield," Bolowich says. "As for our defenders on the outside, I can see Eddie Robinson, Chris Leitch and David Popp. Michael Bucy will play in the midfield but can also play in the backfield if necessary. Brandon Helms has seen significant playing time. Amr Abu Laban, Topher Roberts and Steven Sartorio are freshmen who could also contribute."
Popp is a senior who has started 37 games over the last two seasons. He tied for sixth on the team in scoring last year with seven points on two goals and three assists.
"David Popp is a guy who just runs forever," says Bolowich. "He doesn't fatigue and will be there until the last minute. He's a senior with a lot of experience, so we're looking for leadership from David."
Robinson returned to the Tar Heels last year after redshirting the 1997 season and immediately made an impact with his toughness and grit.
"The only question with Eddie is his fitness level," Bolowich says. "Eddie can be a terrific player for you and hold an entire defense together, but he does need to cut down on his mental mistakes."
Leitch played primarily in the midfield as a freshman but has the versatility to be an effective offensive and defensive player.
"Chris played more on the flank and up top as a freshman, but in the spring we moved him to the back," Bolowich says. "It suits him very well, coming out of the back and utilizing his speed."
Midfielders
The Tar Heels could play as few as three midfielders or as many as five, depending on how many forwards they play at any given time. And several Carolina players can play either in the midfield or at forward.
Regardless of who plays where, Bolowich has a number of options from which to choose in the midfield. Bucy, Yamauchi, DiSalvo, Carson Porter and C.J. Steffen all have started games at the position in the past, and forwards like Norkus could move back into the midfield in certain formations. Matt Laycock, among the ACC's top freshmen in 1997 before redshirting last season, also returns.
"We have a lot of players who have the ability to play either up front or in the midfield," says Bolowich. "A Caleb Norkus, as much as he can score goals, can also be a valuable attacking midfielder. Joey DiSalvo will give us something as an attacking midfielder and he can also play up front. Noz Yamauchi is very versatile, and if we play three forwards, then he could move up to the front line."
Bucy, a third-team academic All-America last year, was the team's third-leading scorer a year ago with five goals and four assists.
"What you know with Mike Bucy is that you're getting a steady performer," Bolowich says. "He doesn't have a lot of speed, which can hurt in the midfield, so he worked diligently in the spring on his explosiveness and quickness."
Laycock underwent knee surgery at the beginning of 1998 preseason practice and appeared in four games before aggravating the injury and receiving a medical redshirt. His knee now appears to be fully recovered. Like a coach on the field, Laycock adds immeasurable intangibles to the Tar Heel lineup.
"I look forward to Matt Laycock coming back because he gives you just a presence on the field," Bolowich says. "When he's on the field things calm down, and he has the knack in understanding when to turn it on and speed the rhythm of a game up and when to slow it down. He sets the tone in the midfield."
Also competing for time in the midfield will be sophomore Ryan Schumacher and freshman Matt Crawford.
Forwards
"We have the flexibility that we can play one, two or three forwards at a time," Bolowich says. "Based on our opponent, our game plan and the conditions, we will decide how many forwards to play."
Carrieri, an Honorable Mention All-America a season ago, returns to spearhead the Tar Heel attack. Carrieri led the Tar Heels with 29 points, finishing seventh in the ACC. He should play either in the center or wide right at forward.
"Chris showed us what he's capable of last year," says Bolowich. "He has the potential to be one of the best players in the ACC, but he needs to be more consistent in his efforts and contribute for a full 90 minutes every game."
Norkus, a junior, also returns. His 38 career points lead all active Tar Heels and he has shown flashes of All-America talent.
"Caleb just needs to put it all together," Bolowich says. "He can do it. I hope this is his year."
Other candidates at forward include Yamauchi, a midfielder as a freshman, and freshmen Ryan Kneipper and Mike Gell.
"Noz is very well suited to play wide left if he's not in the midfield," says Bolowich. "Ryan Kneipper is an incoming freshman who is 6-3 and does a lot with his height. Mike Gell, who is extremely fast, can play at this level.
"The trick for me is to figure out who to play where," Bolowich continues. "In the past, we had so little depth that by May, I knew what the starting lineup would be. Entering the preseason, I really don't know and it's nice to be able to wonder who's going to claim starting spots. It's a nice problem to have, and I'm looking forward to it. We've made it clear to our guys that they have to earn their starting spot."
