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Georgetown 2015 Team and Recruiting Class Review

 

School – Georgetown
Conference – Big East
Coach – Brian Weise (Tenth Season)
Background – The Hoyas were 14-4-5 overall in 2014 with a 6-2-1 mark in conference play. They were awarded the number eight seed in the NCAA Tournament and advanced past Old Dominion and Syracuse before their season came to an end in the Elite Eight where they were topped by eventual national champion Virginia. Georgetown has earned berths in the NCAA Tournament in 1994, 1997, 2010, 2012, 2013 and 2014. Under Weise the Hoyas have developed into a consistent winner. A good case could be made that in the past few seasons Georgetown has enhanced its standing on the national scene as much if not more than any program in the country. The Hoyas took a huge step forward in 2012 when they were 19-4-3 overall and advanced to the national championship. They followed that barrier breaking season up by earning the number six seed in the 2013 NCAA Tournament and advancing to the Sweet Sixteen. Joshua Yaro was named the 2014 Big East Defensive Player of the Year and was a unanimous All-Big East First Team selection. Forward Brandon Allen was also a uinanimous All-Big East First Team selection. Goalkeeper Tomas Gomez, defender Keegan Rosenberry, midfielder Tyler Rydy, and forward Alex Muyl were 2014 All-Big East Second Team selections. Midfielder Anun Basuljevic was named the 2014 Big East Rookie of the Year. Midfielder Christopher Lema was also named to the Big East All-Rookie Team. Yaro was named a 2014 College Soccer News and NSCAA First Team All-American. Allen was named a 2014 College Soccer News First Team All-American and an NSCAA Third Team All-American.    
Offense – Players who scored twenty-three of the thirty goals the Hoyas netted last year are slated to return. Senior Brandon Allen (11g, 3a) who led Georgetown in scoring last year and junior Alex Muyl (2g, 6a) will be among the most dangerous forward combinations in the Big East as well as the country in 2015. Senior Melvin Snoh (1g, 2a) and junior Brett Campbell will also be in the mix up-top. The departure of Austin Martz (4g, 3a) and Tyler Rudy (2g, 3a) means that others will have the opportunity as well as the responsibility that goes with playing a greater role in the midfield in 2015. Sophomores Arun Basuljevic (6g, 0a) and Christopher Lema who now have the benefit of a years experience under their belts, juniors Bakie Goodman (1g, 5a) and Jon Azzinnari and senior David Witkoff are among a solid contingent of returning linkmen. Freshmen Ethan Lochner, Brendan McDonough, and Edson Martinez will add depth to the midfield. 
Defense – The good news is that the backline led by All-American Joshua Yaro that allowed a total only only fifteen goals last year and that posted ten shutouts returns intact. It is also noteworthy that Yaro and senior backs Keegan Rosenberry, Josh Turnley and Cole Seiler were named 2015 team captains. Freshman back Peter Schropp who honed his skills with the Chicago Fire Academy is among the newcomers who should compete for minutes in the back. The challenge on the defensive side of the ball will be replacing Tomas Gomez who has been in the starter in goal for the past four seasons. Solve that and defense looks to be a team strength heading into the 2015 season. 

Newcomers –  Four and a Half Start Recruiting Class

Coach Wiese stated, "Our staff works incredibly well together to find some of the best talent in the country as well as the best fit for Georgetown. It's no conincidence that our recent recruiting successes have coincided with Brian Gill and Zach Samol being on staff. We expect this group to continue to keep Georgetown as national contenders."

Will Carlson – Goalkeeper – Harrison, New York – Rye County Day School – Team captain for Albertson Academy where he recorded eleven shutouts in thirty-four games.

Ethan Lochner – Midfielder – New York, New York – Stuyvesant High School – Four-year starter with the Red Bulls Academy where he scored seventeen goals in 2013 and sixteen goals in 2014.

JT Marcinkowski – Goalkeeper – Alamo, California – De La Salle High – Ranked by College Soccer News as the number two player in the class of 2015. Earned twenty-four caps for the U-14 through U-18 National Teams. Played for the San Jose Earthquakes Academy.

Edson Martinez – Midfielder – Salem, Oregon – North Salem High School – Second-Team All-Conference. Played for Portland Timbers Academy. Team captain. 

Brendan McDonough – Midfielder – Matthews, North Carolina – Charlotte Catholic High School – First Team All-State. All-Conference. All-Region. Scored thirty-one goals and contributed twenty-eight assists as a senior at Charlotte Catholic. Played for the Carolina Rapids Academy. 

Peter Schroop – Defender – Omaha, Nebraska – Saint Stephen Episcopal School – Member National Team Pool for four years. Played for the Chicago Fire Academy. All-State. 2013 and 2014 NSCAA All-American.  

Kyle Zajec – Midfielder – Westport, Connecticut – Staples High School – Five-year starter for the New York Red Bulls Academy. 

Prognosis for 2015 – Georgetown will miss the services and leadership of midfielders Austin Martz (4g, 3a) and Tyler Ruby (2g, 3a) and goalkeeper Tomas Gomez who have graduated. However, the Hoyas will enter the 2015 season with an incredible amount of talent, experience, and depth supplemented by another outstanding recruiting class. It is always a good sign of the health of a program when you can pick out multiple players, as opposed to just one or two, who have the ability to be difference makers. As a result the Hoyas will again be in the thick of things in the Big East Conference as well as on the national scene. They will be led up-top by high scoring All-American senior Brandon Allen (11g, 3a) and junior Alex Muyl (2g, 6a). Allen has the ability to dominate a game and Muyl is a star in his own right and a very capable playmaker. Highly regarded sophomore Arun Basuljevic (6g, 0a) and junior speedster Bakie Goodman (1g, 5a) were starters last year and provide a solid foundation upon which to rebuild the midfield. The backline was very good last year and with Joshua Yaro, Keegan Rosenberry, Cole Seiler, and Josh Turnley all back it should be even more stout in 2015.  Replacing a four-year starter like Gomez who is one of the best goalkeepers to have ever played at Georgetown will not be easy. Freshman JT Marcinkowski who is ranked by College Soccer News as the number two recruit coming out of the class of 2015 and junior Mitchell Auer look to be among the most likely candidates to assume the starting role between the pipes in 2015. The level of play in goal could prove to be the X-Factor for the Hoyas in 2015. The Georgetown offense will be tough to defend, but it is the stability of the backline that is likely to be the difference maker for the Hoyas in 2015. Georgetown will have a very competitive schedule but they look to have all the ingredients needed to play with anyone. Expect the Hoyas to have another very successful season in 2015. In fact, anything less than another trip to the Elite Eight in NCAA Tournament play will be a dissapointment for this team.      

 

Posted in 2015 Team Reviews

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