The combination of a strong group of returning starters and a top recruiting class promises to take the Northwestern mens soccer team to new heights this year.
Last seasons 8-10-1 record was the teams best since 1990, but coach Michael Kunert, now in his 17th year at the helm of the Wildcat program, thinks the squad can improve.
"I think well have a better record simply because our defense is better," Kunert said. "I expect this team will have a really great year and things will come together."
Defense should be the strength of this years team. Returning sweeper Dan Merz, who started 13 games last year, will anchor the defense next to stopper Brandon Swalve and Aaron Stolberg, both of whom played in two conference games last season. Depth is also a positive, having more players with experience this season such as Peden Young and Nick Spoerke.
"Were going to be very solid on defense," said Kunert. "Not just the core, but we have a really good supporting cast in case of injuries. Young and Spoerke are guys who can step in and help out immediately. That is probably the strongest aspect of our team."
The Cats return their third-leading scorer from a year ago in center forward David Mooradian. Mooradian will be counted on to be a leading scorer for the team following the loss of All-Big Ten performer Andy McDermott, who led the team last year with seven goals. Kunert is optimistic about having Mooradian as a team leader.
"David really shows everybody else how it needs to get done," said Kunert. "If he can return to the form he was in, our forward line is going to be very, very good. If our halfbacks can come together to support our forwards, we could have an outstanding team.
Sophomores Jun Kim, who played in 19 games, and Jon Cantwell, who played in 18 contests are expected to be the teams other experienced forwards.
"Kim is developing as a super forward and Cantwell is playing really well," Kunert said.
Freshman Louis Litrenta is also expected to contribute to the Wildcat front line. Litrenta scored five goals in three games in the Illinois high school state tournament, including the game-winning goal in the championship game.
Kunert also expects the other freshmen to play well. Center midfielders Justin Castillo and Grant Trimble will be looked to fill the void left by McDermott and to play solid in the offensive midfield position. Michigan all-state defender Daniel Doman is skilled enough to be the stopper or sweeper of the future, and outside midfielder Brice Blatz will also be expected to contribute valuable minutes.
Another key factor in the Cats success will be goalkeeping. Starting junior goalie Matt Keeler allowed an average of only 1.10 goals per game last season, playing 1,221 minutes and making 77 saves. Backing him up will be sophomore Chris Berlin.
"When you assert yourself as much as Matt does, you have the possibility of getting injured," said Kunert. "If that happens, were going with Chris Berlin who is a solid keeper. He will be able to step in and take over the game if Matt gets hurt."
This seasons home schedule comprises ten games, including in-state rival Northern Illinois and Big Ten opponents Michigan, Ohio State, and Penn State, followed by the Big Ten Tournament at Lakeside Field.
"I think its great to have the tournament here," said Kunert. "It gives great recognition to our program, and puts college soccer on the map as far as Chicago is concerned."
"This is the year where things should happen," said Kunert. "We have a lot of players that are very talented and we hope to be very competitive in the conference."
NU All-Time Record vs. OpponentsTEAM W L T Akron 0 1 0 Aquinas 1 0 0 Beloit 1 1 0 Bowling Green State 0 1 0 Bradley 0 2 0 Butler 0 0 0 Central Michigan 1 0 1 Chicago 2 1 0 Cleveland State 0 1 0 Colgate 0 1 0 DePaul 9 4 1 Detroit 0 1 0 Drake 3 0 0 Eastern Illinois 2 2 0 Illinois 5 2 1 Illinois-Chicago 6 4 2 Illinois State 1 3 1 Indiana 1 3 0 Indiana State 1 0 0 Iowa 3 0 0 Iowa State 1 0 0 Lake Forest 1 1 1 Lakehead (Ont.) 1 0 0 Lewis 7 6 0 Lock Haven 0 1 0 Loyola-Chicago 9 4 5 Marquette 3 9 1 Marshall 0 1 0 Marycrest 1 0 0 Michigan 3 3 2 Michigan State 11 6 1 Minnesota 5 1 1 North Central 0 1 0 Northeastern Ill. 3 2 0 Northern Illinois 2 11 2 North Park 4 1 1 Notre Dame 1 7 1 Ohio State 2 8 1 Oral Roberts first meeting Penn State 0 9 0 Purdue 5 3 0 Purdue-Calumet 0 0 1 Quincy 1 6 1 Rochester 0 1 0 Rockford 2 0 0 St. John's (Minn.) 0 2 0 Scranton 1 0 0 SIU-Edwardsville 1 2 0 Spring Arbor 0 1 0 SW Missouri St. 1 0 0 Trinity (Ill.) 1 0 0 Triton 1 0 0 Valparaiso 7 2 0 Western Illinois 4 5 0 Western Michigan 1 4 0 Wheaton 1 4 0 Wisconsin 0 16 3 UW-Green Bay 4 3 1 UW-Milwaukee 11 1 1 UW-Parkside 1 5 0 UW-Whitewater 2 0 0 Xavier110 Totals11418432
1998 opponents listed in bold. (1980-1997 -- varsity record only)
Head coach Mike Kunert
Michael Kunert enters his 17th year as head coach of the Wildcat men's soccer team. Kunert has posted a 96-170-28 overall record at Northwestern with a school-best 14-4-1 finish in 1988. That squad ran off eight-straight victories to close out the year and broke the school record of 10 wins in a season. The Cats also won 10 games in 1985 and 1987 under Kunert.
Kunert, 56, was active with the German National team at the 1994 World Cup. Prior to that, he coached the Midwest Regional Team from 1985-87, from which candidates for the U.S. National Team were chosen. He also served six years as head coach for the Chicago Northshore American Youth Soccer Organization and for four years was a coach at the Chicago Sting summer camp. Kunert was a Northwestern assistant in 1981 before succeeding Bob Krohn in 1982.
A native of Berlin, Germany, Kunert played three years for Hertha BC, a top-division team based in his hometown. During his seven-year service in the U.S. Army, he played for an all-star team while stationed in Europe.
Kunert earned his B.A. from Loyola (Ill.) University in 1970 and concluded his graduate work at Northwestern (M.A. and Ph.D.) in 1972. He and his wife, Louise, have two sons, Mark and Kurt. Kurt lettered four years (1988-91) while playing for his father at NU. The Kunert family resides in Libertyville, Ill.
1998 Roster
No. Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Yr. Hometown/High School 25 Chris Berlin* GK 6-3 195 So. West Lafayette, Ind./West Lafayette 23 Brice Blatz MF 5-7 150 Fr. Saratoga, Calif./St. Francis 7 Jon Cantwell* F 6-0 170 Jr. Brookfield, Wis./Brookfield East 20 Justin Castillo MF 5-10 165 Fr. Los Angeles, Calif./North Hollywood 4 Daniel Doman D 6-2 175 Fr. Bloomfield Hills, Mich./Detroit Country Day 1 Matt Keeler* GK 6-0 173 Jr. Portage, Mich./Portage Northern 9 Jun Kim* F 5-11 170 So. Wilmette, Ill./New Trier 6 Frank Lawson** MF 5-9 150 Jr. Lakewood, Colo./Green Mountain 22 Louis Litrenta F 6-1 170 Fr. Barrington, Ill./Fremd 13 Dan Merz*** MF/D 5-9 157 Sr. Plymouth, Minn./Wayzata 8 David Mooradian**MF 6-1 170 Jr. Ada, Mich./Forest Hills Northern 18 Dennis Mooradian D 5-11 165 So. Ada, Mich./Forest Hills Northern 10 Trevor Nelson** MF 6-2 180 Jr. Dublin, Ohio/Columbus Academy 11 Steve Shanks** MF 6-0 165 Sr. Denver, Colo./South 12 Nick Spoerke* S/D 6-0 175 So. Lakewood, Colo./Wheat Ridge 5 Aaron Stolberg***MF/D 6-0 160 Sr(5)Bloomington, Ind./South 3 Brandon Swalve* MF 6-2 180 So. Cedarburg, Wis./Cedarburg 17 Grant Trimble C/MF 5-11 170 Fr. Olathe, Kan./Olathe North 21 Paul Van Huysen* S/D 5-9 145 So. Portage, Mich./Monsignor Hackett 2 Drew Warnick** D/MF 6-0 160 Jr. Parker, Colo./Ponderosa 14 J.D. Wine* F 5-10 150 So. Carmel, Ind./Carmel 15 Peden Young** C/MF 5-11 160 Sr. Atlanta, Ga./Henry W. GradyHead Coach: Michael Kunert (17th year) Assistant Coach: Mike Kirkland (2nd year) * - denotes letters won