DUBUQUE, Iowa (Duhawks.com) - After much anticipation, the 2015 season kicks off tomorrow night for the Loras Men's Soccer team, as they begin their trek towards a coveted Division III National Championship. With the opening week pitting the Duhawks against UW-Oshkosh and St. Olaf, Loras will be looking to fire off the starting blocks with wins against quality programs to provide momentum into week two.
ALL-TIME SERIES AGAINST UWO •••Loras and UW-Oshkosh have had much parity over the course of their history, dating back to 1984. Since then, the two sides have met 10 times, resulting in identical 4-4-2 records. Nine of the 10 meetings have occurred in the regular season, with the Titans taking the lone postseason meeting, a 2-nil victory over Loras in the 2010 NCAA "Sweet 16".
LAST MEETING VERSUS UWO •••These teams met last season in the Rock Bowl on Sept. 21 and battled to a 2-2 draw. The Titans jumped on the board early with goals in the 12th and 20th minutes to take a commanding lead. The entire second half saw the Duhawks scratch and claw their way back before
Mike Pizzello equalized on the 90th minute to secure the 2-2 draw.
SCOUTING THE TITANS •••UW-Oshkosh finds itself in a very peculiar position this year, as the university announced this summer that 2015 would be the final season of men's soccer. Regardless, the Titans return 20 letterwinners from their 2014 season which helped pace the squad to a +30 goal differential. All five All-WIAC selections return for UW-Oshkosh, including starting goalkeeper Sam Gabrilska, who posted a 0.49 goals against average and finished with an 11-2-2 record.
ALL-TIME SERIES AGAINST ST. OLAF •••Friday will mark the third meeting all-time between Loras and St. Olaf, with the Duhawks holding a 2-0-0 advantage. The first meeting came in 2007, during Loras' first run to the NCAA Final Four. The Duhawks handed the Oles a 1-nil loss, thanks to a goal from
Matt Pucci in the 90th minute. Pucci redirected a free kick from Nate Minkel to give Loras the late victory.
LAST MEETING VERSUS ST. OLAF •••Following a seven-year hiatus, Loras and St. Olaf met last year in Minnesota for a non-conference regular season tilt. In a game that saw plenty of offense, the Duhawks prevailed with a 3-2 win thanks to timely scoring from then junior
Jorge Simon. His brace (25', 81') provided just enough to give the Duhawks the win.
SCOUTING THE OLES •••Senior Jens Undlin powered the St. Olaf offense in 2014 with 14 goals, including two game-winners. He returns for his senior season where he'll be joined by fellow senior Kevin Skrip who contributed eight goals and two assists. As a sophomore, Ben Braman started 10 of St. Olaf's 19 games, finishing with a record of 6-2-2, including two shutouts. The Oles return all three goalkeepers from a year ago, which gives them options in net.
RUMMELHART AND BRADLEY RETURN TO STARTING XI •••Over the course of 14 days, the Duhawks lost two of their most potent offensive threats in
Alex Bradley and
Johnny Rummelhart. Now with both back on the roster and in full fitness, opposing defenses will have their hands full with a pair of attacking pieces that can score at any given time. Despite only appearing in 11 games before falling to injury, Bradley chipped in four goals and three assists, earning himself NSCAA All-Region honors. With Rummelhart out wide, his speed and agility should open up the middle of the field for scoring opportunities for Loras.
SWARM MENTALITY STILL IN EFFECT •••Over the past three seasons, opponents have been forced to adjust to Loras' high-tempo approach, which is successful in part to the depth that Head Coach
Dan Rothert has recruited. 2015 will see much of the same depth with nine underclassmen on the varsity roster who can all contribute to the teams' success, both on offense and defense.
GRUELING SCHEDULE AWAITS DUHAWKS IN 2015 •••The schedule Head Coach
Dan Rothert has assembled for his team in 2015 will be nothing short of grueling as it features five teams that advanced to the NCAA Tournament in 2014. While the team will certainly employ the "one game at a time" mentality, fans have circled numerous contests, such as their match with No. 2 Wheaton, as ones that will draw the eyes and ears of Division III soccer fans across the country. To Rothert's credit, the style has proven to be successful thanks to his teams' successes in the postseason in recent history.
