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Peter Wangechi

Men’s Soccer Matchday Preview: John Carroll University vs. Edgewood University

| By: Gianluca DiGiacomo, Senior Staff Writer
Nathan Monastra

Blue Streaks Prepare for Season Opener at Don Shula Stadium

UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS – The fall overcast weather is already taking shape, and the calendar has counted down the days to one of the most exciting times of the year. John Carroll Men's Soccer will be opening this season this evening as they begin a new story with a program never seen before by JCU fans across the program's 60+ year history.

The Edgewood University Eagles make their way to Ohio for a two-game road trip starting in University Heights with the Blue Streaks. Coming off of an impressive 17-2-2 season with a squad coming together nicely throughout the past few years, Edgewood will be a challenge for a John Carroll squad looking to situate themselves with quite the shift in personnel.

Meet the Opposition: Edgewood University Eagles

History and the Last Season
With no form to talk about with this being the opener, Edgewood University enters this season looking to rebound on what was a tremendous season last year with a rather disappointing ending. The Eagles finished with an incredible 17-2-2 record and an undefeated 10-0-1 slate in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC). Posting a whopping +64 goal differential, Edgewood knocked in a marvelous 78 goals while only conceding 14 in 21 matches.

The disappointment came in the NACC Semifinal, though, when the Eagles lost to Aurora University 1-0 in their own backyard, conceding a brutal goal in the 85th minute leading in turn to the team missing out on a national tournament berth.

The team returns a whopping seven all-conference performers from last season, which will be described in more detail as we look at the teams' personnel, as well as bringing in a handful of transfers all familiar with each others' playstyles from playing locally in their upbringings, and 11 freshmen coming into the team to add any layer of mystery for many opponents.

The ceiling is high for the Eagles, sitting atop the preseason NACC polls with 19 of the 26 first place votes in their favor. The turnaround for the squad in the last few years has been nothing short of breathtaking,  much of which can be credited to head coach Tim Bruner, who has given the program a complete makeover in his first two seasons.

Meet the Coaching Staff
Edgewood University Head Coach Tim Bruner enters his third season at the helm for the Eagles, bringing a new perspective to the team from a leadership and tactical perspective, but holding deeply onto his roots as a former player himself, ranking fourth all-time in points (92), sixth in career goals (33), and remains the all-time leader of assists (26). "I've had a lot of surreal moments since coming back," remarked Bruner. "Remembering the dorms, the campus, the classrooms…things still smell the same and feel the same."

Bruner took over in the Spring of 2023, working with a recruiting class he largely had no hand in and going from there. Lasting connections from days of coaching at the club level began to work wonders, as Bruner brought in copious amounts of talent from places like University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Southern Indiana, University the Dubuque, St. Olaf, Gustavus Adolphus, and more.

The program was in a very tough spot before Bruner arrived, winning just seven matches across the four seasons leading to his hiring, six of those wins being during the 2019 season, which was followed up by Spring and Fall 2021 season without a single tally in the win column and a 1-15-1 record in 2022.

In 2023, the team had a steady 8-9-3 season with an appearance in the NACC tournament, and excelled in 2024 after Bruner's first proper recruiting class, going 17-2-2 with a +64 goal differential, a First Team All-American freshman in Connor Gage, several All-Regions, All-Conferences, and Conference Players of the Year. His staff earned NACC and  Region VIII Staff of the Year honors for their efforts.

Bruner prides himself on mutual respect with his players and a laid back approach to coaching. "I usually live in an emotional range of about 4-6 out of 10. I treat my players with a lot of respect and I like to take things one step at a time."

Bruner is assisted by his assistant coach and recruiting coordinator Ben Brereton, assistant coaches Logan Fletcher, Peter Lively, and Ryan Quamme, and goalkeeper coaches Tony Kollasch and Dan Gage.

Team Style/Ones to Watch
Edgewood College largely prides themselves on being a team capable of adaptability, physicality, and pouncing on any chances they may get in transition. Their fast, "big boy" style of play makes them a uniquely tough foe, blending the best of high speed direct play and physical, blue collar soccer.

The reigning NACC Freshmen of the Year, Goalkeeper of the Year, and Defensive Player of the Year all return to the Eagles this season with Connor Gage, Maverick van Laanen, and Jack Knight respectively.

Rising sophomore Connor Gage has been one of the biggest names across collegiate soccer in recent times, taking Division III by storm last year as a freshman garnering First Team All-American status (the only first-year player to do so), All-Region, First Team All-Conference, and NACC Freshman of the Year. Gage had 20 goals and 13 assists last season, breaking program single-season records for goals, assists, and points while having six different matches with two goals or more.

Goalkeeper Maverick Van Laanen and defender Jack Knight make quite the wonderful pairing in the back, the upperclassmen dominating their respective fields in their conference and winning All-Conference recognitions as well.

Van Laanen comes from Tiffin University, blowing competition out of the water finishing first in save percentage and second in goals against average last season, also finishing towards the pedestal during his sophomore year.

Knight, on the other hand, can be considered a jack-of-all-trades. Knight made the Second Team All-Region last year to accompany his Defensive Player of the Year and All-Conference shouts, and does so much more for the team beyond lacing up the boots. His 6'3" frame allows for him to be great in the air to pair with his athleticism.

Senior Conor Bruce and newcomers such as TJ Ganter and Benjamin Brody are also in high regards with the coaching staff in the back, although their spots in the squad are far from confirmed with the talent pool Bruner has to choose from.

The midfield will have plenty of options to work with as well, with Riley Stevens guiding the center of the park with his well-rounded play, coming off of a Third Team All-Region and Second Team All-NACC accolades.

The Eagles' attacking infantry also brings back veterans and new prospects alike, with returners such as Cristian Torres-Gale and Brandon Kaup expected to produce to their lucrative attacking numbers from last season.

Division I transfer and former NJCAA superstar Gabe Voung and first year Liam Moreira are also names to know ahead of this one, with Voung's background giving him credibility, while Moreira's four-year tenure playing at the USL level make him a special piece. "When he's [Moreira] out there, there should be some magic in those boots," Coach Bruner emphasized.

Your John Carroll Blue Streaks

History and the Last Season
It is safe to say that the Blue Streaks will have a chip on their shoulder for the upcoming season; Wenzler's Warriors are an underclassmen-heavy side, joining a new conference where they were placed fifth in the preseason polls, missing 13 fifth year/graduate student/senior players from last year, and they are coming off of for program standards, an underwhelming season from last year.

In 2024, John Carroll finished with a 12-6-2 record, losing in an upset at Don Shula Stadium to the Capital Comets in the tournament quarterfinal, burying their hopes to head out of the OAC with a bang and missing the NCAA National Tournament for the first time since 2015.

What was a thrilling season ended in a bleak, disappointing manner—but that pain has been left to reside with many of the returning players, angry feelings that can very well be channeled with weaponry to thrive with a clean slate.

But the John Carroll Blue Streaks love to make an impression, and much of the team is embracing being a dark horse in what has the potential to be such a special season.

Meet the Coaching Staff
Head Coach Dejan Mladenovic returns for a fifth year as head coach after just under two decades working as a player and later assistant coach and recruiting coordinator. The recently-inducted JCU Athletics Hall of Famer heads into the year with a 56-21-9 record including three OAC Tournament Championships, two OAC Regular Season Championships, and three NCAA National Tournament appearances.

The rest of the coaching staff expanded this year, with assistant coach and tactical mastermind Ante Pilekic returning for his fifth year and Michael Adelman returning for another year as an assistant coach. Eddie Dobrowolski will also be returning as an assistant and serves as the team's athletic trainer.

The program brought along two new faces to the coaching staff, as five-year player and former team captain Nicholas Ruggiero kicks off his new role as an assistant. Graduate student and former goalkeeper Dominic Grobler returns to the team to serve as a goalkeeper coach, also working with the women's team.

Team Style/Ones to Watch
Having such a different pool of players this season with a younger team at their disposal, the Blue and Gold ought to change their approaches to matches—still being an adaptable side, but perhaps with more direct intentions and aiming less for possession-heavy play in past seasons.

Despite a lot of departures, the team still has a great core of returning players, especially in the back with players like Brenden Moher in goal, Nathan Monastra in defense, and Logan Brown filling in defensive duties in the midfield.

Goalkeeper Brenden Moher is perhaps the most seasoned veteran on the team, getting starter-quality minutes for the last two seasons and being the distinct, roaring voice commanding the team from the back.

Logan Brown and Nathan Monastra also carry similar roles in being in the rotation for longer than others. Logan Brown has been a sporadic starter for his first three years, while Monastra burst into the lineup last season and has no plans of looking back.

The rising sophomore class also has a lot of great figures in the back with Louis Roseberry, Nick Mikulec, and Patrick Bohan becoming legitimate rotational players last season, while Noah Schmidt looks to make an impact after missing a majority of last season due to injury.

The midfield is the Blue and Gold's biggest mystery as it stands, as with the talent pool and tactical adjustments yet to be completely finalized, there are so many different combinations at the coaching staff's disposal. Many ball-playing defenders could be pushed into these roles, as well as seniors like Garlen Woest and Connor Carruth competing for these spots with underclassmen prospects like Carter Adams, Dante Rajaie, and Rafa De La Barrera.

The attack is most definitely the most exciting aspect of the team, as the depth can bleed deep into opposing back lines and many players can fill out any role in a front three or front four. Does the coaching staff want flair and tenacity towards goal? They will look to seniors Guilherme Wanderley and Dylan Halm. Do they want grit, workrate, and clinical finishing? Perhaps players like Andrew Massucci and Luka Pranjeta will do the job. Do they want a wildcard who can catch opponents off guard? Sava Crnjak and Harley Forkins can be the names for that. The revolving door could be deadly for opposition.

Matchup History
Simply put, there is none – as mentioned before, tonight's match will be the first battle between the two programs.

Up Next
Both teams will not have much time to catch their breath with both teams preparing for afternoon kickoffs on Sunday.

The Blue Streaks will be back at Don Shula Stadium for a 1 pm kickoff for a grudge match against Capital University, yearning for revenge after their early exit from the OAC Tournament courtesy of a late goal from Jacob Deever.

Edgewood University will stay in Ohio, traveling south to Gambier to take on #13 Kenyon College from a 1 pm kickoff as well. Four of their first six matches are battles with Top 25 ranked opponents.

Where to Follow
Coverage of today's match will be available on @jcusports and @jcumenssoccer accounts on X, Instagram, and Facebook. The stream for the match will be located on jcusports.com and the North Coast Network.

LIVE STREAM LINK HERE
LIVE STATS LINK HERE
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