2007 Men's Soccer Season Review
WILLIAMS
LEADS ALL-NWC SELECTIONS: After assuming the primary scoring mantle
for the Boxers this season, forward Danny Williams was honored with selection
to the All-Northwest Conference Men's Soccer Team.
An honorable mention selection in 2006, Williams earned second team honors by stepping forward to fill the scoring hole left behind by the dynamic Matt McDonough. Williams finished third in the conference with 10 goals, 0.59 goals per game, 22 points and 1.29 points per game. He led the Boxers in both goals and game-winning goals (5), which included winning strikes in two of Pacific's final three matches.
"We challenged Danny early in the season to step up and be a prolific scorer," said Pacific Head Coach Jim Brazeau. "We will expect that same intensity and commitment next year as we look to take the next step."
Williams' five game-winning goals ties him for the second most by a Pacific player in a single season and was just one goal behind the record of six set by Rusty Sandusky in 1998. His 10 goals are the seventh most in a single season and his 22 points are tied for eighth best. In addition, Williams' total of 25 goals over three years ties him for third on the Boxers' career scoring list.
PORTER
GARNERS HONORABLE MENTION PICK: Brandon Porter's 6-foot-1 frame
provides a formidable barrier in the defense and one that conference coaches
recognized with his first All-NWC Team selecton.
Porter helped lead a strong Pacific defense that allowed fewer goals than a more experienced backline did a year ago. The Boxers allowed 20 goals against a total of 262 shots. The defense, with Porter in the central position, held opponents scoreless five times and held teams to one goal on five other occasions.
In addition, Porter made a difference offensively with two goals. He scored the game-winner in a 4-1 victory over Willamette on Oct. 7 and the tying goal in a 2-2 deadlock at Linfield on Sept. 26.
"We have shifted to a more defensive style of play the last two years and Brandon has been a steady, key part of our success in the back," Brazeau said. "His size and strength is a key feature of that defense and I am happy that he will be part of that back line for the next two years."
STATUS QUO: After Pacific's turnaround season in 2006, finishing with relatively the same record may not be looked upon as a success. Considering the turnover and youth on the 2007 Pacific men's soccer team, however, status quo is a good sign of things yet to come.
The 2007 Boxers featured 17 newcomers, six of whom became regular members of the starting lineup. Those newcomers replaced six key starters that left big holes, including 2006 NWC Offensive Player of the Year Matt McDonough and All-NWC goalkeeper Jory Shene.
The Boxers closed the season with an 8-7-2 record, just two wins fewer than the team's landmark 10-6-1 total from a year earlier. The team's 6-6-2 record was good enough for fourth place in the conference, one place better than the 2006 campaign. It is Pacific's best conference finish since the 1999 season.
Pacific started the season off strong, going 2-1-0 on the non-conference slate with wins over Warner Pacific and Northwest (Wash.). After splitting on the tough eastern Washington road trip to open the NWC schedule, the Boxers went winless in their next three matches, all in overtime tilts. They turned back to the winning side of the ledger in their second annual upset of Puget Sound on Oct. 6, using a goal by Travis Birrell with two minutes remaining in overtime to take the victory (see below).
After another three loss drought, the Boxers wrapped up by winning three of their last four matches. The wins were all shutouts, including home blankings over Linfield and Willamette and a road shutout of George Fox.
PARK PLACE: After over a decade of playing their home matches at Tom Reynolds Field, Pacific opened the home portion of their NWC schedule by moving into their new home at Lincoln Park Stadium. Pacific's first match a 1-0 overtime loss to Pacific Lutheran, took place as part of a doubleheader on Sept. 22. The new stadium met with critical acclaim by both the home fans and opponents like with it's 1,100-seat grandstand and FieldTurf soccer pitch.
The surface, however, did not provide positive mojo for the team for well over a month. In their first four matches at Lincoln Park, the Boxers went 0-3-1 and saw three matches go into overtime. Pacific waited a month to score their first victory at the stadium, doing so in an Oct. 24 night game with a 2-0 shutout over Linfield.
QUIET OFFENSE: For the second straight season, Pacific made the most of little when it comes to the offensive end of the game. The Boxers scored 25 goals, which tied them for sixth out of eight NWC teams. The team's 211 shots was seventh best in the league. In all, opponents outshot Pacific 262-211 and held a 128-107 advantage in shots on goal. Only two players for Pacific, Danny Williams and Avery Neal, had more than 30 shots.
STRONG DEFENSE: The Boxers made up for their quiet offense by once again playing a stingy brand of defense. Despite being outshot, Pacific outscored opponents by a 25-20 margin. They ranked fourth in the conference in goals allowed and the team's 1.11 goals against average was fifth best in the league. In addition, the goalkeeping corps of Andrew Stevermer, Chris Grasso and Chris Caswell, registered a total of five shutouts and the team's .844 save percentage ranked 36th among NCAA Division III programs.
GOLDEN
GOALKEEPER: In a battle that saw five goalkeepers come into camp
in competition for the starting job, Andrew Stevermer rose above the rest
to see the most minutes in goal as a freshman. The Gillette, Wyo., native
also proved to be one of the top goalkeepers in the Northwest Conference.
His 0.99 goals against average ranked fourth in the NWC and is the fourth
best single season mark in school history. His .870 save percentage ranked
14th in the nation among Division III goalies. Additionally, Stevermer
ranked second in the NWC in saves (87) and third in saves per game (5.44).
Stevermer's crowning achievement, however, came in the Boxers' 2-1 double overtime upset of Puget Sound on Oct. 6. Stevermer played all 108 minutes and came away with a school record 21 saves as the Loggers fired off 41 shots at the freshman. The effort ranked as the eighth best total in Division III men's soccer during 2007.
THE SECOND ANNUAL UPSET SPECIAL: They fired 41 shots, took 22 shots on goal and limited the opponent to just 12 shots, but in the end Puget Sound could not stop Pacific from snatching victory on their home field. A goal by Travis Birrell in the 109th minute gave Pacific a 2-1 upset of the then-No. 5 ranked Loggers in Tacoma. Pacific held a 1-0 lead at halftime thanks to a Jasem Jaihouni goal in the 45th minute, but saw Daniel Lee tie it up a minute into the second half. That was the last tally until Birrell's game-winner late in the second overtime. The victory marked the second time in as many seasons that the Boxers have beat the Loggers on their home field. The two losses, meanwhile, stand as Puget Sound's only two home losses over the last two years.
FRESH FACES: An injection of new talent did little to slow down the Boxers. On the team's 17 newcomers, six became regular members of the starting lineup. Eight players made appearance in 10 or more matches and three, Kizamu Tsutakawa, Travis Birrell and Avery Neal, played in all 17 matches. In the scoring column, Pacific's newcomers accounted for nine of the team's 25 goals, led by two goals each by Tsutakawa, Birrell, Jasem Jaihouni and Neal.
TAKING A PASS: No matter how quietly, Kizamu Tsutakawa contributed in a very significant way to the Boxers' successes in his first season. The Seattle native led the Boxers with six assists, a total that tied him for second in the Northwest Conference. He contributed the pass on three of the Boxers' eight game-winning goals. In addition, Tsutakawa's 10 points trailed only Danny Williams for second best on the team.
ROAD WARRIORS: Maybe it was getting used to the artificial turf. For the first time since 2002, Pacific finished with a better record on the road than they did at home. The Boxers went 5-3-1 away from Forest Grove, but managed just a 3-4-1 record on the home pitch. The team's road record is the team's first above .500 since the Boxers went 7-2-1 in 1998.
BOXER BRIEFS: Pacific closed their 13-year run at Tom Reynolds Field with a 1-0 win over Warner Pacific on Aug. 31. The Boxers finished with a 92-70-10 record on the pitch, which opened for soccer in 1993...The team's 2-1-0 non-conference record marked the seventh time that Jim Brazeau has led the Boxers to a .500 or better record against teams from outside the NWC...Of the Boxers' 211 shots, 107 were on goal for an incredible .507 shots on goal percentage.