North Carolina State University Athletics
Men's Soccer Led By Strong Senior Class
8/17/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Aug. 17, 2005
Raleigh, N.C. - The 2005 edition of the NC State men's soccer team should be one of the best teams in recent memory. As coach George Tarantini enters his 20th season at the helm of the Wolfpack program, he will have the luxury of having one of the top senior classes in the ACC. Led by 2004 first-team All-ACC selections Aaron King and Jorge Gonzalez, the senior class also includes regular starters Kyle Fragakis, John Queeley, Bryant Salter and back-up keeper Aaron Sanders. That strong senior class has started 220 of 248 games they have played in during their careers. Those players will mix with eight juniors and sophomores who started a game last season. Tarantini and his staff also will add seven newcomers, with two or three expected to see the field right away.
THE GOALKEEPERS
Dan Popik joins the Wolfpack staff this season as a goalkeeper coach. Popik, a former MLS player and top college keeper himself, will be working with one of the deepest positions on the NC State roster.
Jorge Gonzalez (Guatemala City, Guatemala) enters his senior season, his third year as the Pack's starter. Gonzalez was named first-team All-ACC last season, the first keeper at NC State to do so since 1996. He finished with a GAA of just 1.10, the second-best single season total in the NC State record books. Gonzalez was key in the Pack's last minute win over #6 Duke with five saves, at the end of the year he recorded three straight shutouts going into the ACC Tournament, including at #10 Boston College. Gonzalez currently ranks fifth in career shutouts (13) and eighth in career saves (174) at NC State.
Backing up Gonzalez will be senior Aaron Sanders (Tulsa, Okla.). Sanders appeared in four games last year, with two starts. Sanders allowed just one goal to #18 Wake Forest in a double-overtime loss, then came back the next game to shutout Stony Brook. He finished with a GAA of 0.41 in those four contests, and before coming to NC State he was named first-team All-Big South at nationally ranked Coastal Carolina in 2002.
THE DEFENSE
John Queeley (Denver, Colo.) returns as captain for NC State and is one of the Pack's most talented players. He has started all 53 games he has played in during his career, including 17 last year as an outside defender. Known as one of the Pack's top man-for-man defenders, Queeley also likes to make runs up the sideline and looks to be part of the offensive attack. Queeley finished second on the squad with five assists last year, and had the game-winning assists in the wins over both Temple and Campbell. The Pack was 4-0-1 when he had an assist last season.
Rami Ghanayem (Durham, N.C.) made a smooth transition back to defense last year after playing his freshman season as a midfielder. He will look to team with Queeley as the Pack's two outside defenders. Ghanayem was the only player to start all 18 games last year, and he finished with one goal and one assist. He scored the Pack's lone goal at #22 Virginia off of a free kick.
Kyle Fragakis (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.) has been a major part of the Pack's defense each of the past two seasons, starting 34 games as a central defender. But Fragakis tore his ACL shortly after the 2004 season, and underwent surgery in the spring. It is doubtful Fragakis will be able to play his senior season.
Hugh Cronin (Winston-Salem, N.C.) stepped right into the Pack's rotation as a freshman, playing in 18 games and starting 10 of those contests. Cronin played mainly in the midfield as a freshman, but saw a lot of time as a central defender in spring practice. He finished with one goal and three assists to lead all freshmen last year in scoring.
Matthew Lytle (Miami Beach, Fla.) has been set back by injuries each of his two seasons at NC State. Lytle has been limited to seven games over the past two seasons, but has started four of those.
David Suffern (Durham, N.C.) redshirted last year but practiced with the team. In 2003, Suffern appeared in 16 games, including four starts, as a freshman on defense.
THE MIDFIELDERS
Santiago Fusilier (Buenos Aires, Argentina) is the most experienced returning player in the midfield. Following up a freshman season which he was named to the ACC's all-rookie team, Fusilier started 16 games last year as an attacking center midfielder. He finished with one goal and one assist, scoring the game-winner against Stony Brook.
NC State got strong contributions from a duo of freshmen midfielders last year. El Hadj Cisse (New York, N.Y.) was named to the ACC's all-rookie squad after starting all 14 games as a central midfielder he played in. Cisse scored both of his goals in the overtime loss at Clemson, and this past spring saw extensive action as both a central midfielder and central defender.
Ernesto Di Laudo (Buenos Aires, Argentina) also had a good first year with NC State, he played in all 18 games and made seven starts. He finished the season with one goal and two assists, with the goal and one assist coming in his first collegiate game against Brevard. This year, Di Laudo will look to capture one of the starting outside midfielder jobs.
A trio of players entering their junior campaigns should also see action in the midfield this year. Joey Bracker (Massapequa, N.Y.) played in nine games last year mostly as an outside midfielder, and started the game at Charlotte. Laye Traore (Ambler, Pa.) came back strong after missing the 2003 season with a torn ACL and came off the bench in nine games in 2004. Haddon Kirk (Winston-Salem, N.C.) is one of the Pack's top players in the air, and played in seven games mostly as a center midfielder last season.
Rounding out the group of midfielders are a duo from Raleigh. Kevin Averette (Raleigh, N.C.) appeared in three games as a reserve midfielder after having a successful high school career at Raleigh Christian Academy. Jonathan Bui (Raleigh, N.C.) saw action in five games off the bench as a freshman last year. Bui saw time as a midfielder, and played his high school soccer at Athens Drive High School.
THE FORWARDS
Senior Aaron King (Denver, Colo.) has been the leader of the Wolfpack offense each of his first three years, and this year should be no different as he will look to become only the second player in school history to lead NC State in goals and points all four years. Last year King was named first-team All-ACC for the second straight year, the first Pack player to be named in back-to-back years since 1994-96. King was tops with his 11 goals and 22 points. He finished the season on a tear, scoring seven goals in the final eight games, including scoring seven of the Pack's final nine goals of the season. King is poised to crack the school's top-10 in both goals (two short) and points (seven short) this season.
Another senior forward on this years team will be Bryant Salter (Miami, Fla.). Salter has been one of the Pack's top athletes his first three years here, using his speed as both a forward and some as an outside midfielder last season. Bryant finished last year with three goals and five assists, his 11 points were third most on the team. He scored all three of his goals in the first two games of the season, including a two-goal effort against St. Francis, but finished the season strong with a pair of assists in the Pack's 2-0 win over Virginia Tech. Showing his versatility, Salter finished 10th in the high jump at the 2005 ACC Indoor Championships, even though he hasn't competed in track since high school.
The status of Chris Wheaton (Raleigh, N.C.) will be somewhat of a question mark heading into fall camp. Wheaton was forced to miss all of spring practice with injury, after having a very solid sophomore season in 2004. Wheaton tied for second on last years squad with four goals, as he was a reserve forward in 17 games. Wheaton scored the first goal of the season for the Pack against Brevard, then had a two-goal effort the next game against St. Francis.
THE NEWCOMERS
NC State will welcome a talented class of seven newcomers, some of whom could see action right away. Ronnie Bouemboue (Brooklyn, N.Y.) will compete for playing time on defense during fall camp. Bouemboue has playing experience with the N.Y. ODP squad, and was his conference's player of the year as a senior. Alberto Ramos (Miami, Fla.) is a playmaking midfielder who will be in the rotation right away. Ramos was named all-state in 2004 and was a member of the Southeast Region ODP team.
NC State also added a pair of in-state products. Marianito Montero (Mooresville, N.C.) was named all-state in both 2003 and 2004 at Mooresville High School. Montero could see action at either defender or in the midfield this season. Christopher Widman (Greensboro, N.C.) will add to the Pack's depth in goal and look to gain experience. Widman earned all-state honors as a senior at Ragsdale High School.
Rounding out the newcomers to this years squad are Jack Weedon (Maraval, Trinidad), Nathaniel Weiss (Coral Springs, Fla.) and Clint Pires (Wincester, Va.). Weedon played both as a central midfield and forward in high school, and was a member of the Under-17 Trinidad and Tabago National Team. Weiss lettered all four years as a sweeper, and capped off his senior year being named all-state. Pires was all-district as both a junior and senior while playing in the midfield.
THE SCHEDULE
One of the top soccer conferences in the country, the Atlantic Coast Conference provides tough competition every year. Not only did the ACC have numerous teams appear in the nationally rankings each week last season, but the conference had two of the final four teams in the NCAA Tournament. A new addition to the ACC this year, Boston College, made it all the way to the third round of the NCAA Tournament and was in the top-20 all season.
The Pack will begin its ACC league play with a midweek match-up against rival North Carolina September 14 at Method Road. NC State will also entertain Maryland (Sept. 25), Boston College (Oct. 9), and Wake Forest (Oct. 30) all at Method Road this season. For the second straight season, the Pack will have to travel to both Virginia (Sept. 17) and Clemson (Sept. 30). The two remaining road league games will be at Virginia Tech (Oct. 15) and at Duke (Oct. 21).
For the fourth straight year, the ACC Tournament will be played at SAS Soccer Stadium in Cary, N.C., November 8-13. After hosting the past two Women's College Cups, this year SAS will also host the Men's College Cup, the weekend of December 9-11.
NC State will kick off its 2005 campaign at Old Dominion, a school that advanced to the NCAA Tournament a season ago. The Pack will begin its home schedule by hosting the annual Adidas Wolfpack Classic. NC State will take on Fairfield on September 3, then host Mercer on September 4. Other home non-conference games on the schedule are: Elon (Sept. 21), Charlotte (Sept. 28), and Longwood (Oct. 19). The Charllote and Longwood games will be night games played at SAS Soccer Stadium.
