First-Year Head Coach Chris Norris Prepares to Lead Tribe Men's Soccer

08/12/04 8:24PM

- Despite losing four players to graduation who each started every game they played in the last two years for the Tribe, the most noticeable change for the William and Mary men’s soccer team in 2004 is at the head coaching position. In January, W&M’s legendary mentor Al Albert announced his retirement after his 33rd season with the Green and Gold. Chris Norris, a nine-year assistant and four-year starter for the Tribe under Albert, will take over the team this season and is excited at the team’s potential.

“We had a very good spring and posted some good results [5-0 against NCAA opponents],” said Norris. “I think that our guys are very aware of the history and tradition of this program. It is a goal of ours every year to compete for the Colonial Athletic Association Championship, get an NCAA bid and advance in the NCAA Tournament. We didn’t achieve any of those last fall and there’s been a great team spirit since then to try and right that in 2004.”

Forwards
Expected to start at the two forward positions this year are senior Brannon Thomas and junior Pat Scherder. Thomas played in just the final two games of last season, after undergoing brain surgery last summer to remove a non-cancerous brain tumor. He made the most of his chances in his first game back, a 1-1 tie against sixth-ranked Old Dominion in the final match of the regular season. In that contest, played the day after he was medically cleared to resume full-contact soccer, he assisted the Tribe’s only goal, less than a minute after entering the game for the first time.

“Brannon is a big target player with great feet and good tactical awareness,” said Norris. “Having him back and in the lineup enables us to be a much better possession team.”

An extremely fast player, Scherder led the team and finished fourth in the CAA with 11 goals last season, including four game-winners, to go with his three assists. A second team all-state and all-conference pick, he scored a goal or an assist in the first four matches of the year, with his first career game-winning score coming on the road against No. 15 Duke.

“We expect Pat to be an important player for us this year after leading the team in goals last season” said Norris. “His pace and intensity allow us to get behind defenses and that will be critical to our attack.”

Pushing those two for playing time will be junior Andreas Nydal, who spent the spring semester studying overseas in Norway, and sophomore Jarrett Thomas. Nydal had an outstanding rookie campaign with eight goals in 2002, before an ACL injury in the spring of 2003 left him unable to train until just before the start of last season. Even still, he scored four goals and added an assist in 2003, and is expected to be a significant scoring threat this year.

Jarrett Thomas is a speedy player who quickly made an impact last year in his true freshman season, scoring a goal against Rutgers in the first game of the year. He went on to score four goals and record an assist in his 12 games played, which included five starts.

Also figuring into the mix will be freshmen Martin Brady and Doug Ernst. Brady comes in with significant high-level experience in his native Scotland, while Ernst is a first team all-state selection who set his high school records with 15 goals as a senior and 33 in his career.

Midfielders
Senior captain Bryan Hinkle, a second team all-conference and all-state selection, will likely be the starter at the attacking midfield position. A starter in each of his three previous seasons at W&M, Hinkle led the CAA with nine assists last season and also had five goals to finish second on the club with 19 points. Two of his scores were game-winners last season, including a decisive strike in the 99th minute on the road against seventh-ranked Virginia.

“Bryan is one of the best soccer players we have on the team,” praised Norris. “We rely on him to dictate the tempo for us with his ability in possession and also expect him, as the captain, to fulfill a leadership role for us this season.”

Playing behind Hinkle in the defensive midfielder position will be senior Andrew Terry. Another experienced player for the Tribe, with at least 13 games and six starts in each of his first three seasons, Terry’s versatility has been a valuable asset throughout his career.

“We’ve used Andrew in a number of different roles throughout his career,” stated Norris. “He is probably the most professional player that we have on our team and he won the defensive central midfield role during the spring. Playing behind Bryan, it was a very good combination that we hope will continue to mature in the fall.”

Expected to start at one of the two outside midfield positions will be junior Clayton Voss. Voss played 17 matches with 10 starts last year, scoring a goal and two assists, after also starting much of his rookie season.

“Clayton can play wide on either side of the midfield and we expect him to be in the starting lineup on opening day,” said Norris. “He is a big, physically-imposing player and has the ability to run by people on the flanks and create opportunities to serve or cut inside and shoot.”

The other outside starting position is wide open and will be decided after preseason practices. Junior Craig Myers is the only other returning midfielder with collegiate experience, having played in 15 games with three starts last season. Primarily a back, he will likely be used at the defensive midfield position, although he could also see time at outside back again this year. Myers missed the spring practice season as he studied overseas at Moscow State University.

Three freshmen midfielders, Brock Jones, Doug McBride and Ryan Overdevest, will also be fighting for playing time. A versatile and quick player, Jones could see action at a variety of positions, although he will mostly play as a wide midfielder. A true defensive central midfielder, McBride has a good understanding of the game and good possession skills. Overdevest performed very well in the spring season after redshirting last fall. His hard work in the offseason to improve his strength and conditioning, along with his knack for getting into scoring positions, will lead to him making a contribution this year.

Backs
The back position was the hardest hit by graduation, as three of last year’s seniors, including MLS draft pick and second team All-American Phil Hucles, had significant starting experience at the position. The defense this year will be built around returning starters Colin Young and Jeff Marklin.

Now in his fifth year at W&M, Young earned his bachelors degree in accounting in 2003 and will be enrolled in W&M’s business school this year as he pursues an MBA. The most veteran defender on the team, he has started 43 of W&M’s last 44 games over the last three seasons and will start again at left back this year.

“Colin brings an incredible level of professionalism and maturity to the team,” said Norris. “He will continue to bring the toughness and consistency that we’ve come to expect from him.”

At one of the center back positions will be Marklin, a sophomore. He gained valuable experience as a redshirt-freshman last season, playing 16 matches, including 14 starts.

“With the departure of three seniors last year at the position, we’ve come to rely on Jeff for leadership and experience at the back,” said Norris. “He had a great spring and we expect him to basically be the rock that we build our defense around.”

At the other center back position will be sophomore Chris Rodd. Primarily a midfielder who earned 12 starts in 17 games last year, Rodd has been moved to the back for this season.

“We converted Chris to center back in the spring,” said Norris. “He adapted very well and started to show some leadership and the ability to organize back there. Combined with his physical presence, we feel like we can have a very good back four with Chris in the middle.”

Sophomore Brendan McCurdy is another player who has been moved to the defense this season, after playing 17 games with one start as a forward last year. His one goal last season was an important one, as he scored the game-winner in the 98th minute at Drexel.

“Because of his toughness and athleticism, we tried Brendan in the back during the spring, and he showed the ability to play right back for us,” said Norris. “He’s very strong in the tackle and is tremendous in the air defensively.”

None of the four reserves at the back position have any game experience, although three of them were with W&M last year and redshirted in 2003. An athletic player who is quick and good in the air, John Lee could see time as either a center or right back, or potentially as a defensive midfielder. Ryan Sells is a tough, athletic defender who can play a variety of positions, but will likely see most of his action come at right back. One of the only true left-sided players on the team, Mike Yakovac is a very fast player who improved greatly during the spring. Incoming freshman Chris Wayne will also immediately compete for playing time at defense, or possibly at midfield, as a big, physical player who can play at any spot on the back line.

Goalkeepers
Sophomore Kris Rake played almost every minute of the season for W&M last year and is expected to start in goal again this year. A two-time CAA Rookie of the Week in 2003, he became the first freshman keeper to start for the Green and Gold since MLS standout Adin Brown in 1996. He recorded two shutouts last season and made 66 saves, including stopping 10 shots in a 1-1 tie against fifth-ranked St. John’s.

“Kris is a big, tough goalkeeper who had a pretty good year for us as a freshman,” said Norris. “We expect him to continue to develop and improve this fall.”

Three other keepers will pressure Rake for the starting position this year, led by the rapidly improving Scott Kelsey, a sophomore who has yet to see game action, but made tremendous improvement in spring practices. Sophomore Stephen Hughes is the only current player other than Rake to see action in goal, playing the final 30 minutes in a shutout of Longwood last season. The fourth keeper is redshirt-freshman Brennan Wergley, who has good feet with a strong knowledge and understanding of the game.

Schedule
Once again, W&M will face a very challenging slate of teams, both in and out of conference. With the debut of the Tribe’s new natural grass facility, Albert-Daly Field, the College will finally be able to host some of the nation’s top teams in Williamsburg.

“Once again, we have managed to put together a very competitive schedule,” said Norris. “In addition to our CAA matches, we have a very tough non-conference schedule and it will be important that our guys are prepared to compete on a nightly basis.”

W&M opens the year at South Carolina, before hosting Virginia Military Institute in a Saturday evening matchup. The Tribe takes on Rutgers and Navy in a tournament at Old Dominion and then travels north for a game at Loyola. National semifinalist Maryland will come to Williamsburg for a mid-week game, two days before the Tribe hosts Hartwick and American in the Nike Tribe Soccer Classic. A game the following Friday at two-time defending league champion Virginia Commonwealth opens four straight weekends of CAA competition for the Green and Gold. The Tribe will travel to North Carolina for a Wednesday evening match and will host Virginia Tech in the final home contest of the regular season on the following Wednesday night. W&M will end the regular season at local rival Old Dominion on Saturday, November 6. The top six teams in the league will advance to the CAA tournament, with the top two clubs receiving byes to the semifinal round. The regular season conference champion will host the CAA Final Four on Friday, November 12 and Sunday November 14.