The Wittenberg men's soccer program welcomes 11 letterwinners back to the lineup in 2012 in hopes of breaking back into the upper echelon of the challenging North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) after posting a 6-11-1 mark in 2011.
The strength of the 2012 squad appears to be in the midfield and across the defensive backline, starting with fifth-year senior midfielder Daniel Broidy, who hopes to play his first complete season since 2008 due to a variety of injuries the last three seasons. He has served as a team captain each of the last two years.
Senior Marshall Rowland is back in the midfield as well after starting 27 games the last two years and contributing a team-high three assists in 2011. Junior Zach White and sophomore Reed Glosser also figure prominently in the midfield mix in 2012 after earning their first varsity letters a season earlier.
On defense, the Tigers will be anchored by senior Alejandro Garcia, a two-year starter and a 2010 honorable mention all-conference selection. In addition, senior Brock Hicks enjoyed a breakout campaign in 2011, starting all 18 games and earning honorable mention All-NCAC honors.
Rounding out a stellar defensive unit will be junior Tim Weissman, who was limited to nine games due to injuries in 2011, and junior Kevin Bond, who started all 18 games in 2010 but also struggled with injuries last season. Also competing for playing time are sophomore Joe Poff, who appeared in 17 games in his inaugural collegiate campaign, and sophomore Adam Pitchel, in addition to a host of newcomers.
The defense will be backstopped by either sophomore Jeff Mengerink or freshman David Barth. They will have big shoes to fill in 2012 after the graduation of four-year starter Michael Lambeck, a first-team All-NCAC selection in 2010.
For the third straight year, there are significant question marks regarding the personnel up top as Head Coach Steve Dawson, who is entering his 30th season at the helm, searches for players who can consistently put the ball in the back of the net. The Tigers do not have a player who finished the 2011 season with more than three total points back on the roster in 2012.
The returning letterwinners among the forwards include junior Brian Boutin and sophomore Mitch Rudibaugh, the team's Most Improved Player award-winner in 2011. Dawson has plenty of other options on offense, including senior Moses Mbeseha, a three-year track letterwinner who will hit the pitch for the Tigers for the first time in hopes of injecting some speed and athleticism to the attack.
The Tigers will kick off the 2012 season with a trip to Capital for the Fort Rapids Invitational Aug. 31 and Sept. 2, where Wittenberg will take on the host Crusaders and Mount Union. The 2012 home opener is Wednesday, Sept. 5, against Thomas More, and the NCAC schedule starts on Saturday, Sept. 22, with a road trip to Allegheny.