Saint Mary's to Start Season Against Fresno State
8/28/2002 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Aug. 28, 2002
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This Week: The Gaels will innaugurate their season at home to play the Fresno State Bulldogs on Friday, August 30. Kickoff is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. The Gaels are currently 2-13-1 in career meetings against the Bulldogs. The last time these two teams met was in 1998 when FSU won 2-1 in Moraga. The last time the Gaels beat Fresno State was in 1997, 1-0, on Garaventa Field.
Saint Mary's on the Web: Gael fans can access all the latest news and notes about Saint Mary's athletics on the web at www.SMCGaels.com. The official website offers the most up to date information and results of the Gaels' 15 intercollegiate sports plus much more.
Scouting the Bulldogs: The Bulldogs are coming off of a 6-7-7 record overall and a 2-3-3 record in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation, which was a seventh place finish. The Bulldogs return eight players from last years team, hoping to increase their win total. Head coach Dave Chesler is in his sixth season and has led FSU to three winning seasons out of the five he has coached. His most memorable season came in 1998 when the Bulldogs were crowned the Western Athletic Conference Champions with a 11-6-5 record.
Head Coach: Steve Rammel (Rutgers, 1990) is entering his second year as the head coach of the Saint Mary's men's soccer team. Last year he led the Gaels to a 6-11-1 record overall and 1-6 record in West Coast Conference play. Under the tutelage of Rammel and his coaching staff, the 2001 Gaels broke a school record for most consecutive shutouts with four, and garnered three players on the All-West Coast Conference Team. With his wealth of successful coaching experiences, Rammel looks to change the direction of men's soccer at Saint Mary's, by instilling a tradition in a program that has historically struggled.
Rammel took the helm of the men's soccer program following a three-year stint as the top assistant coach at UCLA where he helped guide the Bruins to three straight NCAA Tournament appearances, including a Final Four appearance in 1999.
Preseason Outlook: The Saint Mary's men's soccer team is hoping they can turnaround a 6-11-1 season under second year head coach Steve Rammel. Although the Gaels are predicted to finish West Coast Conference action seventh, SMC plans to defy expectations. With five returning starters and an extensive athletic roster the Gaels are optimistic about the upcoming season. The Gaels will have to fill in the void for Nick Marcum, a three-time First Team All-WCC selection and 1998 WCC Freshman of the Year, who graduated. Coach Rammel believes that this year's coaching staff can use its experience and high level of expertise to guide the Gaels. Saint Mary's will look to prove doubters wrong, for the second year in a row, as they strive for excellence.
Optimism is high for the Gaels this season. When talking about the upcoming season with coach Rammel, he believes that this year's team will be stronger than the 2001 team because the players are starting to understand their roles. The challenge will lie in incorporating a lot of the new players with the older class, but coach Rammel explained, "there are leaders in every class." Multiple players have shown improvement in their games since spring and let's hope it continues, as the Gaels will have another difficult schedule.
Goalkeeper Kellan Wilson Out for the Season: Senior Kellan Wilson was looking forward to playing his last season in a Gael uniform but unfortunately, was injured prior to his return. The Gaels starter for the past two season tore his left anterior crucial ligament, medial crucial ligament and miniscus, medically known as an unhappy triad. Wilson will receive a medical redshirt and will hopefully return for the 2003 season.
Injury Update: Jack Woodley, MF, miniscal terror left knee (day-to-day); Kealii Kuehu, GK, groin tear (out).
West Coast Conference Preseason Poll: Every year the WCC coaches predict the final standings for the men's soccer season. This year the San Diego Toreros earned the top spot with 34 votes. Taking the second spot was Santa Clara with 29 votes. Loyola Marymount was predicted to finish third earning 25 votes. Portland, Gonzaga, San Francisco and Saint Mary's rounded out the rest of the field, respectively. This is the second straight season the Gaels have been predicted to finish last in the conference under head coach Steve Rammel.
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