Steve Wilczewski, Drury Panthers (2010)

Posted on May 2, 2010 by Ole

Steve Wilczewski after scoring game-winner in GLVC Final, 11/8/2009

Wrapping up our retrospective on the record setting forward from Springfield, I have interviews with Steve’s two college coaches, Alf Bilbao who was responsible for bringing Steve to Drury and Ryan Swan, who took over the men’s program two years ago after joining as an assistant the year that Steve came to Drury.

Alf Bilbao, on Recruiting and Coaching Steve

Ryan Swan, on Coaching Steve and the final word

: Steve Wilczewski after scoring game-winner in GLVC Final, 11/8/2009

Drury Scoring Records

Most Goals in a Season
20 – Marco Cherisma 2007
17 -Steve Wilczewski 2009
16 -Josh Keisker 1996
15 -Micah Whorton 2009
15 -Chad Jaeger 1993
14 -Chad Jaeger 1992
13 -Steve Wilczewski 2008

Most Points in a Season
45 Micah Whorton 2009
44 Marco Cherisma 2007
40 Josh Keisker 1996
39 Steve Wilczewski 2009
37 Chad Jaeger 1993
32 Steve Wilczewski 2008
32 Chad Jaeger 1992

Most Goals in a Career
37 John Pedroli 1999-2002
35 Steve Wilczewski 2006-09
32 Jarrett Wagner 1993-96
31 Marco Cherisma 2007-08
30 Josh Keisker 1995-98
29 Chad Jaeger 1992-93

Most Assists in a Career
22 Micah Whorton 2007-present
19 Ben Taylor 2007-present
18 Andrew Bordelon 2007-present
15 Steve Wilczewski 2006-09
15 Tom Hoff 1999-2002
14 Josh Keisker 1995-98
14 Jason Price 1991-95
14 Jarrett Wagner 1993-96|
13 Ryan Ferguson 1998-00
12 John Pedroli 1999-2002
11 Chad Jaeger 1992-93

Most Points in a Career
85 Steve Wilczewski 2006-09
80 John Pedroli 1999-2002
78 Jarrett Wagner 1993-96
74 Josh Keisker 1995-98
72 Micah Whorton 2007-present
70 Marco Cherisma 2007-08
69 Chad Jaeger 1992-93

Most Goals Scored By Class: (eligibility)
Freshman: 10, Jarrett Wagner 1993
Sophomore: 16, Josh Keisker 1996
Junior: 20, Marco Cherisma, 2007
Senior: 17, Steve Wilczewski 2009

Drury Team Records
Most Wins/Season: 21, 2009
Most Consecutive Wins: 13, 2009
Home Winning Streak: 12, 2008-09
Most Ties/Season: 5, 2006
Most Shutouts (For): 14, 2009
Most Goals/Season: 63, 2009
Most Points/Season: 180, 2009
Fewest Goals Allowed: 11 2009
Most Assists/Season: 54, 2009

Springfield Soccer Photos

View photos at SmugMug

Glendale Opens With A Difficult Win At Kickapoo

Posted on March 31, 2010 by Ole

Kickapoo Chiefs - Kicking Cancer!

Kickapoo Chiefs – 2
Glendale Falcons – 4
The Chiefs home opener this year (Branson was rained out) was a lively affair, enhanced by the Booster Club’s remarkable fund-raising effort (video) on behalf of Coach Stephanie Phillips and her family. A large crowd was on hand for both the JV and Varsity match and it looks like there will be close to $4500 raised via 300+ tshirts sold and other donations. The largest donation was $450, made by a group of 9 referees in the area that included the three working tonights game – Tim Noonan in the middle along with Jan Stahle and Bradley Hamman as Alternate’s. You can see photos of the players, coaches and ref’s on my Flickr site and Facebook.

The game offered the expected – the Falcon’s broke free for 4 goals on the evening, surprising the Chiefs with goals in the 8th (video), 39th and 47th minute as well as an own goal in the 59th minute when Molly Brewer’s hard ball square across the front of the goal bounced in off a defender, who was concentrating on Emily Cline who had already scored twice this evening. What was unexpected was how well Kickapoo moved the ball against the Glendale defense, especially since an already young Chief’s squad lost central midfielder Katie Lynn to strained ankle ligaments in the game against Lebanon Tuesday evening.

After the initial flurry that led to the opening goal, the Chief’s slowly but certainly moved the ball into the offensive end. With junior Jacinda Lemon’s in the net and a year of experience under her belt, she saved two potential goals when she tipped McKenna Adam’s hard shot over the crossbar in the 12th min and then stopped Adam’s breakaway opportunity in the 18th. By keeping her team in the game, when Cline was able to score in the 39th and 47th minutes, the Falcon’s had the cushion they needed and Lemon’s had positively impacted the game.

The Chief’s goals were scored by Kaylee Stephen’s when the junior alertly moved into the box following Lauryn Young’s speculative ball over the defense that ended up being knocked down, but not controlled, by Lemon’s. Stephen’s pounced on the ball and slipped it in from 6 yards out (video). The second goal was scored as the Chiefs moved forward in numbers and almost scored in similar fashion only to see a loose ball pushed out. Senior Hilary Carr was there to put a shot in from the right side to the far post.

Both teams introduced new players this evening but I’ve got to give sophomore Katie Etter a shout out for her play tonight, in particular when she came from nowhere it seemed and shouldered Emily Cline off the ball as she was making a dangerous run into the box in the 1st half. It represented the type of play the Chief’s newcomer’s offered as they came out and challenged the Falcon’s. Lot’s of time, and plenty of games to prepare for the one that matters. A very nice beginning to the season which was also enjoyed by Alf Bilbao from Drury, who was keeping an eye on Ashley McWilliams and Lindsey Sprouse, and Rob Podeyn from Southwest Baptist, watching Megan Melugin.

Alix Opfer scores the game-winner for Glendale

Scoring summary:
8th – Alix Opfer from Molly Brewer (0-1)
39th – Emily Cline from Lindsey Sprouse (0-2)
47th – Emily Cline from Molly Brewer (0-3)
54th – Kaylee Stephens, from Lauryn Young following McKenna Adam’s cross (1-3)
59th – own goal after Molly Brewers square ball into the box (1-4)
71st – Hilary Carr from 25 yards out to far post (2-4)

FC Springfield and SpringHigh Select Merge

Posted on April 22, 2009 by Ole

News Release
Re: Combining of FC Springfield and SpringHigh Select

We are pleased to announce that, effective June 2009, FC Springfield and SpringHigh Select will combine their soccer clubs to expand youth development teams, and to continue to grow a competitive soccer club for high school aged players.

FC Springfield was established in June of 2008 by Clint and Cliff Nurnberg. The club provides experienced coaching and player-focused growth through organized training sessions and equitable game time for youth development teams.

SpringHigh Select was founded in 2005 by Jeff Rogers, Rick Temple, and Coach Alf Bilbao, to provide training, league, and competitive tournament play to high school boys during the off season of high school soccer.

According to FC Springfield’s Club Director, Cliff Nurnberg, the combining of the clubs will provide the soccer community with a player-focused club that will provide seamless affiliation from youth to high school levels. “SpringHigh Select and FC Springfield have performed as soccer programs run like a business, rather than a business built around a soccer program. The combining of our programs will provide players and families a healthy, economical, and instructive program that is capable of serving kids from their pre-K years through high school graduation.”

The new club will be called FC Springfield, with the high school boys’ teams continuing to play with the SpringHigh Select name and uniforms, adding a FC Springfield logo. The club will continue to utilize Drury soccer players and other experienced area coaches to assist in player training. Plans include the continuation of the boys’ teams from the U7 to U19 age ranges, with Coaches Alf Bilbao and Ryan Swan to continue coaching the high school boys. In addition, the club plans to add at least one high school girls’ team. Some FC Springfield youth development teams are coed in nature, and additional girls’ teams may be established in the future depending on interest.

For further information, please see our websites at www.fcspringfield.net
or www.springhighsoccer.com, or you may contact the following:

Cliff Nurnberg
Club Director
417.818.8634
cliff@fcspringfield.net

Drury Panthers Seek GLVC Berth Tonight at Home against Missouri S&T Miners

Posted on October 24, 2008 by Ole

Update – Drury men win 4-1 and clinch a playoff berth as do the Miner’s. A home game November 2nd still possible for the Panthers, depending on Sunday’s results.

The women finish tied 1-1 after overtime, with the Miner’s being eliminated from the GLVC Playoff race with the result.

From the Panther’s website: Drury’s first Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament men’s soccer berth since joining the league in 2005 is within sight for the Panthers with a victory tonight, when they host Missouri Science and Technology in the league regular-season finale at Harrison Stadium. (Tonight at 7:30 pm, the Women play at 5:00 pm)

Coach Alf Bilbao’s Panthers are 9-5-1 overall and 6-4-1 in the GLVC, standing in sixth place entering the league’s final weekend of play. The top eight teams qualify for the GLVC Tournament, which begins on November 2 at campus sites.

S & T (6-6-4, 4-2-4 in the league) sits one spot above Drury in a tie for fourth with Indianapolis (5-3-2 in the GLVC). With a victory and some help in other places this weekend – the Panthers have just one GLVC match remaining, while most everybody else has two – Drury could actually slide into a top-four finish and thereby earn the right to host a first-round GLVC Tournament match.

A loss on Friday night, and the Panthers – though unlikely – could slide out of the top eight and miss the tournament for a fourth straight year.
—————–

The possibility of reaching the GLVC Tournament seemed very likely a couple of weeks ago, when I sat down with Coach Alf Bilbao and Coach Ryan Swan to discuss how they got there. Here is the story with some background notes.

Bilbao came to Drury University in 2005 from Truman State University, in Kirksville MO after 7 years as Head Coach. The Bulldogs, like the Panthers, compete at the NCAA Division II level. During his tenure at Kirksville, also his alma mater where he lettered 4 years as a defender, he took the men’s team to the NCAA Tournament 3 times. In 2003, the team finished with a 20-1 record, losing to Findlay (OH) in the Quarterfinals. The loss also ended a 25-game winning streak for the Bulldogs. Bilbao was named the NSCAA Midwest Region Coach of the Year that year.

That’s an impressive record, especially for a team that plays as an independent. I wondered how long it would take for him to make his mark on the Drury Panthers, and when it would be recognized on the larger stage. The answer? Tonight’s result could make the answer to the question 4 years.

The Lady Panthers made a run all the way to the Final 16 last year, while claiming their first Great Lakes Valley Conference championship and setting a school mark for victories (17), a result that was ranked #3 in the SGFsoccer.com Top 10 list for 2007 (behind Glendale Coach Jeff Roger’s earning his 500th win and the Springfield SC winning their 2nd straight State Title). The ladies opened the season ranked 12th nationally and 2nd in the GLVC, and have guaranteed their spot in the GLVC post-season tournament for 2008.

The Men’s team cracked the national rankings for the first time this year on September 30th when they made their debut at #7. The recognition came following the Panther’s dramatic 3-2 overtime win over the previously #1 ranked Northern Kentucky. While the Panther’s were ranked #6 nationally during the 2006 season, the difference this year is the team’s level of play. And while the Panther’s have since fallen out of the National rankings, they are in the thick of the battle for one of the four spots available in the Midwest Region for the NCAA Tournament. More importantly, they are positioned to reach the GLVC post-season tournament for the first time with two games remaining in the Conference (see above).

I sat down with Coach Bilbao and his assistant, Ryan Swan, just before that big win to find out more. The responses are a compilation from my notes and a couple of subsequent conversations.

SGFsoccer.com: What has been the key to the men’s performance this year?
Bilbao: The lad’s have an extra year of experience with our system. We lost one starter on defense but we returned the rest of the team, which was reflected in our small recruiting class – Kyler Temple (Kickapoo) and sophomore Blake Wilson, a transfer from Division I Western Kentucky, a school that cut men’s soccer last year.

SGFsoccer.com: Last year’s team started well but lost their final 4 games. What lessons were learned from that experience?
Bilbao: The importance of discipline and internal competition. We played short-handed last season during the losing streak, with key players missing due to red-cards. Even so, we still finished 13-7 and came within one game of reaching the GLVC Tournament.

SGFsoccer.com: You have a chance to return to the NCAA Tournament with this team. Did you have a personal timetable for reaching that goal?
Bilbao: No, there was no timetable. I thought last year’s team was capable but as we saw there are a number of factors that come into play. The key continues to be building a program that Ryan and I can be proud of and that can compete.

SGFsoccer.com: What is your recruiting strategy? Has it changed by coming to Drury?
Bilbao: The recruiting strategy hasn’t changed. There are differences in the schools to take into account, for example Drury is a private institution and tuition costs are greater but there are also more resources available. The key has always been to find kids that are capable of playing a possession game, have technical skills and are smart. The current squad is a great example of that.
We have 3 seniors that were recruited by my predecessor (Tyson Bramel, Logan Hoffman, Michael Lassen ) who have made significant contributions. Add the three classes Ryan and I have recruited, with a significant contribution by Clint Corzatt who was my graduate assistant in 2005, and we’ve got a team with 3 years of experience playing together. We’ve improved every year and with five or more games remaining, expect to continue that streak.

SGFsoccer.com: I understand you’ve had some additional good news recently?
Bilbao: My wife Cary and I had our 3rd child, Keegan, earlier this month. It’s been a busy semester

Drury Panthers Surprise Missouri State Bears

Posted on August 17, 2008 by Ole

“They wanted it more than we did in the first half” was the assessment of Coach Rob Brewer of the MSU Bears following his squads 2-1 loss to their North side neighbors, the Drury Panthers Saturday evening. All three goals were scored in the decisive first half, with Drury scoring in the 31st and 42nd minutes while MSU narrowed the margin with a quick strike in the 43rd minute.

It was an entertaining game that drew a good crowd, despite Drury’s Sports Information department lack of interest in including it on the published schedule. I also missed a nice game between the men’s team and the visiting UMKC Kangaroo’s that the parent’s I talked to learned about only because their student-athlete sons mentioned it to them. Let’s pick up the pace Scott! The season has started. UPDATE – the Panther’s SID blog notes some arcane NCAA rules about reporting with brief notes that don’t address the schedule issue.

The Bears opened quickly in the match, taking the ball into the Panther’s box from the start. Drury parried that attack and slowly but surely got comfortable with the pace and physical attack of their large school opponent. While Drury was able to establish themselves and control play for the next 15 minutes, the Bears kept the pressure on and were seemingly in control of the game when the Panther’s got the game-winner from freshman Hillary Cockrell. It was the result of a corner kick, when Hillary collected a clearance and hammered a 30 yard shot just under the crossbar. Cockrell joins the Panthers from Union HS in Tulsa, two time OK Class 6 State champions in 2007 and 2008. She joins former HS teammate Emily West (pictured defending against Carolyn Sweeney) on the Panthers, starting tonight in the defensive midfield position behind Kelsy Long and Olivia Philippart de Foy. Philippart de Foy looks prepared to finally fulfill the role I predicted for her two years ago which is significant due to the loss of Sarah “Goody” Goodman for the season to an ACL injury in the Spring.

The Panthers second goal also came as a result of a corner kick, earned against the run of play in the 42nd minute. This time Mandi Little was able to nod down the initial ball and Kelsy Long collected it inside the 6 yard box, getting off a quick shot that was parried by the defender on post. The rebound fell to Kelsy and her 2nd shot was on target, stunning the Bears. They responded well however, taking the ensuing restart down into the Panthers box where freshman Tara Bailes (Catholic – pictured with Katy McLain, Kickapoo) collected a loose ball just outside the box and put a ball into the net, off of the underside of the cross bar. Some folks even described it as a chip shot. That’s exactly the role Coaches Brewer and Dutchik had in mind for her when she was recruited and gave the Bears the momentum they needed going into the 2nd half.

The 2nd half was a freewheeling affair, with both teams in attack mode but as the game wore on the Bears began to impose themselves. The unofficial statistics had the Bears out-shooting the Panthers 14-5, with 9 shots on goal, 6 of which came in the second half. Jessie Sanderson appears to be in mid-season form as she kept a clean sheet, helped by one off sides call that negated a ball that Carolyn Sweeney put into the goal.

All-in-all, the game offered early lessons for both teams that I anticipate they will use well. The Bears continue their scoring run early, while the importance of set pieces and 90+ minutes of commitment and intensity (remember Indiana State last year ladies) were hammered home. For the Panthers, a reminder that the team that reached the Final 16 is relatively intact and capable of achieving at high levels. Fitness is going to be huge for this team, and the reason there were players on the bench last night after not achieving minimum levels. I’m looking forward to the season!

As usual, free low-resolution photos for download and personal use are available on my Flickr site. Purchase of higher resolution photos in any format you might like are available on my SmugMug site. If there is a particular photo you would like cropped differently or for large format use, contact Ole for more details. If you have a Facebook profile, you can find the photos on my Facebook page.

Drury Panthers Soccer Academy

Posted on May 7, 2008 by Ole

FROM THE CAMP FLYER

Camp #1—Little Panther Half‐Day Camp
Date: June 2‐6 (9am‐12pm)
Ages: 4‐7
Cost: $120

Focus: The little ones will be taught proper techniques through small sided games and contests. All activities will be arranged in a fun, safe, and skill appropriate environment. Campers are encouraged to bring a snack and drink each day.

Camp #2—Panther Day Camp
Date: July 8‐11 (9am‐4pm)
Ages: 8‐14
Cost: $185

Focus: This program focuses on technical skills, small sided games, contests, and tactical development. All day campers will go swimming at Drury’s Natatorium. Campers can bring or have the option of purchasing a lunch.

Sample Day Camp Schedule:
9 am Camp Warm up 1 pm Competitions
9:30am Technical training 2pm Tactical development
10:15am Break 3pm Games
10:30am Small side games 4pm Camp ends
11:30am Lunch and swimming

Camp #3—Panther Boys and Girls Mini Camp
Dates:
Girls July 28‐31 (5‐7pm)
Boys July 28‐31 (7‐9pm)
Ages: Grades 9‐12
Cost: $80

Focus: This 4 day mini‐camp will focus on physical, technical, and small group tactical training to help prepare players for their upcoming seasons. The intensity will be very high and sessions demanding.

General Information
• All camps will be held on Harrison Stadium (all weather field) on Drury’s Campus.
• Each Little Panther and Panther Day campers will receive a Drury Soccer Academy t‐shirt, soccer ball, equipment bag, and water bottle.
• After the application and check are received, each camper will be sent a map and camp confirmation.
• Lunch plans will be available for full day camps at a cost of between $5‐6 per meal.

• Any questions? Please contact:
Alf Bilbao ——— Ryan Swan
417‐873‐7449 ——— 417‐873‐7830
ablibau@drury.edu ——– rdswan@drury.edu

SpringHigh Select Opens Season

Posted on January 9, 2008 by Ole

My soccer fixes have been few and far between but Tuesday night I was rewarded on my visit to Lake Country Soccer. SpringHigh Select held their first practice of the upcoming Spring season so I reacquainted myself with Coach Alf Bilbao and Ryan Swan who are coaching the club. It gave me an opportunity to look at the squads they have put together this season as well, their second. First tournament of the year will be in Arkansas later this month, for the U19′s. More info to follow.

The photos, clockwise from top left are the U19, U17 and U16 teams. I’ve added the photos to my Facebook profile as well so if you want to tag yourself, I can begin to put faces to names for the upcoming season.

I’d love to visit with any other High School club teams out there preparing for the Spring season. Send me a note with practice information so I can come out.

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Tag Archives: Alf Bilbao