Veteran core, influx of youth offer men’s soccer chance at redemption

A second straight year of penalty kick eliminations for UCLA men’s soccer hasn’t seemed to diminish the expectations that surround the Bruins.

Instead, it has fueled them as they prepare for the upcoming 2015 season.

“The disappointment has really given us a lot of motivation in the offseason,” said coach Jorge Salcedo. “You’re going to see a group that’s really hungry and has a strong desire to have as good a year – or better year – than we did last year.”

After falling to Virginia in the national championship, doing better than last season means only one thing: an NCAA title.

The goal is lofty, but the UCLA players say they aren’t intimidated. Even as No. 1 rankings roll in, touting their first place spot in two major preseason polls – the Pac-12 coaches poll and the National Soccer Coaches Association of America national rankings – the team has taken it all in stride.

“Having a No. 1 ranking is a huge aspect going into the season, but it’s something that we approach with a mindset that we are trying to live up to our standard and play to our best ability,” said junior center back Michael Amick. “We believe that if we play the best we can … that’ll be what’s necessary for us to take that No. 1 position all the way through the season.”

Veteran leaders take charge

Amick, a 2014 first-team All-Pac-12 selection, joins redshirt senior defender Edgar Contreras and senior defensive midfielder Grady Howe as the captains for 2015. He was also named as the sole Bruin to the Missouri Athletic Club’s Hermann Trophy watch list in early August as one of 30 NCAA players vying for the sport’s top honor.

The three captains form the core of a UCLA team that has 16 new faces – 15 incoming freshmen and junior transfer Abdullah Adam. That influx of youth only increases the importance of the role each veteran player must play.

“I think there’s a lot of lessons that all three of us (captains) have taken from our previous years that make us qualified to lead this group,” Howe said. “Each of us have individual characteristics that complement one another, and that’s not to say just the captains – all the older guys put something on the table in that respect, (with) their own personal experiences.”

Although forwards Leo Stolz and Andrew Tusaazemajja graduated after last season, UCLA’s starting offense will see the return of its most explosive attackers. Senior Larry Ndjock paces the returning players with a total of seven goals last year, while sophomores Seyi Adekoya and Abu Danladi, the Top Drawer Soccer Freshman of the Year in 2014, join him up front. Both underclassmen were named to the Preseason All-Pac-12 Team and, even as sophomores, they are expected to help anchor the offense.

Some of the veterans, however, will be taking on new roles. Redshirt junior goalie Juan Cervantes will be taking over in the net after standout goalie Earl Edwards Jr. graduated. Edwards Jr. played all but five minutes of the entire 2014 season, so a smooth transition will be crucial.

“We’re very confident in Juan,” Howe said. “He has worked very, very hard these past years and we’re very excited for him to step in and play like he did every time he has stepped in and played for us.”

Depth with youth

Bruin returners, however, will encounter an outburst of competition from the top recruiting class in the nation.

“The most exciting thing (this year) is tons of youth on the team,” Amick said. “We bring in 15 freshmen, so it’s going to be exciting to see how everyone comes together. There’s a ton of talent on this team – it’s probably one of the most talented teams I’ve ever played on.”

Howe echoed the talent of this year’s squad, adding that it is one of the deepest UCLA has ever seen, but he emphasized the team’s need to find an identity. The losses of Stolz, Tusaazemajja, Edwards Jr., and midfielder/defender Aaron Simmons, while small in number, are large in impact. It will be up to the remaining veterans to facilitate that process as the freshmen get acclimated to their first collegiate season.

“Talent alone isn’t going to win you games – it’s a lot more than just having talented individuals or a talented group,” Salcedo said. “We need to understand how to come together as a team, how to give everything we can to each other, and to really understand what it takes to be successful.”

The Bruins, while already labeled a young team, are not inexperienced. Seven of the team’s top-10 scorers are back in 2015, and Salcedo will be able to insert players like Cervantes to replace graduated players.

The freshmen also offer an added bonus of possible contributors, but it is too early to know exactly who will fit into which roles. Headlining this year’s class are five-star defender Malcolm Jones and four-star midfielder Jackson Yueill.

Looking ahead

The team will begin its exhibition schedule this week, starting with a Tuesday evening matchup with the Mexican U-17 National Team on the North Athletic Field. Salcedo said that the game against Mexico will offer the Bruins a chance to face a highly technical and talented club.

UCLA will play the University of San Francisco on Saturday before kicking off the regular season on Aug. 29 against New Mexico at Drake Stadium.