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Owens Community College men’s soccer will look to contend for its first-ever conference title by opening
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| Cody Katschke |
Sean Kaighin |
the 2010 schedule at the Delta College Invitational in University Center, Mich., Aug. 28-29.
The Express took on Delta College on Saturday and Ancilla College on Sunday.
The Express will open its home season against Lorain County Community College on Sept. 8 at 4 p.m.
Returning to the team this year is Cody Katschke (Genoa). Last year, Katschke, a sophomore defender, recorded two goals and four points. Kastchke will be joined by first-year forward Sean Kaighin (Clay).
The Owens men’s soccer program is led by Coach Art Johnson. Johnson’s assistants are Jeremiah McNutt and Keith Closson. The Express completed its twelfth season as an Owens athletic program in 2009. Owens finished with a 12-7-1 overall record and in second place in the final OCCAC (3-3 record) standings.
“We have an extremely talented team that is committed to working hard and getting better each and every day on the soccer field,” stated Johnson. “I am really counting on our veterans to provide strong leadership for the first-year players, which will be critical to our success. Several of the first-year players will also be expected to step in and play at a very high level. Our team certainly has the potential of competing for the program’s first conference title.”
The Express has eight players returning from last year’s team. Among the second-year players on Johnson’s squad are Michael Hamouda of Liverpool, United Kingdom and Rodcliff Hall of Boston, Mass.
In 2009, Hamouda was named team MVP and was a NJCAA All-Region XII Second Team selection. The sophomore midfielder led the team with 13 assists and totaled six goals and 24 points. Hall is a sophomore forward and earned NJCAA All-Region XII First Team and OCCAC All-Conference First Team honors. He was the team leader with 24 goals and 52 points.
Also returning to the Express are Yadi Aliakbar of Perrysburg (St. Francis de Sales) and Pavle Udovicic of Belgrade, Serbia. In 2009, Aliakbar earned OCCAC Academic All-Conference honors. The sophomore midfielder recorded two goals, three assists and seven points. Udovicic is a sophomore goalie and recorded 39 saves and posted six shutouts for men’s soccer during the 2009 season.
Other returning student-athletes include Dustin Lamon (Liberty-Benton) and Mikhail Weatherly of Montego Bay, Jamaica (Cornwall College). In 2009, Lamon, a sophomore goalie, recorded 12 saves and posted three shutouts for the Express. Weatherly is a sophomore forward and totaled four goals, three assists and 11 points for Owens last season.
Other first-year players to the Express men’s soccer program are Sean McEneff of Baldoyle, Ireland, defender (St. Paul’s College); Kyle Whitmore, midfielder (Start); Lamar Lemonius of Ilford, United Kingdom, defender; Travis Turner, defender (Springfield); Matthew Spence of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., forward; Ababacar Ndoye, midfielder (Ypsilanti, Mich.); Glenroy Miller of Belleville, N.J., forward; Nikoy Wallace of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., defender; Samuel Swen of Levittown, Pa., defender; Idris Avci of Istanbul, Turkey, midfielder; and Grantham Maclean of Port Elizabeth, South Africa, midfielder.
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