Graduation losses hinder LCA, help rest of VIC in soccer

  With Liberty Christian Academy graduating 11 seniors, including three all-state players, from last year’s boys soccer team that advanced to the Virginia Independent Schools state Final Four, the balance of power has been restored in the Virginia Independent Conference.

“Our players kind of think the VIC could be wide open this year,” said Steve Moon, who served as LCA’s JV coach over the past three seasons and steps up to replace John Caudill. “Every game is going to be a battle.”

Gone are Abass Ayembillah, the Bulldogs’ all-time leading scorer who became the first player to score a goal at the University of Texas at Brownsville’s new REK Center Field in Saturday’s home-opener against San Jacinto College, and Ghana countryman Richard Nyarko, now a teammate with the Scorpions.

“Where the big trees go, the little trees have to grow,” Moon said, citing a Chinese proverb.

While LCA has four returning starters, Se Ho Choi, a speedy distributor with a deft scoring touch, Seth Dorman, a hard-nosed finisher, Josh Cromwell and stopper Marcus Miller, it doesn’t have quite the scoring punch it’s had in the past.

“The rest of the players, we’re like a bunch of clones,” Moon said. “They’re solid players learning how to play. The key to this year since we don’t have superstars is really working well as a team and developing a good passing game. I think if we play our game, we could compete.”

Aaron Wescoat, Moon’s JV goalkeeper last year, has filled in for Chris Lawson, who may have torn his ACL in a scrimmage on Saturday.

“He was thrown into the fire fast, but he’s done OK so far,” Moon said.

The Bulldogs, who went 23-2-2 last fall, settled for a 1-1 tie against a much-improved Holy Cross team last week. However, on Tuesday, the Gaels gave up three goals in the last 12 minutes to fall to preseason VIC favorite Eastern Mennonite 7-3.

Cedric Anderson, a senior transfer from E.C. Glass, where Holy Cross coach and athletic director Randy Turille coaches in the spring, starts at striker, showcasing great speed and technical skill. Kenny Stern, a junior sidelined by an ankle injury last season, starts at central midfielder alongside Jake Kang, a technical player from Korea.

The Gaels are still in rebuilding mode but have a firm foundation with eight sophomores, including 6-foot-2 goalkeeper Nolan Mann, who plays travel soccer locally and participated in a camp this summer. Holy Cross hosts Central Virginia Homeschools, a first-year varsity squad based in Lynchburg, today at 4:30 p.m.

The third VIC contender from Lynchburg, Virginia Episcopal School, is a team in flux with four exchange students arriving last Thursday.

“I think we’re going to be OK,” VES coach Bob Leake said. “We’ve got some talented players, it’s just a matter of putting them in the right places and getting them to learn how to play with each other.”

The Bishops have three more German players, Alex Giergen, a 6-foot-5 senior who is a potential Division I basketball recruit, Neals Remberg, the most skilled player on the team, and Felix Hasenmaier, as well as one from Turkey, Hasan Barkcin.

Leake is trying to mesh their styles with returning players such as sophomore forward Will Manning and senior center midfielder Blake Hill, from Bermuda, an all-VIC selection last fall.

“The German guys want to get the ball and go,” Leake said. “I’m a cross and finish in the middle type of player and coach. I like having guys who play with their back to the goal rather than at the starting gate of Churchill Downs. We’re talented enough that we can get numbers on you rather than going overtop people to run to the goal.”

Michael Burton, a sophomore forward from Texas, may not be able to play right away after injuring his knee injury with his club team, but has a bright future at VES.

The Bishops will host their annual Seven Hills Soccer Classic on Sept. 11 and 12, with a deep and talented eight-team field expected. Besides LCA and Holy Cross, VES will draw Highland, the defending VIS Division II state champion from Warrenton which beat the Bishops 3-1 in the state quarterfinals, Trinity Episcopal, Fork Union Military, Nansemond-Suffolk and Walsingham.

“The only two teams in the tournament that did not play in the state tournament last year are Holy Cross and FUMA,” said Leake, who hopes the strength of the Bishops’ non-conference schedule will help them down the road. “You want to play Division I schools or top tier Division II schools so you get state playoff consideration.”

LCA did that last year, after narrowly missing the 16-team Division I state field in 2007, and has an equally tough schedule this fall.

“They’re coming to our tournament and then they’re going up to Eastern Mennonite’s tournament the next weekend,” Leake said of the Bulldogs. “That’s what you have to do, especially if you want to have a postseason.”

Meanwhile, in the Virginia Association of Christian Athletics, New Covenant is off to a 4-1 start as it seeks to defend its Southeast Division title and improve on its sixth-place VACA state finish.

New Covenant is in the same division as Timberlake Christian, which it beat 5-1 in its VACA opener last week, Temple Christian, Westover Christian and Faith Christian Academy of Hurt.

“We have the capability to go farther,” coach Andy Ashcroft said. “We’re not as strong, strength-wise, but we’re tactically a better team than last year.”

The Gryphons return five seniors, including goalkeeper Michael Whitlock, defenders Jonathan Vignali and Spencer Pelfrey and center midfielders Matthew Schaughnessy and John Davy.

They also feature juniors outside midfielders Isaac Calloway and Josh Ashcroft and freshmen forwards Josh Altis and John Thomasson.

“They’re young, but they’re going to be good,” Andy Ashcroft said.