Boston College Eagles
Overall Rank: #26
Conference Rank: #6 ACC
Boston College Team Page
Boston College had a great year in 2011, heading into the NCAA Tournament with a 14-5-1 record and earning the fourth overall seed. However, their foray into the 2011 tournament did not last very long. After allowing a late equalizer against Rutgers, the Eagles went on to lose in penalty kicks, sparking the biggest upset of the second round. Coach Ed Kelly has been around Chestnut Hill for a quarter of a century, so he will have his team ready to put 2011 behind them and move ahead to 2012.
2011 Record: 14-6-1, 4-4-0
2011 Postseason: NCAA
Coach: Ed Kelly
Strengths:
The Eagles return a trio of playmakers who have a future in the professional ranks. Kyle Bekker, a senior midfielder, led BC with 23 points on eight goals and seven assists. Charlie Rugg added eight goals and five assists. Diego Medina-Mendez added eight goals of his own as a freshman and is brimming with potential. Those three will provide Boston College with a dangerous attack on a consistent basis. The loss of Amit Aburmad, who scored six goals and added five assists as a senior, means no other returning player scored more than one goal last season. Kevin Mejia and Colin Murphy are capable passers and will take a few shots here and there, but they are defensive orientated players for the most part. However, Mejia is 6-1 and will come up for set pieces. But the trio of Bekker, Rugg and Medina-Mendez will have to carry the load and do much of the setup work for one another. They did it extremely well last season, so there is no reason to doubt that they can do it again in 2012.
Weaknesses:
The loss of Aburmad, steady midfielder Steve Rose and versatile defender Patrick Chin will leave a few holes to fill. Coach Kelly has plenty of talent on the roster and quite a few newcomers who can fill the void. On the defensive end, a couple transfers should help fill the gaps. Atobra Ampadu spent some time at Hartford before transferring to the Eagles. He is listed as a midfielder and defender, but he can get up and score some goals, as he did with the Hawks. But he could also drop back a little more and play the same role Rose did last season. Matt Wendelken will add some experienced depth to the back line. At Marist as a freshman last year he earned MAAC All-Rookie team accolades and is more than capable of stepping into the starting lineup at Boston College. At the least, he will provide experienced and quality depth to a defensive unit that is already strong.
Final Projection:
In the net Boston College has an experienced senior who will be a four year starter in 2012. By the time Justin Luthy wraps up his collegiate career, he will hold quite a few school records. The 6-0 Dublin, Ohio native has seen his goals per game average increase over the years and his save percentage has also decreased. Back in 2009, Luthy saved .815 of the shots coming his way. As a sophomore that number dipped to .776 and last year it was at .750. However, that trend does not have too much to do with Luthy and his experience, talent and senior leadership will take Boston College back to the NCAA Tournament. This team may not have enough weapons to seriously compete for an ACC tittle, but they will expect to stick around the tournament for a few more games in 2012. As long as the big scorers can stay healthy and a midfielder or two can step up and help the big three, this is a Boston College team that has the potential to be just as good as they were in 2011.
Projected Postseason: NCAA Tournament
Returning Leaders:
Goals: Kyle Bekker, Senior, M, 8; Diego Medina-Mendez, Sophomore, F, 8; Charlie Rugg, Senior, F, 8
Assists: Kyle Bekker, Senior, M, 7
Shots: Kyle Bekker, Senior, M 61
Saves: Justin Luthy, Senior, GK, 78
Madness 2013 MLS Draft Rankings:
#35 Charlie Rugg
Madness 2012 Men’s Soccer Recruit Rankings:
#68 Alex Kapp
