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Men's Soccer

Men’s soccer and women’s volleyball trip to Milan, Italy 2009

Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference Champions
1995, 1996, 2005

Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference Runners-Up
1997, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2007

NJCAA Region IV Runners-Up
1996, 1997, 2003

Program Achievements

Alumni Players

Sept. 1, 2010
Home opener a winner

The Cyclones dominated McHenry County College with a 6-2 win at their home opener August 31. Mario Waksmundzki (Reavis) had a standout game with four goals while Erik Gomez (Eisenhower) scored the other two.

August 30, 2010
Cyclones maximizing potential in 2010

After a busy and successful 2009 season that included competition in Italy, the men’s soccer team is ready to maximize their potential and progress even deeper in the Region IV tournament in 2010.

The 2009 Cyclones had an outstanding regular season, scoring 59 goals and holding a 13-3-1 record going into the post-season. They also squeezed in an eight-day trip to Milan with the women’s volleyball team to compete in the 2009 World Interuniversity Games. Overseas the team held their own and finished 2-2-1 and earned the Fair Play Award. After returning from Italy, however, the Cyclones fell short of expectations in the post-season, losing in the quarter-finals of the NJCAA Region IV Championship Tournament. The 2010 season promises a renewed intensity to push further into post-season without the distraction of a European trip and a few changes to help minimize any late season fatigue.
 
“Our goal, as always, is to improve on last season. However we performed last year, there is always room for improvement. That is what we as a team focus on,” said coach Chuck Bales.

Since Bales took charge of the men’s soccer team more than 10 years ago, one of his main objectives was to make sure the freshmen returned for their sophomore year of soccer. This is critical to the success of the team as well as the academic success of the student-athlete. It ties in with one of Bales’ goals, which is to help as many soccer players as possible achieve their dream of playing soccer at the next level, be it NCAA or NAIA.

With nearly all last year’s freshmen returning and some exciting prospects, the 2010 squad is looking primed for a successful year. Leading the group of returning sophomores is captain and defensive player Jorge Flores (Argo). Flores was a member of the Chicago Fire Academy team and brings a wealth of skill and experience to the Cyclones. His leadership on and off the field will be key. Joining him will be major contributors from 2009 including top goal scorers Mario Waksmundzki (Reavis) and Mostafa Abdelrahman (Oak Lawn). Eisenhower products Luis Cajero and Luis Montoya will contribute to a sound defense. The team’s depth lies in midfield and its five returners: Miguel Rivera (Bogan), Zach Dahlman (Andrew), Steve Brown (Andrew), Matt Berman (Andrew), and Christian Boyle (Sandburg).

Topping the list of freshmen this year are Erik Gomez (Eisenhower) and Ivan Lopez (Argo). Both will be expected to contribute from the start and are fully capable of leading the team to success this year. “Erik is a player who loves to have the ball at his feet and sees things on the field other teammates don’t. His passing range and ability to play out of tight jams will be critical,” Bales said. “Ivan is a work horse who clearly loves to just get stuck-in. He doesn’t shirk from a challenge and has adapted quite well to the speed and intensity of college soccer. Both athletes will be expected to be leaders on and off the field.”

Goalkeeping is always an important element to team success, and this year the Cyclones will be as strong as ever with two freshmen and one sophomore at the post. Matt Calhoun (Andrew) spent his freshman year at Norwich University in Vermont playing D-III soccer before transferring to Moraine Valley. He will be joined by Danny Mack (Lincoln-Way North) and Angel Yanez (Argo).

Also impressive during the pre-season were Micah Van Bruggen (Andrew), Jonathan Rodriguez (Oak Lawn), Seth Veloz (Morton West), and Pete Mataragas (Stagg). “Van Bruggen is capable of starting because of his strength with the ball. His running and work-ethic make him stand out. Mataragas is a hard worker capable of playing anywhere in the attack. He should only get better during the season and will be a significant contributor throughout the year,” Bales said. Rodriguez and Veloz surprised the coaching staff with their ability to adapt to the speed and power of the college game. Both may end up starting if they continue to play and train hard.

Other freshmen that should be beneficial to the team include Greg Letocha (Reavis) on defense, forwards Emanuel Avalos (Eisenhower), Lukasz Szczesniak (Reavis), and Sergio Prouty (Argo), and midfielders Marek Szczesniak (Reavis) and Daniel Diaz (Argo).

The goal this year is to finish the regular season stronger than in previous seasons and make an extended push into post-season play. “In the past, we have always started very strong and been one of the top teams in the regular season but suffered unexpected early post-season losses. This season we are attempting to reverse that trend, and we’ve changed our training and style of play to help us achieve this goal,” Bales said. “We also have a very strong and deep team which will help us spread out the minutes so that a few of our best players do not get overly fatigued by the end of the season. It will be a challenge because we play in the toughest junior college region in the nation, but we have all the ingredients in place.”