Felipe Restrepo does not wear a tool belt. But spend a few minutes listening to the Chico State men’s soccer coach talk about his program and you’ll catch yourself glancing down in search of one. He loves to talk about building, about the blueprint he’s developed for reaching the program’s potential, about the foundation that’s been laid with his first three recruiting classes, and about assembling all the right players and then developing and grooming them to construct a championship-contending team.
The passion in his voice and belief in his heart are unmistakable when he speaks. Thankfully, the product he’s assembled on the field speaks at least as loudly. The Wildcats are 21-13-5 in Restrepo’s two seasons at the helm and he believes that the 2010 squad is his most talented yet.
That talent will be on display for the first time in 2010 Thursday when the Wildcats host Western Washington University under he lights at University Soccer Stadium at 7 PM.
“We’ve done a lot of work to this point to build a competitive culture for the players to develop in and worked really hard on the recruiting to bring talent in, so I’m excited,” said Restrepo. “You can’t just assemble the team you want in one shot. This is our second full year of recruiting and, from a personnel standpoint, the program is looking more like we drew it up to look. We’re young, but these players come from teams that have played at a very high level. With these last two classes, I think we’re going to see our program rise to the next level.”
That could mean some special things are ahead for the Wildcats. Restrepo has already guided them to an unexpected playoff berth in his first year at the helm and an 8-8-4 last season despite an ultra-competitive schedule featuring five matches against teams that finished the season ranked among the nation’s top-25.
The evolution that took place in freshmen Luis Martinez, Tyson Crim, Josh Borja, Micah Miranda and James Stroud, and sophomores Chris Akwaja, Jacob Darr, and Nick Tedrow last season certainly gives reason for optimism.
This year’s returning seniors: Ross Judge, Zach Bradford, Ryan Nevarez, and Josh Johnson were prepping for the rigors of senior leadership during that process. In all, 12 returners join forces with 13 freshmen and a trio of junior college transfers in hopes of erecting a lasting monument to the 2010 campaign.
One advantage the Wildcats have is a favorable schedule. They’ll play 11 of 18 regular-season matches in the friendly confines of University Soccer Stadium where they are 12-4-2 in Restrepo’s first two seasons at the helm.
That will give Wildcats fans plenty of chances to see what Restrepo calls his most talented team yet.
“This program’s level of talent and depth is as good or better than the rest of the conference for the first time,” he said. “So the expectations on my end will be greater. I don’t know for sure what the end result will be, but I know this group will be fun to watch.”
That was the case in team’s first exhibition match of 2010. Crim scored the Wildcats’ first goal with a blistering volley from a tough angle into the far corner. And Martinez upped the ante minutes later with a diving header for a score.
“We haven’t seen Luis (Martinez) in a 90-minute role because we had some seniors last year who we went with,” explained Restrepo. “But by the end of the year, he was one of the best midfielders in the conference. He’ll be exciting to watch.”
Crim played in the midfield last season and flashed incredible offensive acumen, but had trouble staying back defensively. So Restrepo has moved him up top where he’ll join forces with Akwaja, last year’s second-leading scorer with five goals last season.
The speedy senior Johnson and juke-heavy junior Tedrow bring more facets to Restrepo’s offense. Johnson scored a pair of goals last season and Tedrow boasts career totals of three goals and three assists.
Another player Restrepo is excited about is junior college transfer Ferid Celosmanovic. A native of Bosnia, Celosmanovic notched 13 goals and 14 assists while leading West Valley Community College to the No. 8 ranking in the nation last year.
“We need someone who is savvy around the box – a good finisher – to be around some of the athletic players that we have and Fared provides that,” said Restrepo. “We think he has the potential to do some damage in this conference.”
True freshman Adam Black is another newcomer who could contribute up top.
Fourth-year senior Zach Bradford and skilled sophomore Josh Borja will help Martinez anchor the midfield, along with Miranda, another sophomore. Freshmen Michael Tieku, Dillon Thomas, Luke Palmer, and Emerson Roberts-Donnelley will also be getting their feet wet in the midfield.
Freshmen Elliott Plummer, Evan Johnston, Mike Janjigian, Jeff Heuton, and Cody Levar will have the same opportunity in the defensive third, along with Leo Zarate, a transfer from Yuba College.
“We’re very excited about all of our freshmen, but you have to be careful. If your freshmen are playing in this conference, either that person is a phenomenal player, or you are just not that good of a team,” explained Restrepo. “This conference is too tough for most players to just come in and make a huge impact. It’s important to be patient and take the time to groom them until they are ready.”
Three of the team’s longest tenured players – seniors Ross Judge and Ryan Nevarez and junior Jacob Darr – are certainly ready to secure the back line.
“I love the veteran presence we have back there,” said Restrepo.
They’ll be the last line of protection for a young group of goalkeepers that includes the sophomore Stroud, redshirt freshman Mike Beigarten, Modesto Junior College transfer Quinn Harter and true freshman Sam Evans.
“We’re young in goal but we have four guys who are talented, and they’re competing. That competition is going to raise the level of all of them,” said Restrepo.
So what does it all add up to? If you know for sure, please let Restrepo know. The suspense is killing him.
“We’re continuing to build that winning culture and environment that’s important to the program,” he says. “I think all those things are happening and I’m looking forward to see just how far we’ve come. It’s going to be fun to see what we’ve built so far.”
The Wildcats were picked to finish third in the conference’s North Division in the CCAA Preseason Coaches' Poll behind Sonoma State and Cal State Stanislaus. And the Wildcats were among the favorites to advance to the CCAA Championship Tournament.
Western Washington is coming off an 8-11-1 season and picked by the coaches of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference to finish fourth this season.
Seven CCAA schools open their seasons Thursday. Cal Poly Pomona will be the first program to take to the pitch when it hosts Notre Dame de Namur at 11:30 a.m. Also in action on Thursday are Cal State L.A., Cal State Dominguez Hills, UC San Diego, Cal State East Bay, and Cal State San Bernardino.
Humboldt State and Cal State Monterey Bay kick off their seasons on Friday when they travel to Seattle Pacific and San Jose State, respectively. Sonoma State opens its season on Saturday with a road contest at Fresno Pacific.
Seven teams conclude the first weekend of play with contests on Saturday as Cal Poly Pomona, Cal State San Bernardino, UC San Diego, Cal State Stanislaus, Cal State East Bay and Cal State Dominguez Hills are all in action.
The 2010 season gets underway for Humboldt State and San Francisco State on Monday, Sept. 6. The Lumberjacks visit Western Washington while the Gators host Menlo College.
Four CCAA teams begin the year ranked in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) preseason national Top 25 poll. NCAA Division II West Region and CCAA defending Champion Cal State Dominguez Hills open the season ranked No. 6. Cal State L.A. is No. 12, Sonoma State No. 22 and Cal State San Bernardino No. 25.
CCAA play opens Friday, Sept. 10, with all 12 teams in action. The conference tournament will be held at Warrior Stadium on the campus of Cal State Stanislaus Nov. 5-7.
