Coming off a 6-10-1 season, in which the Oakland City University men's soccer team lost in the opening round of the NCCAA Mid-East Regional Tournament, the Mighty Oaks are looking to build off the success they had. With fourteen returning players, thirteen of whom made starts for the 2017 Oaks, as well as a strong recruiting class of incoming players, the OCU coaching staff is excited about the direction of the program moving forward.
The returning players include six seniors and a junior, as strong returning upperclassmen will be looked upon to provide leadership and consistency. The senior class includes goalkeeper
Walid Birrou Essafi (Spain), defenseman/midfielder
Ryan Blair (Scotland), midfielder
Gustavo Cardier (Venezuela), forward
Jack Cookson (England), defenseman
Matthew Doty (Evansville, IN), and midfielder
Daniel Mendonca Goes (Brazil).
Carlo Diaz-Madrid (Boyton Beach, FL) is the team's returning junior.
The remaining returners include goalkeeper
Colton Bland (Evansville, IN), midfielder/forward
Nemanja Gvozdic (Evansville, IN), midfielder
Ryan Henderson (Evansville, IN), midfielder/forward
Octave Hesloin (France), forward
Emilio Uzcategui (Chile), defenseman
Ramiro Valenzuela (Chile), and midfielder
Felipe Velez (Colombia).
Birrou Essafi, Blair, Doty and Hesloin were each named to the NCCAA All-Region team a year ago. In addition, Blair, Doty and Cardier will function as team captains for the upcoming season.
The Mighty Oaks are also adding 14 incoming players, with strong junior careers and experience, who will be expected to make an early and substantial impact on the program:
- Jonas Bors (Germany) –Midfield
Jonas is a balanced center midfield player, contributing to success on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball. Possessing great technique and outstanding field vision, Jonas will add much needed competition and depth for the Mighty Oaks in the middle of the field. "Since my first conversation with Jonas, I have been very impressed with his thoughtfulness and maturity when dealing with the collegiate search process, both in regard to athletics and academics." states OCU head coach
Elliott Spruell, "His soccer experience at a high level in Germany coupled with his technical ability, tactical awareness, and physical tools will be a welcome addition to this year's team."
- Andrew Browning (Cayman Islands) –Midfield
Andrew will be joining the Mighty Oaks after spending two years at Crowder College. Browning will add much needed collegiate experience to OCU's young squad, starting and playing in each of his games during his two seasons Crowder. Coach Spruell says, "Andrew is a very hardworking, mature, and respectful young man, on and off the field. His academics while at Crowder were outstanding and his coaches and teammates had glowing reviews of his team-first mentality and work ethic on the field. We are very excited to add such a wonderful young man to our university."
- Angelino Dubon (Jasper, Indiana) – Forward
Angelino is a hard working forward who will be joining the Mighty Oaks from Jasper, Indiana. "Angelino is an absolutely delightful young man who exudes a positive energy on and off the field." mentions Spruell, "His success while at Jasper High School is something we have had our eye on for some time, and we are very excited that he has decided to continue his academic and athletic career here at OCU. I have no doubt that his attitude and work ethic will be a positive addition to our community."
- Elijah Johnson (St. Peters, Missouri) – Forward
Elijah will be joining OCU after a successful career at Christian Brothers College High School, in St. Louis, Missouri. Johnson played his club soccer for Scott Gallagher and Panthiokos. When asked about Johnson, coach Spruell said, "Elijah has all the physical and athletic tools to be an absolute terror for opposing defensives at the collegiate level. I'm excited to get him integrated and acclimated to the speed of play here at OCU to see where these gifts may lead him. I'm sure our defenders will not like matching up against him during our daily training sessions. In the classroom, we are super excited to see Elijah joining our School of Education, where positive male role models are always welcome."
- Jonathan Lengkey (Germany) – Defender
Lengkey is an experienced center back who has plied his trade within the youth ranks of Germany. He will add immediate tactical awareness, leadership, experience, and size to OCU's backline, which is returning four starters. "Our ability to add a player of Jonathan's caliber to not only our team but also our campus is a huge win for Oakland City." said Spruell, "In my dealings with Jonathan, he has shown to possess the characteristics on and off the field of those we are trying mold our program around. His thoughtfulness and consideration throughout this process has been tremendous. The depth that Jonathan has ability to provide us in our backline for the future is very exciting."
- Jose Manuel Martin (Mexico) – Midfield/Defender
Martin will be joining the Mighty Oaks by way of Mexico. A versatile player who can function as a center midfielder or center back, Martin will add instant depth and competition at multiple positions. Coach Spruell said, "My dealings with Jose have been wonderful. He is a very humble, grounded, and family oriented young man, and is the type of player we are looking for here at OCU. His ability to play multiple positions at a high level will be wonderful for the team when it comes to training and match days. His work ethic will be welcome addition to OCU on and off of the field."
- Zak Mohamed (England) – Forward/Midfield
Joining the team from Leicester, England, Zak will provide the Mighty Oaks much versatility, functioning successfully as a forward, a center midfielder, or an outside midfielder. His mix of size, strength, and technical ability may prove to be key for future success at OCU. "I can't say enough about this young man's drive and passion to be here Oakland City." stated Spruell, "His commitment to the recruitment process has been one of the most thoughtful I have seen. On the field and in the classroom, I have no doubt that the same demeanor will to individual and team success."
- Enol Muniz Cueto (Spain) – Goalkeeper
Coming from the youth ranks of the La Liga in Spain, Enol will be a welcome addition to the OCU soccer program. His advanced ability as a shot stopper and distributor will add immediate depth to an already strong returning goalkeeping core. "Enol and his family have been so wonderful to work with. Enol's research and thoughtfulness in regard to our campus, community, and academics made this a very good fit for both parties. I am extremely excited to Enol integrated with the team, specifically our GK core, and see his development take off."
- Luis Perez (Washington, Indiana) – Defender/Midfield/Forward
Luis will be one of two Washington Hatchets joining the OCU program in the fall. Along with current and future teammate, Jaime Rojas, Luis has had immense success throughout his high school career. "We have had our eye on Luis for several years now." mentions Spruell, "The body of work he has provided up to this point leads me to believe that he has the ability to be one of the most special players to come out of the Tri-State area. His size, technical ability, and knowledge of the game will provide him the opportunity to make an immediate impact at any position on the field."
- Adolfo Rivas (Mexico) – Defender/Midfield
Adolfo will be joining OCU from Mexico City, Mexico, where he has grown up playing in the Cruz Azul system. His ability to play the center back or central defensive midfield position will be a great addition to the depth and competition of the team. Spruell says, "It has been a pleasure to get to know Adolfo and his father throughout this process. He has proven to be very passionate about OCU and what we have to offer, so I am excited to see him get started on the field and in the classroom. In my analysis of his game, his leadership skills are outstanding and it shows on the pitch; he is very vocal and defends at a very high level. He enjoys playing center back so he can orchestrate the team and manage the game."
- Alberto Rodriguez Diaz (San Juan, Puerto Rico) – Forward
Alberto is a dynamic, athletic, and aggressive attacking player from Puerto Rico. "Alberto has great speed and good eye for the goal." says Spruell, "He will develop well in the OCU program as he learns the various nuances of the game. His mother has been wonderful and a key part of this process. We are extremely excited to be adding such a wonderful young man to our university".
- Jaime Rojas (Washington, Indiana) – Midfield
Rojas will be joining the Mighty Oaks after a very successful high school career at Washington High School in Washington, Indiana. "Jaime was first recognized as a potential player for OCU few years ago," said Spruell, "Jaime stands out on the field thanks to his technical ability. His good peripheral vision allows him to connect both short and long range passes at a high level. He is a coachable and self-motivated player which will serve him well as he develops in our program."
- Vicente Siefer (Chile) – Midfield
Vicente, from Santiago, Chile, will be joining OCU and two of his fellow country mates in the fall. Coach Spruell on Siefer, "Vicente is a creative attacking player. We're excited about his ability on the ball. He's able to change directions and speed at will, breaking through defensive packed lines. Vicente will add some attacking depth to our #10 position. We had much success with two of his fellow club mates last fall, and we are excited about adding a third Chilean who is passionate and dedicated to the success of OCU on and off of the field."
- Bernard Vuskovic (Croatia) – Forward
Bernard has shown the ability to be the all-around forward that may help propel OCU Men's Soccer to the next level. Coming from Croatia, Vuskovic has played at a high level since his introduction to soccer as a youth. "I am extremely excited to be adding a player of Bernard's level to our roster." said Spruell, "His blend of size, speed, tactical awareness, and technical ability will provide him the opportunity to make an immediate impact on the field. More importantly Bernard has been wonderful through the entire recruitment process. His maturity level has been through the roof, so I feel very fortunate to be adding a young man like him to our campus."
Assistant Coach Jeff Spruell says:
"This being my third year with OCU soccer, I am very excited about the upcoming season. While we graduated one senior captain, whom will be missed, we have worked extremely hard to bring in quality individuals that will help us create competition at every position on the field. These young men were not only recruited for their ability to help OCU on the field but also what they will be expected to contribute to the OCU classroom and community as a whole.
Coach Spruell is most looking forward to meeting the new players and seeing the returning players back on campus."
First year Assistant Coach Patrick Donnell says:
"I'm excited to be a part of an Oakland City University Men's Soccer team that is coming off a year in which they participated in the NCCAA post season tournament. I look forward to the opportunity to help the team continue to grow and take the next step towards the NCCAA National Tournament.
I look forward to implementing the same values that I learned during my career at OCU to help these young men grow both on and off of the field."
Senior Captain Ryan Blair says:
"Last year was a large transition for the team after losing so many starting players, whereas this upcoming season we have a strong base of returning players to work with so I'm very excited about getting back to work in August. We feel positive about the new guys coming in and hitting the ground running plus, the freshman of last year, returning for their sophomore year, have a year's experience so they now understand what it takes to compete at this level. As for the few seniors, myself included, it's our last opportunity to win something as a team and I expect us to be in a great position to do so. If everything comes together as it should, this could be a big year for Oakland City University Men's Soccer."
Sophomore Felipe Velez states:
"I'm excited for the upcoming season and the new goals we will set out to accomplish. We must commit to these goals from the first day we return, understanding that to have success we must play for the name on the front of jersey, not the one on the back. Personally, I am excited to get back on the field and help my teammates get better every day."
Head Coach Elliott Spruell says:
"I am extremely excited for the 2018-19 season. I have been eager to get back on the field since the boys left campus in May. The focus this offseason was to recruit top level talent at each position, addressing our positional needs, while also ensuring each prospective student-athlete was a great fit for not only our team, but the university culture as well, and I believe we have done a good job of accomplishing these goals. We will be much deeper and much more competitive at each position compared to past seasons, so it will now be the job of our coaching staff to ensure that we create a culture and environment that will be conducive for growth and success on and off the field.
"Our coaching staff feels that the expansion of the roster and the addition of some very quality players is going to create a competitive environment internally, which will not only help our guys grow their game and hold everyone more accountable, but also mitigate some of the injury issues we suffered last season.
"With a very healthy blend of returners and newcomers, we feel primed to make some noise and do everything we can to make Oakland City University proud of the efforts put forth by our team during the 2018-19 season.
"The addition of
Patrick Donnell to our coaching staff is a huge plus for the program and the University. Patrick was a perfect example of the type of young man we want to represent the Mighty Oaks during his playing days, so to have such a wonderful role model back in the fold is really cool for the program."
Notable 2018-2019 Matches:
- University of Indianapolis: 2017 Record (13-6-1)2017 GLVC Tourney Champion
- Martin Methodist College: 2017 Record (10 -6-1)
- Lindenwood University: 2017 Record (10-7)
- Campbellsville University: 2017 Record (14-5-2) NCCAA National Semifinalist
