Lions seeking consistency

Barry Faulkner

Vanguard University men’s soccer coach Randy Dodge didn’t so much

experience his first season as ride it out. Losing streaks of four

and seven games were followed by winning four of five, then finishing

the season with four straight triumphs.

“With such a young team [15 underclassmen on a 19-player roster]

streaks like that are going to happen,” Dodge said. “We want to

nullify those streaks this season and try to be more consistent with

our play.”

Consistency begins with having a system in place and Dodge, a

Vanguard alumnus, said having an entire offseason to firm up that

system should produce dividends on the field this fall.

“There were a lot of adjustments last year,” Dodge said. “This

year, guys understand what I want and what I’m looking for.”

Despite 11 returners in tow, Dodge went looking for new talent in

his first full recruiting year. He came back with nine newcomers,

including two transfers he expects will make an immediate impact.

Sophomore David McAulay comes aboard from Fresno State, while junior

Jose Hernandez relocates from Los Angeles Harbor Community College.

“Hernandez is a midfielder who could help lead this team and

McAulay is coming back home, having played at Foothill High in

Tustin,” Dodge said. “I got a lot of kids at the last second last

year, and I was behind the eight ball. But this year, we have some

great assistants who recruited very hard. I think we have a good crew

coming in.”

The newcomers will look to veterans Matthew Hess and Armando Ortiz

to lead the way, Dodge said. Hess, a 6-foot-3 junior, is a two-time

All-Golden State Athletic Conference performer, who shared the

conference lead last season with 21 goals. His 45 points -- two

points for a goal and one for an assist -- were second most among

GSAC players and he posted three hat tricks last season.

Ortiz, a junior midfielder out of Estancia High, led the team with

eight assists last season and his five goals ranked No. 2 among

Lions.

“Those two are All-GSAC players,” said Dodge, who also considers

goalkeeping a strength.

Christopher Swift started all 20 games as a freshman, filling a

hole left when 2001 starter Tommaso Bianchi broke his arm in the

preseason scrimmage and was sidelined for the season. Dodge said

Bianchi has the early edge, but both figure to see time in goal this

season.

Others who displayed talent last season include sophomore

midfielder Jarrett Borrego, senior defender Sean Ganey and junior

forward Nate Kramer, Dodge said.

“Hess and McAulay should be our major scoring threats, along with

Kramer and whatever the midfield can give us,” Dodge said.

Dodge also likes the potential of sophomore midfielder Mark Babel,

a transfer from Cal State San Bernardino.

“We have 16 guys on the roster and 13 or 14 are strong players,”

Dodge said. “The level of play in the GSAC is really strong right

now. Concordia and Fresno Pacific are up there, but, after that, I

really think things are up in the air. I think as many as eight teams

are battling for four playoff spots from our conference. We want to

build on the foundation we laid last year.”

The Lions open the season with three games in three days in Utah,

beginning Thursday with a date against Westminster.