Winning and Growth for Men's Soccer - A Season In Review
6/17/2021 10:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
RIVERSIDE -- California Baptist University men's soccer overcame a number of challenges during an unprecedented 2021 spring campaign to complete its third year in NCAA Division I. The Lancers put together records of 6-4-2 overall and 5-4-1 in Western Athletic Conference play.
The Lancers entered the season with 13 new players and as a team with no true home-field advantage. With on-campus facility improvements ongoing, the team hosted its "home" contests 34 miles west at the Championship Soccer Stadium in Irvine's OC Great Park.
Despite the additional challenge, CBU completed its third season in the WAC in fourth place in the league table, just one point out of third. The Lancers' mix of veteran leadership and new energy blended well to tie for the second-most goals scored in the conference, with 20, and a defense that tallied four shutouts.
The squad is the youngest in the conference, and one of the youngest in the country, but Head Coach Coe Michaelson is certain their talent and ambition will continue to drive them to great things.
"Our focus this past year was to bring together the group of young guys who we believe can develop together for the big future goals that we have as a program. Those are to be a WAC champion, a nationally ranked program and a team advancing at the NCAA Tournament," Michaelson said. "We recognize that those are very ambitious goals, and we respect that the WAC has some top sides. It's a conference that has All-Americans, top-25 teams, MLS draft picks and multiple NCAA bids most years, so we understand the challenge. But I also think we took a nice step forward in that regard this year, and I believe we have the foundation of a team that will only get better, given how young and inexperienced we were this past season. So, while we are in no way content, we feel positive about our season and cannot wait to get back on the field again this fall."
A pair of Lancers earned WAC weekly honors, initiated by Thomas Beecham's Defensive Player of the Week award. It came after he led the CBU defense to a pair of shutouts over UTRGV and Houston Baptist, while he netted his first goal of the season against the Huskies.
Just one week later, a big game against Incarnate Word led to recognition for freshman Bryan Iliohan, who was named WAC Offensive Player of the Week and earned a spot on College Soccer News National Men's Team of the Week after scoring both goals in the 2-1 win over the Cardinals.
A mostly new defensive backline that featured two stellar freshmen talents in Thomas Beecham and Antonio Gomez assisted first-year goalkeeper Gage Rogers in the team's defensive improvement. Beecham made an impact on the conference to the tune of an All-WAC Second Team award, one of only two freshmen to make the first or second-team lists. Gomez warranted recognition, too, and earned All-Freshman Team honors, along with 2021 leading scorer Luis Mueller who paced the Lancers with 10 points on three goals and four assists.
Beecham received additional honors from outside the conference when he and captain Chris Heckenberg were named All-Far West Region Second Team by the United Soccer Coaches. They are the first CBU teammates to be named to an all-region team together in the Division I era, and the second and third Lancers to make the list since Preston Judd was named a member of the first team in 2018.
To top off award season, Beecham was the recipient of a pair of national honors. First being named to Top Drawer Soccer's Freshman Best XI Second Team followed by Second Team All-Freshman honors from College Soccer News less than a week later.
The team earned respect through its play in a strong Western Athletic Conference. The squad ended the year with the 76th highest NCAA Division I RPI, the highest ranking in program history. The Lancers also broke through in the polls as they began the season ranked ninth in the Far West Region poll by United Soccer Coaches and proceeded to climb as high as sixth. CBU was present in all eight weeks the poll was released.
The Lancers entered the season with 13 new players and as a team with no true home-field advantage. With on-campus facility improvements ongoing, the team hosted its "home" contests 34 miles west at the Championship Soccer Stadium in Irvine's OC Great Park.
Despite the additional challenge, CBU completed its third season in the WAC in fourth place in the league table, just one point out of third. The Lancers' mix of veteran leadership and new energy blended well to tie for the second-most goals scored in the conference, with 20, and a defense that tallied four shutouts.
The squad is the youngest in the conference, and one of the youngest in the country, but Head Coach Coe Michaelson is certain their talent and ambition will continue to drive them to great things.
"Our focus this past year was to bring together the group of young guys who we believe can develop together for the big future goals that we have as a program. Those are to be a WAC champion, a nationally ranked program and a team advancing at the NCAA Tournament," Michaelson said. "We recognize that those are very ambitious goals, and we respect that the WAC has some top sides. It's a conference that has All-Americans, top-25 teams, MLS draft picks and multiple NCAA bids most years, so we understand the challenge. But I also think we took a nice step forward in that regard this year, and I believe we have the foundation of a team that will only get better, given how young and inexperienced we were this past season. So, while we are in no way content, we feel positive about our season and cannot wait to get back on the field again this fall."
A pair of Lancers earned WAC weekly honors, initiated by Thomas Beecham's Defensive Player of the Week award. It came after he led the CBU defense to a pair of shutouts over UTRGV and Houston Baptist, while he netted his first goal of the season against the Huskies.
Just one week later, a big game against Incarnate Word led to recognition for freshman Bryan Iliohan, who was named WAC Offensive Player of the Week and earned a spot on College Soccer News National Men's Team of the Week after scoring both goals in the 2-1 win over the Cardinals.
⚽️🇳🇱⚽️
Sophomore Bryan Iliohan scored both goals for CBU in Saturday's 2-1 victory against Incarnate Word, an award-worthy performance as he has been named the WAC Offensive Player of the Week!#LanceUp⚔️ pic.twitter.com/9VOGMOXpsI— California Baptist Men's Soccer (@CBUmsoccer) March 8, 2021
A mostly new defensive backline that featured two stellar freshmen talents in Thomas Beecham and Antonio Gomez assisted first-year goalkeeper Gage Rogers in the team's defensive improvement. Beecham made an impact on the conference to the tune of an All-WAC Second Team award, one of only two freshmen to make the first or second-team lists. Gomez warranted recognition, too, and earned All-Freshman Team honors, along with 2021 leading scorer Luis Mueller who paced the Lancers with 10 points on three goals and four assists.
⭐️𝘼𝙇𝙇-𝙒𝘼𝘾 𝙁𝙍𝙀𝙎𝙃𝙈𝙀𝙉 𝙏𝙀𝘼𝙈⭐️
Congrats to Antonio Gomez, Luis Mueller, and Thomas Beecham on being named to the @WACsports Freshman Team! The Lancers future is bright with so much high-quality young talent!#LanceUp⚔️ pic.twitter.com/RHBTWq4a9J— California Baptist Men's Soccer (@CBUmsoccer) April 12, 2021
Beecham received additional honors from outside the conference when he and captain Chris Heckenberg were named All-Far West Region Second Team by the United Soccer Coaches. They are the first CBU teammates to be named to an all-region team together in the Division I era, and the second and third Lancers to make the list since Preston Judd was named a member of the first team in 2018.
To top off award season, Beecham was the recipient of a pair of national honors. First being named to Top Drawer Soccer's Freshman Best XI Second Team followed by Second Team All-Freshman honors from College Soccer News less than a week later.
🏆🏆ANOTHA ONE🏆🏆
Thomas Beecham has been named All-Freshman Second Team by @CSoccerNews for 2020-21! This is his second national award to go with his All-Far West Region Second Team and Second Team All-WAC honors!#LanceUp⚔️ pic.twitter.com/2YWsvNJbyL— California Baptist Men's Soccer (@CBUmsoccer) June 2, 2021
The team earned respect through its play in a strong Western Athletic Conference. The squad ended the year with the 76th highest NCAA Division I RPI, the highest ranking in program history. The Lancers also broke through in the polls as they began the season ranked ninth in the Far West Region poll by United Soccer Coaches and proceeded to climb as high as sixth. CBU was present in all eight weeks the poll was released.
⬆️⬆️⬆️
The Lancers climb three spots to No. 6 in this week's installment of the @UnitedCoaches Far West Region Rankings!#LanceUp⚔️ pic.twitter.com/Un8r1kE0nm— California Baptist Men's Soccer (@CBUmsoccer) March 9, 2021
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