Season Outlook

Coach Todd Beall has turned the Geneva soccer program around and is looking to continue on the work he has done so far. Beall returns for his third season at Geneva with the experience as a coach to win and with some experienced players to get the job done. "I felt we were successful last season because we had the time to prepare and the talent to work with. This season we have just as much talent and even more experience. I’m excited for what our program will be able to do."

The young guns proved to be the difference for the Golden Tornadoes in 2007. After managing only three wins in 2006, Geneva bounced back to post a 12-6 record in 2007. A lot of the recent success can be attributed to the monster of a freshman class that Todd Beall was blessed with a year ago. The growing pains were virtually non-existent as the Golden Tornadoes started off with a 7-1 record last season. "I think the boys did well with the amount of talent we had on our roster. I don’t think anyone expected us to play the way we did right off the bat. This year it’s no secret that we will be able to compete night in and night out."

The young talented freshman class of last year has translated into this years standout sophomores. With a little experience under its belt, Coach Beall hopes that this years team can build on what was accomplished last year. "I was very proud of the job our team did last year with such limited experience. I think that everyone saw the potential in our young players. This year there are some expectations in place, but also the opportunity for young players to step up and come into their own."

Returning players will have to step up in order to replace players lost to graduation in Ryan Henretty and John Hunt, who recieved a first team selection to the east region of the NCCAA last season. This year’s senior class is not without some stand out players. Sam McCracken and Mark Zubrick both recieved post season accolades and will be joined by Jonah Creasy and Coert Voorhees to round out the senior class. Each of these seniors contributed significantly to last year’s achievements and are ready to lead the underclassmen to another winning season. "I can’t say enough about how excited I am to have this year’s senior class lead our team," said Beall, "These kids have come full circle in terms of winning and losing over their years at Geneva. One thing that has never changed is their desire to compete. Now that they have had a taste of winning, I don’t think they will let that go."

Sam McCracken is amoung the returning seniors that understands what it takes to win. McCracken raised some eyebrows last year, en route to posting seven shoutouts and an average of 0.78 goals per game. "Sam gained some recognition in the national spotlight last year and he deserved every bit of it. If he can produce a season even close to what he had last year, I’m confident that we’ll see a lot of games end in our favor."

While the defense will be held down by veteran returners Chris Morshl and Gabe Kleinert, the offense will have its fair share of help coming from underclassmen. The 2007 campaign saw a number of freshmen leading the Golden Tornadoes to an average of 2.11 goals per game. Newcomers Josh Mann, Zac Buffalini, Austin Petrie, Caleb Mulleslman, Johnny Santos, Eric Meyers and Xavier Thibaud will be looked upon to have an immediate impact. A trio of sophomores in Jake McCracken, Kenton Burckhart and Bruce Fox will return to lead Geneva’s offense.

Geneva’s soccer program has made a name for itself and now has something to prove. "We want to show that last year was not just a fluke," said Beall, "We feel that we set the standard in 2007 and hopefully 2008 will yield even better results."