DePaul University Athletics
Class of 2009: "What a Special Group of Guys"
10/20/2009 12:00:00 AM | MEN'S SOCCER
CHICAGO - There were never any guarantees, no promises made to the nine soccer players who will walk onto Wish Field Saturday for their final regular-season home game.
When seven of them made DePaul their college choice four years ago, the Blue Demons had gone 4-11-2 overall and 2-8-1 in their first season in the BIG EAST.
Steffen Vroom had been a freshman on that 2005 team and Andrew Kron would join this adventurous band of risk-takers in 2007.
But for Alex Mangan, Patrick Hopkins, Mark Plotkin, Nathan Feltz, Erich Reichmann, Peter Sterbenz and Mike Williams, coming to DePaul meant facing the unknown while taking on a formidable challenge.
They stuck together through good times and bad, trusting in their own talent and character while never losing sight of coach Craig Blazer's vision of unprecedented success.
That freshman season, the Blue Demons qualified for the BIG EAST Championship tournament.
As sophomores, they helped DePaul win the Red Division title, advance to the BIG EAST final four and earn a berth in the NCAA tournament.
As juniors, they sparked the Blue Demons to another BIG EAST final four appearance and put together the first back-to-back winning seasons in the program's 28-year history.
"This senior class took a chance coming to DePaul," Blazer said. "Each guy who came in wanted to be a part of building a winning tradition---and they have done just that.
"It's pretty remarkable."
The one side effect of winning is that it demands more and more. DePaul's chances for further postseason glory could hinge on a pair of critical matches this week--- 3 p.m. Wednesday at No. 16 Butler and the 1 p.m. Senior Day match against BIG EAST competitor Syracuse.
"In the course of their careers, these seniors have gone from a successful underdog to Red Division champ and NCAA qualifier back to their original underdog role," Blazer said. "We'll be the underdog on Wednesday against a very good Butler team that is nationally ranked and has an RPI (NCAA's Ratings Percentage Index) of 11."
Butler (9-1-1) is riding a five-game unbeaten streak that includes a 2-1 victory over then-No. 14 Indiana. The Bulldogs are 3-0 at the Butler Bowl and are led by a stellar pair of goalkeepers who have combined to give up just seven goals this season.
Nick Hegeman has only been scored upon twice in four matches and has a goals-against average of 0.46 while Fabian Knopfler has given up five goals in seven matches for a GAA of 0.71. Each has a pair of shutouts.
Butler has outscored its opponents 17-7, outpointed them 49-23 and outshot them 169-117. The Bulldogs have unleashed 66 shots on goal to 39 for the opposition.
The Bulldog attack is led by Boris Gatzky with four goals and six assists for 14 points and Matt Hedges with four goals and one assist for nine points.
Syracuse is 2-12-0 overall and 1-7-0 in the BIG EAST, having been outscored 29-12. Opponents are outpointing the Orange 85-37 and outshooting it 201-162 with 97 shots on goal compared to Syracuse's 69.
Hansen Woodruff (four goals, two assists) and To Perevegyencev (four goals, one assist) are the top scoring threats.
Syracuse will run into an emotional Blue Demon team.
"What I'm going to miss is the trusting relationship we established early on," Blazer said about his seniors. "There was an unspoken trust that if they worked hard as players and we as coaches continued to enhance the environment and bring in quality student-athletes---that together we would move this program forward.
"I'm going to miss the way each of these players is holding up his end of the bargain.
There are certain memories embedded in Blazer's mind when he thinks about the class of 2009.
"I'll always remember how two years ago, we won 2-0 at St. John's and there were 50 fans from the Reichmann and Sterbenz families cheering us on," Blazer said. "I'll remember the 1-0 win in double-overtime against Syracuse and the 1-0 BIG EAST quarterfinal win over Cincinnati from two years ago.
"I'll think of last year's win over No. 10 USF and the game we tied with St. John's when they were ranked No. 4 in the country.
"I'll remember all the late-game heroics by Mangan and all the big goals by Vroom.
"What a special group of guys."