Anteaters shun rebuilding label

Barry Faulkner

With 12 freshmen and two community college transfers on a 30-player

roster that includes just three seniors, the future looks bright for

the UC Irvine men’s soccer team. But Coach George Kuntz and his

Anteaters aren’t inclined to shut the blind on immediate success in

2003.

“I’ll tell you what,” Kuntz said days before tonight’s 7:30 season

opener against Fresno State in the UC Irvine College Classic

christens the program’s newly polished stadium. “We’re going for

broke and you can print that. Our guys love to play and compete in

everything we do.”

The Anteaters (8-8-4 last year, despite a 6-1-1 road record) are

picked third in the six-team Big West Conference preseason coaches’

poll and Kuntz believes his diverse unit may have what it takes to

surpass UC Santa Barbara and Cal State Northridge (No. 1 and No. 2,

respectively).

“We lost more than 10 players from last year’s team, so others may

tend to view this as a rebuilding year for us,” Kuntz said. “But we

don’t look at it that way.”

Despite a big personnel parade out the door, UCI returners

accounted for 20 of last year’s 27 goals and 11 of the team’s 26

assists.

Injuries to key players last year helped foster some of those

numbers, but Kuntz believes a blend of experience and incoming talent

puts the ‘Eaters in good shape.

“The strength of this team is its diversity,” Kuntz said. “We have

a number of different weapons, we have speed, quite a bit of skill

and we’ve added a little size. And, we’re deep in several positions,

something we haven’t had in the past.”

Kuntz said he likes the chemistry of his team, but admits that the

true process of coming together can be accomplished only with

competition.

“We need a few games under our belt,” he said. “I think we’re like

a car that hasn’t been tested on the road yet. But it’s very, very

possible it’s going to be a well-run, well-oiled machine.”

Those hoping to propel the ball into the net will be talented

junior forwards Sebastian Galmarini, Dardo Acuna and Lerato Simelane,

while junior midfielder Efrain Salcedo scored a team-high seven goals

in 2002.

Acuna collected four goals and four assists, despite missing much

of the season with a torn knee ligament, Galmarini sat out last

season with a hip flexor injury and Simelane also missed time in ’02

with a torn knee ligament, Kuntz said.

Kuntz said freshman Brad Evans, out of Arizona, could also

contribute right away up front.

Senior Anthony Vizcarra (two goals and one assist last season)

could be an anchor in the midfield, where some newcomers may combine

with the aforementioned Salcedo to add production.

Doug Franco prepped at El Toro High, while fellow freshman Anthony

Hamilton emerges from Colton High. Kuntz also identified sophomore

Chris Klotz as a potential midfield contributor.

Senior Chris Ruiz, freshman Cameron Dunn (Alta Loma High) and

sophomore Sergio Rivera are among those who will form the back line,

which will support a goalkeeping corps led by junior Cameron Rossi.

Sophomore Ryan Mathy is expected to start in goal tonight for

Rossi, who is still recovering from a back problem Kuntz classified

as minor.

“[Rossi] might break every goalkeeping record before he’s through

at UCI,” Kuntz said.

Unlike women’s soccer, the Big West men will have no postseason

tournament. But the conference champion, for the first time, will

receive an automatic NCAA bid, Kuntz said.

In addition to the conference grind that begins Oct. 15 at home

against Cal State Northridge, Kuntz believes the Anteaters play one

of the most arduous schedules in the nation.

“We play six teams that made the NCAA Tournament last year and we

play a couple of those twice,” Kuntz said. “We’ve incrementally

stepped up our schedule and, I’d argue, it’s as tough as anyone in

the country. We don’t back down from anyone.”