2007 CLAYTON STATE MEN'S SOCCER PREVIEW
"Claim it - Live it - Own it" the motto for Lakers in 2007

Pete Petersen has been through his fair share of preseason soccer camps in men’s soccer, both at the college and professional level. And most preseason’s are about the same in terms of optimism and outlook for the upcoming season.

However, if one notices Petersen feeling upbeat about the upcoming 2007 Clayton State men’s soccer season, there’s a reason. As he enters his fourth season at the Laker helm, Petersen is more confident than ever about this season’s team than any previous – and that includes two straight Peach Belt Conference championships and two straight NCAA Division II “Sweet 16” appearances.

“There are some preseason’s where you feel different, and this is one,” said Petersen, who is 35-17-8 in three seasons at Clayton State. “I am happy with how we are coming out of the gates. We have no serious injuries, our fitness level and speed is top-notch and I don’t know how many seasons where we’ve had this much depth at Clayton State.”

Clayton State returns six starters and 12 letterwinners from last year’s 10-9 that won a share of Peach Belt Conference regular season championship. Furthermore, Petersen has assembled an impressive recruiting class of 14 players ranging from prep standouts to Division I transfers that add depth, skill and talent to every spot on the field.

The Lakers’ motto for the 2007 season is “Claim it – Live it – Own it,” and the mission before this squad is nothing less than another Peach Belt title and return trip to the NCAA Division II National Tournament.

FORWARD

“Speed, speed and more speed” is the mantra for Clayton State up top, and the Lakers will give opponents nightmares with its speed, skill, athleticism and scoring prowess in the front.

Senior Tonny Madegwa was off to a stellar season last year, leading the Peach Belt in scoring with five goals and two assists for 12 points through nine games. However, a foot injury forced him to miss the remainder of the season.

Petersen expects Madegwa to be the central figure up front, and that means staying healthy throughout the season. He is one of the fastest forwards in the Peach Belt Conference and dangerous with the ball in the open field.

Should he stay healthy, Madegwa could be one of the top offensive threats in the Peach Belt and a strong All-Peach Belt and All-Southeast Region hopeful.

“He sets the tone up front for us,” Petersen said about Madegwa. “He’s our most experienced player that makes things happen. I hope he has a great year, and he having a healthy senior season is the key.”

Madegwa will have great support up front from sophomore Matthias Faublas and junior Angel Kalinov. Faublas had an exceptional freshman campaign with six goals and two assists, and figures to be a strong All-Peach Belt hopeful. Kalinov, meanwhile, provided great complementary support with three goals and four assists.

Sophomore Ryan Townson will add quality depth up front.

The exciting newcomer, however, is freshman sensation Jamal Geathers. The 5-foot-10, 164-pound speedster is the first ever high school All-American to sign with Clayton State out of high school, and his credentials are impressive

Geathers was a three-time All-State selection at South Aiken High School in Aiken, S.C., not mention the 2005 South Carolina State Player of the Year. In addition, he is part of the U.S. National Team player pool and played on the U.S. National Under-18 team at the 2005 Uraguay Tournament.

"We inherited a well-coached forward," said Petersen about Geathers. "He has strong decision-making, timing on runs, finding the open man and he’s a cold-hearted finisher inside the box. With Geathers, Tonny, Angel and Matthias, the Lakers have more offensive firepower than they’ve ever had.

“We have five fast guys fighting for two or three spots.”

MIDFIELD

Although each area has tremendous depth, the midfield may be the most loaded for the Lakers.
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It starts with the return of All-Peach Belt and All-Southeast Region performers Hailab Habtom and Johnny Lara.

A senior, Habtom came into his own last season, leading the Lakers in scoring with 10 points and 11 assists for 31 points. In fact, he led the Peach Belt in assists and ranked 10^th in the nation in assists, and could contend for Division II All-American honors this season. A junior, Lara made All-Peach Belt for a second straight season with a goal and five assists.

In addition, senior Dean Gilewicz returns after starting every game in the midfield last season, while senior B.J. Livingston is dependable off the Laker bench.

However, the missing link from last season is now the central focal point as team captain Jarrid Nicholson is back and healthy at center midfield. After a stellar 2005 season in which he was the Peach Belt Tournament Most Valuable Player, Nicholson missed all of last season with a knee injury and his leadership was also missed.

However, Nicholson is back and his presence in the midfield will be a big key for the Lakers.

“We missed Jarrid and his leadership,” Petersen said. “He sets the bar so high for the players and demands excellence. What he brings to the table is servant leadership – no job is too big or small.

“But this is also a unit and there’s plenty of depth and talent there.”

Two newcomers are making head waves in the Laker midfield. Freshman Marijan Babic was a club standout in Germany, while sophomore Stephen Dolbeer transferred to the Clayton State program from Division II Tusculum last spring.

Babic has been impressive during the preseason with his play-making abilities, and Petersen has high hopes for the 6-2, 175-pounder.

“He’s a smooth operator, and definitely an artist with the ball,” Petersen said about Babic. “His style is different in that he touches the ball more, but he’s very creative.”

DEFENSE

Long the strong reputation of Clayton State men’s soccer, the defense was a little of a letdown last season for the Lakers. That won’t be the case this season, according to Petersen. While the Lakers are not as big defensively as in recent seasons, there’s more speed, depth and awareness on the backline.

“It’s more of an attacking defense,” Petersen said. “They are smarter with their fouls, even though they still play physical like we are accustomed to playing. However, the big key is they communicate exceptionally well.”

Senior Danny English is in his fourth season as a starter, and has the needed experience in the back, while junior Jordan Gilbert also started last season and was very productive. However, the player who has taken over the leadership role in the back is senior Karl Haggon, a former junior college All-American and a transfer from Division I Marshall.

At 6-2, 200 pounds, Haggon does resemble the Laker defenders of the past with his size, strength and mental toughness. In fact, he’s drawn many comparisons to former Clayton State greats on defense like Marco Capazario, Josh Grenier, Alex Dowling, Scott LeClerc and Andre Rall.

“He’s smart and directs traffic effectively, and that helps everyone,” Petersen said about Haggon. “However, he’s different from our defenders in the past in that he stamps his own signature. This is his last season, and he wants to finish on a positive note.”

In addition to Haggon, senior Wenshel St. Hilaire transfers to Clayton State from Peach Belt rival North Georgia, and will make an immediate impact as well. And sophomore Marquinctez “Q” Jackson will move from midfield to defense to take advantage of his speed and athleticism.

Two newcomers have made great first-time impressions at Clayton State on defense. Freshman Englishman Alex Sethi will provide quality depth in the back and may even start a few games, while freshman Brett Neilsen is another in what is becoming a long line of South African defenders at Clayton State.

He aims to follow in the footsteps of Rall, Dowling and Capazario – the 2001 Peach Belt Player of the Year - as the great South African defenders to wear a Laker uniform.

“The pipeline continues,” Petersen said. “Brett is a class player who will go very far here as he matures. He’s proactive in everything – both on and off the field. From day one, he’s been impressive.”

GOALKEEPER

Over the last eight or so years, Clayton State has been blessed with stellar goalkeepers in All-Southeast Region standouts Warren van der Westhuizen and Heath Padgett. However, a new face will be manning the net for the Lakers in 2007.

The battle is currently being waged between senior Janiel Simon and junior Billy Hale.

If Simon’s name is familiar, it should be. He was a standout back in 2002 at former Peach Belt rival USC-Upstate and was a junior college All-American prior to that. The goalkeeper for the Antiguan National Team, Simon is giving it one final run as a senior.

Hale transferred to Clayton State from Truett-McConnell College at the spring semester break and enjoyed a stellar spring learning the Clayton State system in goal. Freshman J.C. Williams will be a capable back-up this season in the net.

“Billy and Janiel are battling every week,” Petersen said. “Janiel was a little rusty early on, but that rust has pretty much wore off. (Assistant coach) Warren (van der Westhuizen) is one of the top goalkeeper coaches around, and he knows how to polish any keeper and correct the bad habits.”

SCHEDULE/OUTLOOK

Last season, Clayton State played arguably one of the toughest schedules in the nation at the Division II level, and this season is no different. This season, the Lakers will play 13 games within the Southeast Region of Division II, and that includes three teams that advanced to the NCAA Division II National Tournament last season.

Clayton State will play 11 home games this season within the friendly confines of Laker Field. It all starts on Aug. 24 with an inter-regional showdown against Tampa at 7:30 p.m. In addition, Clayton State also plays host to the Laker Shootout again on Labor Day weekend – Aug. 31 against Belmont Abbey and Sept. 1 against Anderson.

In addition, the Lakers also play five more non-conference home games. The headliner is Oct. 24 against defending Conference Carolinas champion Limestone, which went 13-3-1 last season in advancing to the “Sweet 16” of the NCAA Division II National Tournament. Also visiting Laker Field are Savannah College of Art and Design and former Laker head coach John Rootes on Sept. 12, plus Tusculum on Sept. 15, area Division III power Emory on Oct. 3 and North Greenville on Oct. 16.

The Clayton State non-conference road slate should be just as challenging. The Lakers are at pesky Lees-McRae on Sept. 6 and Brevard on Sept. 7, plus Erskine on Sept. 19 and NCAA Tournament participant Montevallo on Oct. 9.

Despite the loss of longtime power USC-Upstate to NCAA Division I status, Clayton State still faces a stellar Peach Belt Conference schedule. The key showdowns are road battles at USC-Aiken on Sept. 22, at Georgia Southwestern on Oct. 13, and a possible conference title tilt at NCAA participant Lander on Oct. 20. The Lakers play host to UNC-Pembroke on Sept. 29, North Georgia on Oct. 6 and Francis Marion in the regular season finale on Oct. 27.

“We try not to pad the schedule,” Petersen said. “You try to play great teams that are close and bring in quality teams for home games. It prepares us for the next step, which is the NCAA Division II National Tournament.”