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Men’s Soccer Gearing up for Fall On Saturday, April 2, the Raiders will play at Loyola, and a week later will take on DePaul at Toyota Park’s training field. In 2010, the Raiders finished the season with a 16-2 record and rankings in both the National Soccer Coaches Association of America Junior College Men’s Division I Poll and the National Junior College Athletic Association Division I Top 15 National Poll under head coach Steve Brody. In addition, the Raiders won an NJCAA Region IV Championship for the first time in College history. “When you finish the season nationally ranked simultaneously in two polls, teams want to play you,” Brody commented.
Men’s Soccer Players Garner Postseason Honors Sophomore defender Alexios Fronimos (Meligala High School, Kalamata, Greece) was selected as an NJCAA Second Team All-American and honored as the NJCAA Region IV Player of the Year. Freshman forward Remone Gordon (Senn), who finished the 2010 season as the No. 11 leading scorer in NJCAA Division I with 52 points, was selected as a National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Second Team All-American and voted the ISCC Player of the Year “I can’t tell you how proud I am of the recognition Alex and Remone are receiving,” said head coach Steven Brody, who guided the Raiders to a 15-2-1 overall record and 7-0 mark in the ISCC. “Both of these players show up ready to work hard and improve their game every day of the season. They lead by example and a coach can’t ask any more from any player. The fact that they also were selected as regional and conference players of the year speaks volumes about the impression they left with opposing coaches. This is the first time our program has had two All-Americans in the same year. That says as much about how far our program has come as it does about the talent of these two players.” Fronimos and Gordon also were selected to the NSCAA North Region All-Region First Team while freshman midfielder Milan Gacanovic (Maine South), freshman defender Juan Angel Herrera (Maine West), and sophomore goalkeeper Matthew Laine (Lakes) were selected to the NSCAA North Region All-Region Second Team. The NSCAA North Region includes players from Illinois, Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio. In addition, Fronimos, Gordon, Gacanovic and Laine were voted to the NJCAA Region IV All-Region First Team while Herrera was recognized as a member of the Region IV All-Region Second Team. Region IV of the NJCAA includes players from teams throughout northern Illinois. Seven Raiders were honored as members of the ISCC All-Conference First Team including Fronimos, Gordon, Gacanovic, Laine, sophomore defender Drew Tsuruda (Glenbrook North), sophomore defender Daniel Braubach (Niles North), and freshman midfielder Krystian Dudek (Maine South). Herrera, sophomore forward Travis Samuels (Senn), sophomore goalkeeper Ogar Khoshaba (Niles West), freshman midfielder Girmay Berhe (Senn), and freshman midfielder Stefan Djuric (New Trier) were selected to the ISCC All-Conference Second Team. “We’ve never had this many players selected to postseason squads before,” said Brody. Not to be left out, Brody also was honored as the NJCAA Region IV Coach of the Year and the ISCC Coach of the Year. In his 11 years as the men’s head coach this is Brody’s third selection as Region IV Coach of the Year and fifth as ISCC Coach of the Year. As a team, the Raiders finished the 2010 season No. 6 in the final NSCAA national poll and No. 9 in the final NJCAA national poll. This marks the first time the men’s soccer program has finished in the top 10 in either national poll.
Men's Soccer Eyeing National Championship The Raiders are ranked ninth in the nation in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America Junior College Men’s Division I Poll released on Tuesday, Oct. 26, and No. 11 in the NJCAA Division I Top 15 National Poll published on Oct. 27. . Men’s Soccer Earns National Ranking
The nationally ranked Oakton Community College men’s soccer team dominated the Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference postseason awards as forward Remone Gordon was named Player of the Year and Steve Brody was honored as Coach of the Year. In addition, seven players, including Gordon, earned a position on the Skyway Conference First Team, and five players were selected for the second team. First team selections also included goalkeeper Matt Laine; defenders Alexios Fronimos, Drew Tsuruda, and Daniel Braubach; and midfielders Krystian Dudek and Milan Gacanovic. Goalkeeper Ogar Khosaba; defender Juan Angel Herrera; midfielders Girmay Berhe and Stefan Djuric; and forward Travis Samuels were named to the second team. In addition to the Skyway Conference awards, five players received all-region honors. Laine, Fronimos, Gacanovic, and Gordon were NJCAA Region IV First Team selections and Herrera garnered a spot on the second team. The Raiders (13-1) host an NJCAA Region IV quarterfinal match at 2:30 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 23. Oakton will play the winner of the Kishwaukee/College of Lake County match, scheduled on Wednesday, Oct. 20. Men’s Soccer Increases Unbeaten Conference Streak to 21
The Illinois Skyway champions finish the regular season Saturday, Oct. 16, when they host Daley College, at 2 p.m. The Raiders begin the postseason on Wednesday, Oct. 20, when the NJCAA Region IV Tournament starts. The winner of the Region IV Tournament advances to the NJCAA Division I Men’s Soccer National Championship in Tyler, Texas, scheduled Nov. 18 – 21. On the season, freshman forward Remone Gordon leads the Raiders in scoring (19 goals, 10 assists). His 48 points is fourth best in NJCAA Division I. Sophomore goaltenders Ogar Khoshaba and Matthew Laine have combined for eight shutouts and 59 saves on the season. Raiders Three-peat as Conference Champions In conference play, the Raiders have dominated their competition. The Raiders have posted four shutouts while outscoring their conference foes, 26-2. On the season, freshman forward Remone Gordon leads the Raiders in scoring (17 goals, 7 assists). His 41 points is third best in NJCAA Division I. Men’s Soccer Aims for Another Conference Title Freshman forward Remon Gordon tallied three goals in Oakton’s victory over Prairie State. On the season, Gordon boasts 10 goals in five matches. His 20 points ranks No. 6 in scoring in NJCAA Division I. For the season, the Raiders have outscored opponents, 12-1. Sophomore Matthew Laine is one of the best goalkeepers in the nation. He has surrendered just one goal in 21 chances and Tuesday’s contest was his third consecutive shutout. Laine’s miniscule .25 goals against average ranks No. 4 in NJCAA Division I. Oakton looks to increase its unbeaten streak in conference play to 18 on Tuesday, September 21, when the Raiders host College of Lake County at 4 p.m. Soccer Alumni Succeeding in Classroom While at Oakton, Anthony Stavropoulos (2007) and Gisela Gomez (2008) boasted impressive athletic resumes that included each being named all-conference and all-region players. Their hard work on the soccer field carried over to the classroom as both can call themselves honors graduates. Stavropoulos graduated this May with a 3.71 GPA from Elmhurst College, while Gomez earned a 3.82 GPA at Loyola University Chicago. Both Stavropoulos and Gomez say they owe a great deal of their academic accomplishments to Steve Brody, who doubles as both Oakton’s men’s and women’s soccer coach. “Playing for Coach Brody provided me with a high level of discipline,” said Stavropoulos. “He kept me on my toes and always stressed that academics came before soccer.” That academic nudging paid dividends for Gomez, who graduated with high honors from Oakton with a 3.78 GPA. While a Raider, she also was honored as a Distinguished Academic All-American by the National Junior College Athletic Association. “Coach Brody pushes you to not only be a better athlete, but to be an even better student,” said Gomez, who was the leading scorer for Oakton’s women’s soccer team in 2006 and 2007. “He sees your potential and encourages you to always give your all. He’s very supportive and taught me good study habits that helped me not only at Oakton, but at Loyola as well.” Stavropoulos majored in philosophy at Elmhurst and plans on studying humanities at graduate school in the Netherlands. He also credits Brody for influencing him in other ways. “He asked me to join his women’s coaching staff as an assistant a few years ago,” Stavropoulos said. “Coach Brody plays a critical role in how I coach. I try to follow his lead to serve as an example for players. When I attend grad school, I plan on pursuing coaching courses.” Gomez, who earned her bachelor’s degree in social work from Loyola, intends on attending Dominican University in the fall and pursuing a master’s degree in social work. Other soccer alumni also have recently displayed prowess in the classroom. Christian Davila (2007), a 2010 graduate of University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, has his eyes set on a career as an aerospace engineer. Davila served as an undergraduate research assistant at UIUC’s internationally known aerospace engineering department and aspires to develop models for flight simulation. “A career in aerospace will allow me to be creative while following my passion for applied physics,” he said. Soccer Alumni Succeeding in Classroom While at Oakton, Anthony Stavropoulos (2007) and Gisela Gomez (2008) boasted impressive athletic resumes that included each being named all-conference and all-region players. Their hard work on the soccer field carried over to the classroom as both can call themselves honors graduates. Stavropoulos graduated this May with a 3.71 GPA from Elmhurst College, while Gomez earned a 3.82 GPA at Loyola University Chicago. Both Stavropoulos and Gomez say they owe a great deal of their academic accomplishments to Steve Brody, who doubles as both Oakton’s men’s and women’s soccer coach. “Playing for Coach Brody provided me with a high level of discipline,” said Stavropoulos. “He kept me on my toes and always stressed that academics came before soccer.” That academic nudging paid dividends for Gomez, who graduated with high honors from Oakton with a 3.78 GPA. While a Raider, she also was honored as a Distinguished Academic All-American by the National Junior College Athletic Association. “Coach Brody pushes you to not only be a better athlete, but to be an even better student,” said Gomez, who was the leading scorer for Oakton’s women’s soccer team in 2006 and 2007. “He sees your potential and encourages you to always give your all. He’s very supportive and taught me good study habits that helped me not only at Oakton, but at Loyola as well.” Stavropoulos majored in philosophy at Elmhurst and plans on studying humanities at graduate school in the Netherlands. He also credits Brody for influencing him in other ways. “He asked me to join his women’s coaching staff as an assistant a few years ago,” Stavropoulos said. “Coach Brody plays a critical role in how I coach. I try to follow his lead to serve as an example for players. When I attend grad school, I plan on pursuing coaching courses.” Gomez, who earned her bachelor’s degree in social work from Loyola, intends on attending Dominican University in the fall and pursuing a master’s degree in social work. Other soccer alumni also have recently displayed prowess in the classroom. Christian Davila (2007), a 2010 graduate of University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, has his eyes set on a career as an aerospace engineer. Davila served as an undergraduate research assistant at UIUC’s internationally known aerospace engineering department and aspires to develop models for flight simulation. “A career in aerospace will allow me to be creative while following my passion for applied physics,” he said. NJCAA Player of the Week
(Oct. 20, 2009)
Raiders Claim Skyway Conference Crown Again The Raiders (10-5-2, 5-0-2) trailed 1-0 at the half against Morton, but came out with a vengeance after the break. Freshman forward Ionut Ciocan (Niles West) scored the equalizing goal and sophomore midfielder Biruk Lemma (Niles West) rounded out the scoring with his two second-half goals. “The best we’ve played all season was the last 45 minute of the Morton game,” said head coach Steve Brody, who also guided the Raiders to conference titles in 2003, 2004, and 2008. “In the first half, we dribbled too much and Morton was up to the task. We made adjustments in the second half by being more direct and that made all the difference.” The victory gave Oakton 17 points in the conference, while Morton concluded league play with 16 points. “Morton is a good team and I never felt comfortable even when we had the lead,” said Brody. The lone goal, scored on a penalty kick, was the first surrendered by freshman goalkeeper John Michael Kulnig (Maine South) in conference play this season. Kulnig finished with six shutouts and a 0.14 goals against average in the Illinois Skyway. “Winning our conference was one of our goals at the start of the season,” said Brody. “However, once the game was over, the coaching staff was already preparing for the playoffs on the bus ride home. Now it’s time to set our sights on another team goal – winning the regional championship.” In the NJCAA Region IV Tournament, Brody said he expects Oakton to be either a No. 1 or No. 2 seed. Pairings and schedules for the tournament will be announced on Monday, October 19. For All the Marbles “It’s pretty simple,” said head coach Steve Brody. “We have to win. If we tie or lose we’ll finish third in the conference. It’s all or nothing for the conference title. Morton is a great team and we’ll need to be on top of our game.” Oakton remains undefeated in the conference with a 3-0-2 record, while Morton is 5-0-1. Teams earn three points for a conference win and one point for a tie. Heading into Tuesday’s showdown, Morton holds the slight 16-14 advantage in conference points. The Raiders have good reason to be optimistic going into their final conference game as Oakton has outscored conference foes 11-0 this season. Goalkeeper John Michael Kulnig (Maine South) is one of the top netminders in the country with his 0.58 goals against average. “Our goalkeeping has been outstanding,” said Brody. “Letting up no goals in the conference not only says a great deal about Kulnig’s ability, but also speaks volume about our team defensively.” Offensively, the Raiders are led by sophomore forward Kamil Szcepanski (Niles West), who leads the team with 18 points (7 goals, 4 assists), and freshman midfielder/forward Ionut Ciocan (Niles West), who boasts 14 points (4 goals, 6 assists). Both are nationally ranked for their offensive prowess. On Tuesday, October 6, the Raiders secured a 2-0 win over McHenry County College to set up the all-or-nothing game with Morton. Ciocan scored the first goal against Oakton’s conference foe at the 55th minute on an assist from Alex Nagatkin (Niles North). Szcepanski put the game out of reach scoring on an unassisted goal at the 84th minute.
Men’s Soccer Rakes in Postseason Awards In the Illinois Skyway, sophomore forward Erwin Cruz (Steinmetz) was named Player of the Year and Steve Brody was recognized as Coach of the Year. This is the fourth time since 2003 an Oakton athlete was named Player of the Year and third time Brody received Coach of the Year honors. The Raiders also placed six players on the All-Conference First Team, including Cruz, sophomore midfielder Octavian Curtean (Stevenson), sophomore defender Nermin Dautovic (Mather), freshman midfielder Wesley Hollis (Schaumburg), freshman goalkeeper Matt Laine (Lakes), and freshman midfielder Biruk Lemma (Lake View). Honorable Mention selections included sophomore midfielder Jaime Kriticos (Niles West), sophomore defender Miralem Mahmutovic (Senn), sophomore forward Alen Smjecanin (Roosevelt), and freshman forward Kamil Szczepansk (Niles West). The NJCAA selected 10 Raiders to the Region IV All-Region Team. Dautovic and Cruz were named to the First Team and Curtean, Hollis, Lemma, and Laine were Second Team selections. Honorable Mention nods went to Smjecanin, Szczepansk, Kriticos, and Mahmutovic. Six members of the Raiders 2008 squad also were recognized by the NSCAA. Dautovic and Curtean were named to the North Region All-Region First Team; Cruz, Szczepansk, and Hollis were selected to the All-Region Second Team; and Smjecanin was named as an Honorable Mention. The NSCAA North Region includes junior college soccer players from Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio. “We’re certainly well represented and I’m very proud of all of our honorees,” said Brody. “It’s great that so many of our players made an impact and were noticed for their all-around abilities and leadership.”
Raiders Claim Conference Crown With the win, the Raiders remain perfect (6-0) in conference play with one league match remaining. Oakton secured the title as no other team in the league can finish with as many conference wins as the Raiders. The title was the Raiders third conference championship. Oakton last won the Illinois Skyway title when they secured back-to-back championships in 2003 and 2004. In the win over the Fighting Scots, the Raiders scored twice in the second half on goals by freshman midfielder Biruk Lemma and sophomore striker Erwin Cruz. Lemma’s goal was assisted by freshman striker Kamil Szepanski. While the Raider’s defense and freshman goalkeeper Matt Laine aimed for the shutout, McHenry scored a fluke goal in the 86th minute on a deflection off the foot of a Fighting Scots striker. Looking to secure a perfect conference record, the Raiders play their final conference match on Tuesday, Oct. 7, at Elgin Community College. Flooding
Update
Men’s Soccer Downs South Suburban Leading 4-1 with 15 minutes remaining in the match, the Raiders held off a late South Suburban charge. The Bulldogs struck for goals in the 74th and 82nd minute to narrow the gap to 4-3. However, the Raiders defense was able to sustain a furious attack in the final eight minutes. The Raiders struck first, scoring on a goal in the 9th minute by sophomore striker Erwin Cruz. Sophomore striker Alen Smjecanin and freshman midfielder Wesley Hollis also scored goals for Oakton. Starting on Thursday, Aug. 28, the Raiders will compete in the Missouri Junior College Invitational. Oakton’s next home match is scheduled for 4 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 2, when the Raiders host Morton College, the defending Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference champions.
Soccer Standout Offers His ‘Teachable Moment’ Reimer was a defenseman on one of the most decorated teams in Oakton history. Along the way to earning the College’s first ever Skyway Community College Athletic Conference Championship, Steve Brody’s 2003 squad finished the season with a school record 16 wins. Reimer garnered individual accolades as he was named to the Skyway Community College Conference All-Conference Team, as well as the NJCAA Region IV All-Region Team. “Playing at Oakton honestly was the best soccer experience I ever had,” said Reimer, whose soccer is now limited to occasional late-night sessions at the University of Chicago. “I will always remember my time playing soccer at Oakton. The teams I played on had enormous focus and chemistry. All the players really clicked.” Looking to earn a doctorate in order to teach at the college level, Reimer credits Oakton’s supporting environment for inspiring his career decision. “Oakton was a good starting point for me,” he said. “Coming out of high school, I didn’t know what I wanted to do. All I knew was that I wanted to play soccer. At Oakton I was impressed that the focus is on teaching. Professors at Oakton aren’t concentrating all their time on writing books or doing research, so they are able to focus on teaching.” Reimer would recommend the community college experience for any student. “At Oakton I was
able to take various classes while not paying thousands of dollars,”
he said. “I would urge incoming students to go into a community
college with an open mind and experience as many things as they
can. That’s what’s benefited me the most.” Men’s
Soccer Coach Guides Illinois Select Team to National Title Brody, along with former Oakton assistant men’s soccer coach Minos Vlamakis, coached the Illinois men’s Select Team during the three-day tournament. Select teams are composed of the best amateur players in a state’s soccer association. Three former Oakton players, Adnan Ejupovic (2003-04), Alen Malkoc (2004-05), and Elmedin Zukic (2004), also were members of the national championship team. Illinois opened the competition with a 1-0 victory over Utah on Saturday, Jan. 19, and defeated Eastern New York, 3-2, the following day. In the finals on Sunday, Jan. 21, Illinois secured the championship with a convincing 6-0 win over North Texas. Brody and Vlamakis also coached the Illinois men’s Select Team to the 2007 national championship held in Tampa, Florida. The George F. Donnelly Cup, hosted by USASA, is a high quality tournament featuring elite teams from across the country. The competition is named after George F. Donnelly, president of the former National Soccer League and a prominent figure in promoting soccer in the United States.
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