Soccer It was another 11-win season for the Ohio State men’s soccer team in 2006 and the Buckeyes, who were led by six seniors, played for the Big Ten championship and ended the season No. 28 in the final national RPI report.

But when the NCAA tournament field was announced, the Buckeyes were surprisingly not called. That memory stayed with the team through the offseason and now in 2007, Ohio State and its seven seniors aim to erase it completely with a return to the national spotlight.

Head coach John Bluem, who is entering his 11th season and is already Ohio State’s all-time winningest coach, has seven starters back and 13 letterwinners overall and will rely on a senior captain trio of goalkeeper Casey Latchem, defender Eric Brunner and forward Xavier Balc. Brunner and Balc were first-team All-Big Ten picks last year and join Latchem among those the MLS has their eye on for the 2008 draft.

Ohio State has won two Big Ten titles this decade, and all four of the program’s trips to the NCAA tournament have also come under Bluem’s direction, so being left behind last season was hard to take.

“All of our returning players have discussed that not being selected for the NCAA tournament last year did not sit well,” Bluem said. “We definitely want to return to the NCAA tournament and to the Big Ten championship game. We return enough of our key players that we will be strong enough to compete for a Big Ten title. Hopefully we’ll peek at the right time and stay injury free.”

Joining the captains as returning starters are junior midfielders Danny Irizarry in the middle and Geoff March on the right flank, junior Tim Gabel in the central defense and senior Ryan Kustos at forward.

After playing behind MLS draft pick Ray Burse Jr., Latchem had a terrific first year as a starter in 2006 with seven shutouts and a 0.91 goals allowed average. Brunner and Gabel make Ohio State solid in defense despite the loss of central defender Dustin Kirby, who became the seventh Buckeye drafted by an MLS team since 2003.

The midfield was hit hardest by graduation, but returning are Irizarry and Marsh, who will step into leadership roles. All four of Ohio State’s forwards from 2006 are back, including Balc, Kustos and Eric Edwards, along with sophomore Andrew Magill. That group combined to score 12 goals and dish out 13 assists last year, with six of those goals and seven of the assists coming from Balc.

Cross Country
With a decade of coaching experience underneath his belt, Ohio State cross country coach Robert Gary will again challenge his team to secure a spot at the NCAA championships in 2007. Qualifying for six of the last eight national championships, the Buckeyes return an experience and deep squad this fall headlined by 2004 Big Ten Freshman of the Year John Ealy and classmate Alex Bailey.

Assuming additional responsibilities in 2006 as head coach of the track and field team, Gary has acclimated to his new role in the program and is eager to lead the Buckeyes to the top of the standings at the Big Ten Championships set for Oct. 28 at the OSU Golf Course.

With Ealy and Bailey captaining the team, the senior long distance runners are looking to end their senior season on a good note. Last year, Ealy racked up two wins early in the season while Bailey registered Top 3 times in each of the first three meets.

The key to success in 2007 will depend upon the whole team working together. Welcoming back Jeff See, Ohio State’s mile record-holder, from a red-shirt season gives the squad a great boost in the depth chart and filling the Buckeyes’ fourth post will be Chad Balyo for his second season.

As all four returning team members have placed in the Top 20 at previous Big Ten championships, the team would solidify its chance to earn a top position in the rankings with the addition of a fifth member. Gary anticipates Tony Candella, Christopher Olinger and freshman Andy Arnio to make a run at that position when the season kicks off Aug. 31 with a trip to Indiana.

Gary and his team will look to secure back-to-back All-Ohio Championships in defense of its 2006 crown Oct. 5 in Delaware, Ohio.

After opening the championship season on their home turf, the Buckeyes will follow the Big Ten meet with a trip to Bloomington, Ind., for the Great Lakes Regional meet in its quest to qualify for the 2007 NCAA Championships Nov. 19 in Terre Haute, Ind.