Bring back the magic

The 2015 soccer season was a special one for the John Brown University men's soccer team, and one that ended a bit too soon.

The Golden Eagles (13-6-1, 8-1 Sooner Athletic Conference) had their best conference winning percentage (.888) they've ever had during the regular season. JBU advanced to the Sooner Athletic Conference Tournament semifinals, where it saw its season come to an end on its home field with a heartbreaking 2-1 loss in double overtime to Southwestern Christian (Okla.), just two wins short of an NAIA National Tournament appearance.

The way the season ended stuck with the Golden Eagles during the winter and spring and through the summer, according to fourth-year head coach Scott Marksberry.

"There's a lot on this team. They feel ready," said Marksberry, who is 30-23-5 as JBU men's coach, including a 16-9-3 mark in SAC play. Prior to coaching the men, Marksberry led the JBU women's team for two seasons.

"We came up two games short last year," Marksberry said. "They really wanted a shot at the national tournament. In the spring when the guys were working, that's what they were talking about. We've set up a schedule to give us a shot at that. There are tough games, challenging games for us. Our conference is so competitive."

JBU was picked to finish second in the Sooner Athletic Conference by the league coaches.

The season begins for the Golden Eagles at 5 p.m. Saturday against Lyon at Alumni Field, a place where they only gave up three goals all season last year.

"If we can do that again, we'll be in great shape," Marksberry said. "I think the boys are ready. They're motivated. We've just got to get the pieces together."

JBU's roster is compiled of 26 players, but only two of them are seniors and four are juniors. The rest are sophomores and freshmen.

"We've got a really young team -- a very, very, young team," Marksberry said. "There's a lot of youth out there."

Redshirt junior goalkeeper Adam Holt sets up the Golden Eagles' defense after earning 54 saves in 16 games last season. Holt missed the final games with an injury that prevented him from playing in the postseason.

Holt spent the entire 2013 season as a redshirt freshman learning the Golden Eagles' defensive system. Over the next two years he's been like another coach on the field, Marksberry said.

"He's my voice on the field," Marksberry said. "He's got the guys organized. He's the unquestioned general of the field. Everybody knows his voice and he usually loses (his voice) every game. He keeps a tight ship across the back line for sure."

Sophomore Connor Georgopulos finished the 2015 season in goal for JBU and finished with a 3-1 record in four games with 13 saves. Georgopulos and sophomore Britt Wisener will back up Holt in goal.

JBU plays a 4-3-3 formation in front of goal, and the Golden Eagles have a glaring hole to fill.

Douglas Oliveira, the 2015 SAC Defensive Player of the Year as a sophomore for JBU, is no longer with the school and now plays for Indiana Wesleyan. Oliveira was also a SAC First-Team selection.

It was an unexpected offseason loss for the Golden Eagles, who are trying to regroup in the defensive backfield.

JBU does return sophomore defender Giovanni Bejarano, who was a first-team all-conference defender. He'll start at center back.

Senior Daniel Marulanda also could be a candidate to start at the other center back position. Bejarano and Marulanda had two assists each last season.

Sophomore Santiago Venegas missed most of last season with a concussion and a groin injury. Marksberry expects him to be back and full strength and be not only one of the Golden Eagles' top players but the conference's as well at left defensive back.

"I expect him to be the best left back in the whole conference," Marksberry said. "He's a really nice player."

Sophomore Hazeley Pyle seems to have the inside track on the starting right back position, Marksberry said.

Sophomores James Pollard, of Siloam Springs, and David Moots, and freshmen Ryan Smith, Estiven Saldarriaga and Tim Huffine are also battling for playing time at the defensive back spots.

"We've got some good competition back there for sure," Marksberry said.

The Golden Eagles typically play three midfielders but they can add more if the situation demands it.

First-team all-conference junior Collin Smith and second-team all-conference sophomore Ryan Williams return from last year's team.

Smith scored three goals and tallied five assists and started 17 games for JBU.

"Collin is the engine that makes our team run," Marksberry said. "He's the heartbeat of the team. He never stops. This guy is relentless. He runs and runs and runs. He makes everybody else's job a little bit easier because of all the work he puts in."

Williams tied for the team-lead with five goals and led with seven assists. He also started 17 games.

"If we were going to highlight a single player to watch, (Williams) would be the guy," Marksberry said. "He's the real deal. He's a good player. Ryan, I think he probably sees and thinks the game at a higher level maybe than anybody in our conference. He's extremely intelligent as a player. He sees spaces and weaknesses in our opponents that he can identify quickly. He makes others around him better. They play better because they're near him."

Sophomores Axel Betancourt and Jorge Cea of Rogers, along with freshman Joao Silva and Amilcar Gonzalez of Springdale are also competing in the midfield spots.

Gonzalez is a redshirt freshman who missed last season because of an injury.

"If we can get him healthy I think he'll be a significant player for us," Marksberry said.

Senior forward Marco Cardona scored four goals and tallied two assists as a junior last season. He suffered an ACL injury and it looks like it could keep him out for this season.

Freshman Ashby Clark of Poteau could be a candidate to replace Cardona up front.

"People like watching Ashby play because he can do a flip throw-in," Marksberry said. "He can throw it 60 yards on a flip throw. In one of our spring games this spring, we scored a goal on a flip throw. As a coach I've always hated other teams that used those as a weapon, but the reason is because I never had anyone that could do it. I'm a huge fan all of the sudden."

The Golden Eagles return sophomore Kelvin Omondi, who scored five goals and had two assists in only 12 games played. He had to sit out early last season as issues with his eligibility were being sorted out. The Golden Eagles are looking for a full season out of him at an outside forward spot.

"I think he's going to be pretty dangerous this year," Marksberry said.

Conner Haney, a sophomore, could play in the middle or out wide.

Freshman Bernard Mwangi just arrived at JBU after playing for Kenya's Under-17 national team. He's a forward along with junior transfer Steve Teshima and freshman Connor Christians and sophomore Corey Ferguson.

NOTES: JBU played an exhibition "friendly" on Tuesday, Aug. 16, at Northeast Oklahoma A&M in Miami, Okla. Results were not available at presstime.