December 1, 2001
2001 MEN'S SOCCER REVIEW
VIKINGS FINISH FIRST SEASON UNDER SCOTT MEJIA 11-5-2 FOR SEVENTH STRAIGHT YEAR WITH AT LEAST 10 WINS; ALEX CASTILLO & MIKE DIEHL TAKE MVP HONORS
There may have been a new head coach for the Augustana Vikings men's soccer team in the 2001 season but one thing stayed the same. The Blue & Gold managed to eclipse the 10 victory mark for the seventh straight season with an 11-5-2 overall record and a 2-2-2 record in the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin.
Scott Mejia took over as the head coach last spring, replacing Bob Estabrook, who stepped down following the 2000 season as the winningest coach in Augustana history with an 82-45-10 record. It was business as usual for the Vikings, who have been in the double digit column for victories a total of 17 times since 1982, including 13 times in the last 14 years.
Junior Alex Castillo (Elgin Larkin HS, Elgin, IL) was selected as the team's Most Valuable Offensive Player while senior Mike Diehl (Wheaton Warrenville South HS, Wheaton, IL) was tabbed as the Most Valuable Defensive Player. Castillo scored one goal and had seven assists for a total of nine points. Diehl was a pivotal member of the defense that allowed 25 goals in 19 games, an average of 1.31 per game and posted five shutouts.
Diehl and freshman midfielder Robert Verchota (Wheaton North HS, Winfield, IL) were both second team all-conference selections in the CCIW.
Sophomore Jason Ross (St. Viator HS, Elk Grove, IL) led the Vikings in scoring this past fall with 12 goals and four assists for a total of 28 points. He started his season with two goals and an assist in a 5-2 victory over Marycrest on September 4 and then followed that up with two goals in a 3-2 overtime victory at Cornell on September 6. He closed out the year with three goals and an assist in a 6-2 victory over Clarke on October 30 in Dubuque, Iowa. His 12 goals puts him tied for 10th on the school's single season goals scored list.
Another sophomore, Jeremy Delgado (Lake Geneva Badger HS, Burlington, WI) was second on the team in scoring with six goals and one assist for 13 points.
2001 AUGUSTANA VIKINGS MEN'S SOCCER LETTERWINNERS
NAME | POS | HT | WT | YR | HOMETOWN (HIGH SCHOOL) |
Aagaard, Greg* | MF | 6' 0" | 170 | Fr | Wheaton, IL (Wheaton North) |
Boerner, Brandon* | F | 5' 9" | 160 | Jr | Sheboygan, WI (Sheboygan North) |
Castillo, Alex*** | MF | 5' 10" | 170 | Jr | Elgin, IL (Elgin Larkin) |
Clutter, Timothy** | MF | 5' 8" | 150 | So | Antioch, IL (Antioch) |
Delgado, Jeremy** | F | 5' 11" | 175 | So | Burlington, WI (Lake Geneva Badger) |
Diehl, Mike**** (C) | MF | 5' 10" | 167 | Sr | Wheaton, IL (Wheaton Warrenville South) |
Diehl, Tim** | MF | 5' 10" | 150 | So | Wheaton, IL (Wheaton Warrenville South) |
Ewing, Anthony*** | GK | 6' 2" | 200 | Jr | Schaumburg, IL (Conant) |
Friese, Brandon* | MF | 5' 6" | 140 | Fr | St. Charles, IL (St. Charles East) |
Garner, Adam* | F | 6' 0" | 160 | Fr | Elkhart, IN (Concord) |
German, Ben* | MF | 5' 11" | 155 | Jr | Wheaton, IL (Wheaton Warrenville South) |
Ihnken, Matt* | GK | 5' 9" | 164 | Fr | Peoria, IL (Peoria Central) |
Kivisto, Aaron* | F | 5' 7" | 155 | So | Rock Island, IL (Rock Island) |
Kramer, Robert** | GK | 6' 0" | 180 | So | Wheaton, IL (Wheaton Warrenville South) |
Pritts, Ryan* | FB | 5' 3" | 145 | So | Decatur, IL (Decatur MacArthur) |
Ross, Jason** | MF | 6' 0" | 150 | So | Elk Grove Village, IL (St. Viator) |
Verchota, Robert* | MF | 6' 0" | 168 | Fr | Winfield, IL (Wheaton North) |
Workman, Eric** | MF | 6' 0" | 140 | So | St. Charles, IL (St. Charles) |
2001 COLLEGE CONFERENCE OF ILLINOIS & WISCONSIN MEN'S FINAL SOCCER STANDINGS
OVERALL WON | OVERALL LOSS | OVERALL TIE | .PCT | CCIW WON | CCIW LOSS | CCIW TIE | .PCT | |
*Wheaton | 11 | 7 | 3 | .595 | 5 | 1 | 0 | .833 |
Millikin | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 5 | 1 | 0 | .833 |
North Park | 8 | 7 | 1 | .531 | 4 | 2 | 0 | .667 |
Augustana | 11 | 5 | 2 | .667 | 2 | 2 | 2 | .500 |
Carthage | 6 | 12 | 1 | .342 | 1 | 4 | 1 | .250 |
Illinois Wesleyan | 5 | 11 | 2 | .333 | 1 | 4 | 1 | .250 |
North Central | 5 | 11 | 3 | .342 | 1 | 5 | 0 | .167 |
*Received CCIW automatic bid to 2001 NCAA Division III Tournament
