JOHNSON, Vt. - The Johnson State College men's soccer team will enter 2011 featuring a balanced roster of 13 returners and 12 newcomers as second-year head coach Ray Campanile will look to build on a 3-9-3 overall 2010 campaign. The Badgers, 2-4-1 in North Atlantic Conference (NAC) action, fell at the University of Maine-Farmington in the quarterfinal round of the NAC playoffs in 2010 by the score of 4-0.
Among the 13 players that return will be a veteran defensive duo in seniors Ryan Joy (North Montpelier, Vt./U-32) and Chad Koenig (Warren, Vt./Harwood). A pair of rookie goalkeepers that occupied the net for every JSC minute played in 2010 are now sophomores in Ryan Belen (Northvale, N.J./Northern Valley) and Sam Martin (Essex, Vt./Essex) are also back and primed to make Johnson one of the tougher defensive groups in the NAC.
The Badgers have proven goal-scoring options returning in senior forward Ryan Demars (Morrisville, Vt./Peoples Academy) and senior midfield Granger Gosnell (Peru, N.Y./Peru). Demars has accounted for 21 points in his career (8 goals, 5 assists) while Gosnell led the team with four goals in his first season with JSC last year.
"We really had a strong pre-season and I feel have quality chemistry already," said Coach Campanile. "We have a balanced group of returners and newcomers so meshing that into quality soccer play will be the aim. We are looking forward to excellent early competition in Norwich, Vermont Tech, and St. Michael's respectively."
Johnson opens their season with a home match against regionals NCAA Division III foe Norwich University on Thursday, September 1 at 3:00 pm. In addition the JSC non-conference schedule will feature a tilt against NCAA Division II Saint Michael's College, a match against NCAA Division III member Daniel Webster College, and contests against NAIA members Vermont Technical College, Paul Smith's College, SUNY-Canton, and the College of St. Joseph (Vt.).
The NAC schedule will feature nine contests in 2011 with the additions of Colby-Sawyer College and New England College to the league. The Badgers will kick-off the NAC schedule on Saturday, September 17 when they host Green Mountain College at 1:00 pm.