Momentum, depth keys to Rangers' success heading into 2023

Aug 29 | By: Caty Llamas, Athletics Graduate Assistant

DENVER, Colo. – Depth is the name of the game for the Regis University Men's Soccer team during the 2023 season, and Head Coach Taylor Diem, is returning two of the conference's best players while also rounding out all aspects of their game with his newcomers.

Coupled with the motivation stemming from a four-game win streak that catapulted them into last fall's RMAC Tournament, the squad is determined to finish what it started.

"Overall, we're really optimistic for the season. Going back to last year, I think the returners were fairly disappointed with the outcome of the season," said Diem. "We went out a bit early in the postseason and I think there's a bit of fire in the belly to come back and do well this season. Between the returners we have coming back and the newcomers we've added to the program, we're excited about what this group can do this season."

The Rangers aren't just hunting for a shot at the conference title, they also want a NCAA bid. While winning games is the obvious path to both of those goals, Diem says his real keys to success comes down to the difference between the team's standards and their goals.

"The conversation with guys throughout the first week has been about standards vs. goals, it's great to set goals but if the standards of your training sessions don't progress you towards your goals, then really they're just empty words," said Diem. "It's more about what we do on a day to day basis that will determine our success this year."

RETURNERS
While the importance of training standards will set the Rangers up for success, returning some of the conference's best players after the 2022 season certainly doesn't hurt either.

Junior attacker Rayhan Carlson-Du Toit will start his second season with the Rangers this fall after a breakout season put the New Zealand native in a league of his own, earning RMAC Player of the Year and All-South Central Region First Team accolades.

Carlson-Du Toit finished the season tied for third in the conference in goals at 13 and an average of 1.58 goals per game. In addition, the third year finished first in the conference with 30 points and led the team in shots on goal at 65 percent.

Not the only player to earn an individual player of the year accolade, second year Matteo Colombo comes off a freshman campaign that culminated in earning Co-Freshman of the Year at the end of the 2022 season.

Colombo quickly cemented his position on the back line after starting 14 of the 17 games he appeared in and logging over 1,000 minutes. While a key defender for the Rangers, the second year also saw offensive action with an assist and eight shots on goal.

Carlson-Du Toit and Colombo are expected to do big things again for Regis, but of the 17 other players Diem brought back, 13 of them all saw playing time last season, earning crucial experience to help deepen the Rangers' depth chart and show the newcomers the ropes.

"We're really excited to have those two guys back amongst the returners we have in that core," said Diem. "They've done an incredible job integrating all of the new players and bringing in 13 new players which isn't always easy. There's a lot of credit due to the returning players for welcoming the new players in, helping them understand the standards and culture of how we do things here."

Of the 13 players who saw minutes on the pitch last year, Diem expects Vilhjalmur Kaldal and Elias Taubo to also serve crucial roles for the Rangers.

Taubo, in his second year with the Rangers, brings a wealth of experience as a forward. The Norwegian native started 16 of the 19 matches he appeared in with two goals and four assists. Kaldal, returning for his third season, started 17 of the 19 matches he appeared in and finished with two goals and three assists.

After the 2022 season, Regis lost a key defender Sam Gardner, one who logged the most minutes of any player at 1,549. Filling that spot is no small task, but senior defenders Kyle Bergmeier and Carter Boucher have more than accomplished that goal.

In the 2022 season, Bergmeier finished second on the team in minutes played (1,370) and contributed to a defense that held opponents to a 42 percent SOG and 13.7 shots per game. Boucher started 13 of the 17 matches he appeared in and ended the season with 1,102 minutes played.

"Carter and Kyle specifically along the back line have stepped into those roles and have really grasped that leadership responsibility and done really well. They're the two guys that stand out because they've been given those leadership roles to lead the team and drive us forward," said Diem.

Rounding out the returners on last year's starting 11 is graduate student Michael Jimenez, a graduate student who finished the 2022 season with 47 percent shots on goal. Jimenez is another player who is expected to play a big role in the upcoming season.

NEWCOMERS
Diem says his key to recruiting this year was to help bolster the depth on the roster and round out his group of attackers. Regis welcomes back a familiar face in Ben Shepherd, a graduate student midfielder that spent his 2019 season on the Regis Match Pitch and a player Diem says has had an impact almost immediately.

"Shepherd's an incredible player, he had a lot of success here in 2019 and spent some time at UMass and Fordham and did really, really well there at those schools. When the opportunity presented itself to potentially add him to the roster in his last year of eligibility, it was a no-brainer for us," said Diem. "He's got a lot of quality on the ball, his work rate is second to none and he's a team first guy. We expect a lot of big things from him this year."

With a slew of newcomers this fall, each player has an opportunity to make an impact and also compete for a starting spot, something that will push each player every day.

"Overall, top to bottom, we feel that the depth is a lot stronger in this group. There's going to be lots of guys who will be competing for starting spots on a day to day basis. A little too early to name specific names of who's going to be a standout player but we'll start to see those things as we start to play some exhibition games over the next few weeks," said Diem. "It's really, really positive and I wouldn't be surprised if we have a handful of new players making their mark in their first year."

BETWEEN THE PIPES
After graduating their starting goalkeepers, the Rangers look to their field of five for their next man up. Two of those five were on the Regis squad last year, Gael Jimenez Torres and Aidan O'Mahony.

In addition to the two goalkeepers Regis is returning for the 2023 season, three new keepers have joined the squad and share a wealth of experience both on the collegiate and high school fields.

"We've brought in a junior college transfer, Cristian Sattin, we've got Greg Squire who's a transfer from an international kind of academic soccer program. We've brought in Hojin Lee who's a really great local product so between those three, they've done a really good job settling in and adding to that goalkeeper core. From what we've seen, it's going to be a very, very competitive group from top to bottom," said Diem.

The Rangers will be looking to identify just who their guy will be over the coming weeks, but it's anyone's game and one that will certainly keep things interesting.

LOOKING FORWARD
Regis is starting its 2023 season out west, with two games in California against California State University Los Angeles and Azusa Pacific University.

They'll return home for two more against CSU San Bernardino and Cal Poly Pomona before going to the pacific northwest to take on Western Washington University and Seattle Pacific University.

These upcoming exhibition games will give the team a chance to explore different combinations of players and find the best fits for everyone.

"We have a few exhibitions coming up, those are always great opportunities to get a lot of guys playing time to see exactly what we have. The training environment is great but obviously when you roll the ball out for games it's completely different. As we get closer to the end of the first weekend, towards the end of California in August, we'll have an idea in terms of where we're at and the starting 11, reserves off the bench and our depth, and just what all of that looks like," said Diem.

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