Perfect Pitch

A year ago, few could have predicted that the Boston College men's soccer team would be ranked No. 5 in the country today. Last year was supposed to be a case study in "rebuilding" for the Eagles. A massive freshman class was set to take over the starting lineup, as Eagles all-time great Alejandro Bedoya moved on to play professionally in Sweden (and later, on the U.S. national team). Unranked in the preseason and doomed to wallow at the bottom of the ACC table, the college soccer community had all but written off head coach Ed Kelly's young crew.

The Eagles never got the memo. After humiliating then-No. 14 BU on national television and then outgunning No. 11 Duke at home, the secret was out. These kids were talented. On Nov. 3, an NCAA article raved, "The nation's most dangerous college soccer team doesn't, at first glance, look anything like it. They could certainly pass for a group of especially volatile high schoolers." Routinely sending out a starting line that featured seven freshmen, three sophomores, and a junior, the Eagles chalked up an impressive list of victims as the season wore on, including No. 2 North Carolina and No. 2 Wake Forest. After falling to NC State in an ACC tournament semifinal, BC downed Dartmouth and St. John's en route to a Sweet 16 berth, with the deep, talented freshman class leading the way.

The Eagles crashed out of the tournament after a wild, 6-4 loss to Drake, though. Whether the disappointment of an opportunity squandered lingers as motivation for the new season is still yet to be seen. "I wouldn't say [the loss to Drake] is a major factor in our minds this year, but everybody's looked at it," said senior midfielder and captain Karl Reddick. "There are so many little things we could have done to change that game completely. That's not the way it went, and that's the way soccer goes, everywhere in the world. It's behind us now. This is a new season and a new opportunity."

Last season saw the emergence of then-freshman goalkeeper Justin Luthy as something of a phenom. The U.S. under-20 national team member garnered attention from media outlets across the country for his poise and maturity in net. Even Luthy, however, couldn't stop Drake from running riot against the Eagles that day in Newton. "No, it's not on my mind [heading into the new season]," Luthy said. "As a goalkeeper, you try to just block that out. It was something of a freak game. I'd never been a part of something like that in my life … we've definitely learned from it, but in terms of the overall game I think you just have to shake it off and consider it a fluke."

Of the 14 players featured in that Sweet 16 loss, 11 return, including nine starters. "We know what to expect now," Reddick said. "Last year's freshmen are a big class, and now they've had a year to develop and mature. They'll be able to look at things differently."

Indeed, in looking at this season's roster, it's possible to forget that most of the players who looked like veterans last season are only sophomores this year: midfielders Kyle Bekker, Colin Murphy, Isaac Taylor and Kevin Mejia, defender Sacir Hot, and forwards Isaac Taylor and Charlie Rugg, just to name a few.

To improve on last season's impressive effort will be a formidable task for the Eagles. BC was ranked No. 12 in the country in the preseason NSCAA poll, but sixth in the ACC. The unquestioned power conference in college soccer today, the ACC claimed five of the top 10 positions in the national poll. For the Eagles, the conference's unrivaled strength places added importance on every single conference game. "Those games [in a tough ACC schedule] are how we want to play," Reddick said. "We want the very best in the country, that's why we're in the ACC. We get to play everybody that's Top 10, Top 25, every week. We just look at it as more opportunities for us to fulfill."

"[Those ACC games] are a fun experience, because you know a lot of the guys on the other teams, and you want to go out there and show your stuff," Luthy added. "It's important to see how you measure up against the best college players in the country."

Despite the daunting prospect of running the ACC gauntlet, the goal for Reddick and the Eagles remains clear. "At this point, we can accept nothing but being at the top of the league," the captain said. "We have the talent, and I think everybody in the country knows that we have the talent. Now we have to be able to come out and prove it every single night, no matter who we're playing." While Kelly would surely love to see his team lift the ACC trophy, he noted that the team's top goal should be competing well in the national tournament. "The conference is so strong, the top four or so teams are virtually guaranteed a spot in the tournament. First and foremost we need to get into the tournament, and from there we think we can do some damage," Kelly said.

Kelly will have a good idea of how his squad stacks up with the best as early as Friday night, when BC opens its ACC schedule with a massive home match against No. 9 Maryland. The 2008 National Champions, the Terrapins are again among the favorites to lift the trophy this fall, despite losing a pulsating encounter with No. 23 Michigan State on opening night. "They're definitely not unbeatable," Reddick said. "They're going to very good. Friday night will be a battle, and we know it will take the full 90 minutes or more to get a win. It's a great test for both teams."

"It's a big game," Kelly said. "It's a great game for the crowd, a great game for our guys to get psyched up. We think our team is the team to beat them, and we like our chances."

Maryland's sophomore goalkeeper Zach MacMath has featured alongside Luthy on the under-20 national team. After an offseason training with senior national team keeper Tim Howard at Everton FC in England, MacMath returned to a Maryland team whose success will depend heavily on his ability to keep balls out of the net in the high-scoring ACC. "We're pretty good friends," Luthy offered. "Friday night will be fun."