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2006 SEASON RECAP
Dec. 9, 2006 DAYTON, Ohio - After suffering seven shutouts, head coach Dennis Currier was willing to try anything, even if that meant moving two defenders to the front. It paid off with a four-game unbeaten streak to end an up-and-down 2006 season. "All season, we had trouble holding the ball up top," said Currier, whose 13-year career record stands at 205-63-18. "Florian (DeCamps) and Simeon (Zaprianov) added an entirely different dimension to our offense. They were able to hold the ball up while releasing pressure off our defense and allowing numbers to get forward." DeCamps had a hand in the season-ending unbeaten streak with a goal and an assist in the last weekend to earn A-10 Rookie of the Week honors. UD tied Richmond, 2-2, and defeated Charlotte, 4-2, at Baujan Field. The season-ending unbeaten streak started with a 1-1 tie at George Washington. Atlantic-10 honorable mention selection Ryan Handbury ended UD's seven-game winless streak two days later with a penalty kick in the 35th minute at LaSalle. "I believe the team now fully understands that every A-10 game plays a significant role," said Currier, who notched his 200th career in the third game of the season. "When you only play nine of 14 teams, you have very little room for mistakes." The Flyers started the season with three shutout losses and then four shutout wins. A six-game losing streak preceded the season-ending unbeaten streak. Despite the roller-coaster ride, UD stayed in the A-10 playoff hunt until the final weekend. The six-game losing streak started with a 1-0 loss to SMU in a tournament at the University of New Mexico. UD outshot the Mustangs, ranked No. 1 for most the season, and posted the most shots and shots on goal of any SMU to that point in the season. SMU, which finished 2006 as the nation's top scoring team, didn't have a shot in the first half and didn't score until the 59th minute. UD's Caleb Lindemann hit a post in the 70th minute. "The New Mexico tournament was an excellent experience for a young team. If we are striving to be the best, we have to see how we measure up against the best teams," said Currier, whose UD record is 17-14-6 after two seasons. SMU, which lost to eventual national champion UC-Santa Barbara, was one of six NCAA qualifiers on the Flyers' schedule. Currier said he expected the team, which had 16 new faces in 2006, to be more productive in goal scoring despite losing more than 90 percent of his offense after the 2005 season to graduation. "We had a difficult time breaking down defenses and getting in behind," Currier said. "We used six different forwards this season and managed only 11 goals. Our midfield produced nine goals. For our team to experience a high degree of success, we need to score 35 or more (total) goals in a season." Despite a 6-9-2 overall record, Currier believes the future is bright after the way the team improved and developed throughout the season. He believes the way his team ended the 2006 season will springboard his team with a lot of momentum and energy into 2007. "By the end of the season, we learned how to compete," Currier said. "The next step for us is to learn how to win. We have a lot of talent. We just have to refine it now. "Alex Torda, Randy Dennis and Ryan Handbury were standouts in their first year. Handbury and Dennis were an excellent, consistent combination as our two center backs. Torda was our most versatile player and has an incredible work ethic, but his season-ending injury hurt us a bit. Gary Long filled a void for us in the center of the park and was our vocal leader. Ben Murray was solid and showed he can play multiple positions as well." Among the veteran players, Currier pointed out captain Ian Mulligan, Nick Tarkany, Ryan Hefley and Antti Arst as players who really stepped it up this year. "I think there were a lot of guys who had to step up because of the youth," Currier said. "In returning players, we only had three players who played significant roles in the past." With a solid foundation now in place, the Flyers believe they are a step or two away from challenging the best in the Atlantic 10. "We're looking forward to a tremendous 2007 season," Currier said. "We want to get the team back in the Atlantic 10 Tournament and see how we will do." |
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