Sports > October 18, 2007

By Connor Swarbrick | Staff writer

After devouring two slices of pizza, the N.C. State assistant coach watches the Deacons during their pre-game warm-up. Play begins and the Deacons start flying across the field almost as quickly as this visitor scribbles on his soccer notepad. He includes diagrams as well as notes on certain players. He observes the Deacons beat Appalachian State 5-0. Actually, he only sees them win 4-0, because he decides he knows enough and leaves before the Deacons score their fifth goal on the evening.

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Sophomore Austin da Luz makes a move around a Maryland player Sept. 29. Da Luz and the Deacs breezed through the weekend outscoring opponents 17-0. (Roger Kirkpatrick/Old Gold & Black)

He may be leaving early because he knows what the rest of the country knows and what the polls represent– that this version of the Demon Deacon’s men’s soccer team is very, very good – so good in fact that it will beat the visiting coach’s team 4-0 just days later.

After a 2006 campaign that ended in a College Cup appearance, the Deacons look to improve yet again this year.

They are off to a school record start with a 10-0-2 mark.

That record and the lofty national ranking that comes with it reflect a team that has a balance of senior leadership and exciting young talent.

In his 14th year as head coach, Jay Vidovich continues to take Deacon soccer to new heights. He is the most successful coach in Wake Forest soccer history and he has never endured a losing season. His career record is 148-80-26 (.581) and over the last six years the Deacons have gone 108-30-14 (.709).

The Deacons have made the postseason in each of the last six years, entering twice as the top seed in the tournament. In his tenure, Vidovich has captured three ACC regular season championships and garnered three ACC Coach of the Year Awards.

The team ended last year with the most wins in school history, 18, but perhaps the most significant statistic is that 11 starters in the College Cup semifinal against UCSB were either freshmen or sophomores.

For all of the victories and awards, the most significant of Vidovich’s accomplishments may be how he is viewed by his players.

“First of all, he is such a good teacher of the game,” redshirt senior Brian Edwards said. “He understand the ins and outs of it and he is so good at explaining it to us and especially to the younger guys,”

“He has created such an unbelievable environment that just breeds success.”

That success is paying dividends, and one of those dividends is freshman standout Corben Bone.

Bone was the 2006 National Soccer Coaches Association of America high school player of the year.

“He is one of a few players that we have beaten out a couple of top programs for and it is the evolution of this program that he wanted to be here,” Vidovich said. “He had seen us play and he knew that his game fit with ours. I think he is the type of humble young guy that fits into the Wake Forest scene.”

Bone has already made significant contributions for the Deacons on the field. He is second on the team in points with five goals and four assists. His presence and contributions are not going unnoticed.

“He is an unbelievable talent. We want to get him the ball as much as possible so that he can make something happen. For being so young, it is unbelievable what he is doing right now,” Edwards said.

Don’t think just the university environment is the only one noticing Bone Oct. 3.

USA Today ran a feature on Bone entitled “Wake Forest alive, kicking for men’s soccer title.”

Bone, from Dallas, Texas, feels as if he is making an impact.

He said that he tries to bring both creativity and speed, but that his most significant contribution is making people around him better. He too has only one goal in mind for this team.

“Win a national championship,” Bone said. “That would be one of the most amazing things and that’s the reason I came here, to try and take this team to new heights.”

Another impressive statistic in Bone’s young career is the fact that he is the only high school player and one of only six non-professionals to have played for the U.S. U-20 team. He said he valued the experience.

“I got the opportunity to go places I never thought I’d go before and play against high caliber players; it was just magnificent,” Bone said.

For now Bone’s mother, a teacher, who is also his role model thinks it is an excellent opportunity for her son to be attending and playing soccer at the university, according to Bone.

However, his future beyond college appears bright. He said he has had aspirations of playing professionally since he was young and Vidovich said those aspirations are very realistic. Another integral part of the Deacon’s quest for a national championship comes from the commanding voice that Bone and the other Deacons constantly hear from their own net. That is the voice of the best goalkeeper in Deacon soccer history, redshirt senior Brain Edwards.

The anchor from Charlotte, N.C., is a four-year starter and has shattered the mark for most career shutouts, previously held by Mike McGinty. He set the record for minutes played in goal (6,463), is the all-time career leader in goals against average (.88 through 6,463 minutes), and he is just a few games away from having played in more career games than any other Deacon in the history of the program. Edwards, however, is not focused on his past achievements, but rather on a future goal

“They (the records) don’t mean anything unless we win the championship,” Edwards said. “That’s why I came back and that’s what we are here to do.”

There are numerous other players with impressive histories of success, including junior co-captain Sam Cronin, sophomore Cody Arnoux, senior Pat Phelan and sophomore Austin da Luz.

Another important part of the Deacon team this season is senior Julian Valentin. He has been injured the first part of the season, but is a leader by example on the field. This summer he was one of three NCAA starters on U-20 Men’s National Team. He suffered his injury during the preseason.

“He is in essence two months behind. So it may take him awhile to find his game but his leadership and experience we cannot go without,” Vidovich said.

In talking with members of the team, it is clear that the hard work, skill and focus on which they have built their success is augmented by a remarkable camaraderie and family atmosphere.

That camaraderie is something that the community has seemed to embrace.

The home games at Spry Stadium are packed with people of all ages.

The youth soccer players seem to enjoy watching the Deacons the most.

When it is halftime they all run to the gate to get a high five from their soccer idols and many of them enjoyed the autograph session after Oct. 14 win of N.C. State. Parents said they bring their kids to the game not only because they get the chance to watch one of the nation’s best collegiate soccer teams, but also because the Deacons play the right way. The Deacons said they hope that this year the end of the road is just down the road. The NCAA Men’s Soccer Championship, also known as the College Cup, will be held Dec. 15 in Cary, N.C. And these Deacons plan on being there.