Building new legacies - 2009 & 2010
2009: A NEW BECKER SOCCER
With the original coaches now gone, a new Becker Soccer Team emerges. The Athletic Department tapped Eddie Ochieng, a great Soccer and Rugby Player to lead the Bulldogs. The Athletic Department hired Alex Jurek as the first Assistant Coach since Coach Baird left. Coach Eddie was an established Soccer player in his own right bringing traditions from his Kenyan homeland to the Becker Pitch in 2009.
With a large class that graduated the previous year and the smallest class of freshman replacing them, the numbers for Becker Soccer were noticeably slight. With just 20 players starting the season, the Bulldogs were not able to put forth a JV squad. However, the talented class of 2011 were only Juniors, and their Senior teammates matched their talent and depth. Coach Eddie noticed this immediately and put forth a practice regiment that coincided with Senior Captain Matt Peabody's Summer Bootcamp sessions. The Bulldogs started strong going 3-1 in their first 4 games, losing a nail-biter in Delano. Them the Bulldogs were plagued by an incessant flu-bug that stayed with the team throughout the rest of the season. There were games when Becker had only 2 subs for the squad. Each of the players fell to the bug at least once, sometimes twice throughout the season. Becker hit a 9 game stretch without a win. Of the 7 losses during this time, 4 were by only a point. The Bulldogs notched 2 ties during this stretch, to Buffalo and Big Lake. When they finally shook the bug, the Bulldogs put together a game against Rockford outscoring the opponent 17-1. However, the damage was done for the team. With two games left, there were only 17 players left on the squad and of those, 3 were Freshman that saw very limited time during the season. Becker lost their last 2 games and then were ushered out of Section Play by Little Falls. This was the 3rd season in a row when Little Falls ended the season. Even though the season dropped short of expectations, there were highlights for the year. Matt Peabody notched a 7 second Goal, 3 players had hat-tricks, and the Bulldogs outscored opponents 38-36' Following the season, Coach Eddie was called away by new business ventures and a young family. As I gather the game balls and my coach's kit I hear : |
2010: A SEASON TO REMEMBER
With the exit of Coach Eddie, his assistant coach slid into the Head Coach role. Coach Jurek brought in with him a long tenure as the JH Wrestling Coach for Becker and Buffalo. However, Knowing that he was losing a large and talented Senior class from the previous year's 17 man roster, Becker Soccer was nearing closure.
Coach Jurek went to work bringing in long time Becker Phy Ed teacher Brad Novak as both an Assistant and a mentor. Coach Novak has over 30 years of coaching experience at Becker. Coach Novak didn't just have a knack for starting up new programs, he had a history of building great programs. He was an easy fit, albeit strange entity, on the Soccer pitch. When the Soccer Season rolled around in early August, the Coaches took the field with enough players to put a solid team together - one that boasted a strong Varsity buoyed by the athletic talent and prowess from the new recruits that backed the existing talent.
The Bulldogs still retained a solid squad that consisted of the Star Keeper, Jerrid Money, his brother Ryan Money, Alec Doetkott, Scott Geddy, Brett Tungland, Kurt Haag, Michael Petro, Clinton Hansen, and all-time leading scorer for the Bulldogs, Josten Rositas - all of which were from the vaunted Senior Class of 2011. They were backed by Juniors Mitchell Johnson, Matt Sadlowsky, Nate Ernst, Tyler Nelson, Jacob Born, Dylan Wicklund, and Dan Popp; Sophomores Steve Kappes, Jake Hetland, Andy Cairl, and Niles Torkolla. The new class of Freshman, one that would lead the Bulldogs in the coming years included Erik Tungland and Brandon Croatt aiding the Varsity Team. They were also enough players to reform the JV squad with a new batch of freshman that mirrored the talents and depth of the Senior class. With the explosion of numbers, the team found itself with a new problem - not enough Kits to outfit both teams. So, from the dusty boxes re-emerged the Smurfy-Blue kits.
The Varsity squad eagerly looking to take advantage of their new found talent - and wanting to put Becker Soccer on the map - started the 2010 season 3-0-1. With Jerrid Money in goal and leading the state in saves, their goal of excellence seemed with reach before hitting a mid-season slide. Once they found their bearings, the squad was 3-4-2 and were on the outside looking in at their goal of hosting Becker Soccer's first Section 8A game. Realizing that their destiny was no longer in their hands, they posted a 2-1 record during the next 3 games. The Bulldogs faced Big Lake and beat them keeping their dominance over the rival. The Bulldogs also notched a win against M8 and Sherburne County rival Zimmerman 2-1; the win was bittersweet as it was the last time they would face Zimmerman as their program folded the following year. Their last game was to be against Minnewaska - a team that they tied on home turf just weeks before. With a hard-nose effort. a plethora of yellow cards, and Ryan Money's golden left leg - the Bulldogs pulled off a win that secured their first Home Match in Section play.
For the first time in Becker Soccer short history, they were set to host St John's Prep - a team boasting more talent from a school that prides itself on it's soccer prowess. It was during the warm-ups that the team started the tradition of Christmas Music during warm-ups. "As I gather the game balls and my coaches kit I hear: 'Have a Holly-Jolly Christmas, its the best time of the year' blasting across the pitch and I turn the corner and here is my team doing a little jig while warming up. As I walked by the SJP bench I overheard their players asking "what in the heck is wrong with Becker? The boys were loose, and I knew we were ready. We were going to win this one." Even though they may had been outmatched, the Bulldogs beat SJP 2-1 to mark the Program's first ever win in Section Play. The Bulldogs lost their edge in their next game at Sartell-St. Stephen ending their season. It would not just be ending another season, but the end of another era... Tides were changing and Becker Soccer would be looking at a change in conference shortly... Continue reading... |
2010: NEW BENCHMARKS, NEW RECORDS
Most Wins: 7
First Season with a Winning Record: 7-6-2
6 All-Conference Selections
Mississippi 8 Sophomore Player of the Year: Mitchell Johnson
1 All-State Selection: Jerrid Money
1st time for player to be top ten player in position:
Jerrid Money (#2 Goalie in state, best save percentage, most shots on goal for keeper)
Largest Team: 36 members
First Season with a Winning Record: 7-6-2
6 All-Conference Selections
Mississippi 8 Sophomore Player of the Year: Mitchell Johnson
1 All-State Selection: Jerrid Money
1st time for player to be top ten player in position:
Jerrid Money (#2 Goalie in state, best save percentage, most shots on goal for keeper)
Largest Team: 36 members