Senior Tributes, Class of 2010

That's right its finally here! Children of all ages, boys & girls and whatever Kyle wants to be called after his surgery... November is upon us and the beautiful fall weather is in full swing!  With the final match of the 2010 CAA regular season fast approaching, we will soon have a new class of Alumni to welcome into The Ineligibles.

After an epic end-season suicide dive to the dog house of the CAA the only remaining game for our boys in the blue and gold is an exciting Senior Day match up this Saturday at 7:00pm vs. Old Dominion.  While Vidas Athletic Complex will also play host to the CAA Field Hockey Championships this weekend, the prime event as far as The Ineligibles are concerned will be taking place on the actual Vidas Field.  Senior day for the guys is always a great time.  Regardless of the result, it's a time to get together and celebrate Drexel Soccer as well as honor the careers and efforts of a new class of players.    

Cory "Baby Face" Rohlfsen:  Thought I'd start with the little guy, no not Buzz.  This towering 6'2", 175lb. beast is just about as intimidating as a Tickle-Me Elmo.  A defensive midfielder with a sexy smooth touch who, although he often forgot which way he was going himself, could make even the best of defenders look like they just walked off the tea-cups ride at Disney World.  All the best that the Midwest has to offer, Baby Face is as genuine a kid as your gonna find.  Winner of the "Tits-Magee" award for the best bench press in the weight room Cory is our second favorite Omaha Nebraska native (after The Counting Crows).  We are thrilled to welcome him into the ranks of The Ineligibles.  

Tony "The Ringer" Bafile:  My man has seen it all.  With a playing career length rivaled by very few.  Anthony Bafile has seen Drexel Soccer go full circle.  From a dismal freshman year for the team in 2006, an identity changing 2 years in 2007 and 2008, the epic collapse in 2009 and finally in the painful rebuilding of 2010.  Throughout it all Baf has proved to be an ever present solid contributor in the Drexel midfield.  "Defend for Fabio, 'ok'.. Be the play maker, 'you got it boss'.. Lead the team in assists, 'no problem'.. Be a leader from the bench, 'only if I can listen to Bob Marley in the locker room'.. Play right back for us, 'ill give it a shot'.." Baf has played with players as old as Kwesi Hakim Klass and Grandpa Dom Balsamo to players as young as Ken Tribbet and Manny Cazares, & they ALL respect him.  It feels more like an overdue official notarization than an initial welcoming into The Ineligibles for this 3 year captain, Mr. Reliable, Anthony Bafile.    

    

Dan Vignola:  The Pike prodigy.  The only player in Drexel Soccer history to make it back on the squad after joining the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity.  Just about every player ever to get cut from the varsity team had joined Pike not a month before that.  Vignola is the special exception.  Although he did get cut his freshman year from the team and then joined Pike.. (a near death sentence for his soccer career) Vigs has miraculously made his way back into the squad and even snagged more than his share of playing time, especially his senior year where he scored his first career goal as a right back the other week against Northeastern.  A model on the side (easy ladies..) and an all around good guy, we are happy to bring Danny Vigs along.  

  

Justin Johnson:  Mr. Adidas, never a Nike swoosh in site.  This guys owns more clothes than I ever have in my entire life.  Never mind the shoes! I was gonna start with "more shoes than his girlfriend", but I think its actually more like "more shoes than everyone's girlfriend on the team combined plus a few alumni and next year's recruiting class."  At some point it becomes a fetish.. like the point where you own a "Ms. Piggy Edition" of casual Adidas sneakers.. as a straight college male.  Aside from the whole "he'll never be able to buy a house that doesn't have 6 walk-in closets" thing J.J. is as normal a guy as you'll meet.  My roommate for about 2 years this master skier is a gritty defender who works as hard as anyone during practice or games.  It's about time man, I'm buying your first beer as one of The Ineligibles.
    

Bryan "Buzz" Conzentino:  The actual little guy, although I think he'd beat out Cory in a tackle most of the time.  A Bryan after my own heart, especially because no one would ever know either of us were actually named Bryan.  Came to Drexel with a super sweet Hobbit mini-fro, that made him look even younger (as if thats even possible). An offensive midfielder with great vision and a few of those little tricks only the tiny guys can pull off, Cole Feffer I'm lookin at you.  For the little guys on the team Buzz was never on the "No Tackle" list (Fabio, Thiago, Cole, etc..).  He could take his fair share of hits and dish them out as well.  You're never disappointed to have Buzz in the room, and we can't wait to welcome Buzz into the group.

Nate "Trigger Toe" Baker:  You never had to tell this guy to shoot the ball thats for damn sure.  Happy to swing at a ball that most guys would hesitate to think was even in their possession, Nate is a born striker.  Quick as anyone on the pitch, it never really looks like he's even trying to run that fast at all.  A die-hard Boston sports fan who tends to be a little hot-headed, but we love him anyway.  I'm not so sure he pulled on his Lew Meehl tribute mustache in his senior photo (left) but that won't stop me from extending an official, actually an "unofficial" (because everything we do here is unofficial.. sarcasm intended)  invitation to Nate Baker to become a regular correspondent and guest poster on The Ineligibles blogpage.  After all, as good as I am I can't keep this up forever..  Welcome to the dark side Nate, I think you'll enjoy yourself quite a bit over here.
 

Andrew Stolle:  It took till his senior year for most of the team to figure out it was pronounced {stawl-ee} not {stoh-lee], (by the way it took forever to look that up..)  Just like Justin and Buzz, its much harder to write material on Andrew Stolle.  He's a relatively normal guy with a good sense of humor.  Maybe that makes him a little odd on the Drexel Soccer team... we certainly have collected a bunch of characters over the years.  As a player Stolle never complains much openly, just does his thing.  A hard working outside midfielder thats gets everyone with a perfectly executed stop-and-go about a hundred times a game.  I'm sure everyone (except Nedbal) is thrilled that Stolle is joining The Ineligibles this year.    

David Maxwell "The Rocket" Crocket:  Max is an absolute fan favorite.  As talented an athlete as you will find with the apparent self control of a crash test dummy.  Max has completely mastered the art of comedy so beautifully that his entire life appears to be one big sketch from Saturday Night Live.  One minute he's leapfrogging a kid on the field in the middle of a CAA game, the next he's dry humping Burgess in the back of the head when Lew isn't looking at practice.  Whether it's getting a lap dance from the coaches daughter, or just strolling around campus in boots and lacrosse shorts its always a good bet that at any given point simply asking "What is Max up to?" will get you a good solid laugh as a response.  Max can often be found throwing a lax ball at the wall before practice.. soccer practice.. or walking around by himself ranting about some encounter that's got him infuriated.  To the unsuspecting acquaintance he would appear to be Drexel Soccer's biggest space cadet, a true lax bro, or just an air-head but to those of us who have spent a little time talking to the kid its more like he's one of the funniest, down to earth kids you've ever met in your life.  He just operates a little different than the rest of us...  

  

Thiago "Fabino Chicharito Messi" Assumpcao:  The 1-season wonder!  This little bastard has had more ACL surgeries than season's played for Drexel Soccer.  He drinks more screwdrivers in a night than girls that Reber & Fisch hook up with in a year combined!  The "Sao Paulo Hurricane" is a walking administrative headache with an accent as thick as molasses.  Bow legged beyond comprehension, 80s mullet bigger than the legal limit, & laundry list of angry boyfriends wanting to whoop his ass for sleeping with their girlfriends, this guy doesn't go out for the night without ending up at an after hours bar downtown.  More importantly, he doesn't have a losing season... That's right, when Thiago is healthy Drexel win's games.  He finished his eligibility officially between 2008 and 2009.  In fact, his only full year played was in 2007, where Drexel was the best team we've seen in years capturing a CAA regular season title.  As a player he was more like Lionel Messi than Chicharito, just like he is more one of The Ineligibles than a 2010 senior but we thought we give him this unofficial honor anyway.

Gentlemen, thanks for you efforts and commitment to the program over the years.  You made it, you survived, now enjoy yourselves!  Welcome to The Ineligibles.

Drexel kicks off at 7:00pm tonight at Vidas Field.  Come join us in the parking lot around 4:30pm for some free food and appropriate beverages supplied as always by Cavanaugh's Restaurant & Sports Bar.  Official pre-game write up is on drexeldragons.com and you can follow the live stats online if you can't make it to the game.