The 2021 Chicago State men's soccer team will kick off its first full season of competition since the 1980s Thursday at SeatGeek Stadium in head coach Trevor Banks' second season on the bench. The Cougars played just two games in the spring after reintroducing the sport to the university in June 2020, with the COVID-shortened 2020 season moving from the fall to the spring.
The Cougars went 0-2 in their initial taste of Division I soccer, and the team is eager to return to the pitch for its first full season of competition. Get caught up on the 2021 Cougars below, complete with video interviews, as the season begins on Thursday with an evening showdown against Northwestern at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, Illinois. The home opener also marks the program's Youth Soccer and Faculty/Staff Appreciation Night. Tickets for the Youth Soccer and Faculty/Staff Appreciation Night can be found
here.
Looking ahead to the 2021 season:
In an interesting coincidence, and in separate interviews, both men's soccer coach Trevor Banks and women's soccer coach
Cristiano Costa didn't hesitate when asked to describe their teams as a food item it might best resemble. The answer: lasagna.
"Lasagna," Banks said. "And here's why. There's a lot of different things that go into lasagna. They're all separate, they're very, very good. The noodles. Very good. The meat. Very good by itself. The sauce by itself, is good. You can have the cheese by itself and love it. When you put it all together, it's a ridiculous dish."
On the excitement heading into the 2021 season:
"Wow, we're here. It's craziness. It's been a long year. We've had a lot of building to do, getting some of these pieces that are all here and I think, for us, we're excited. We're super excited. So, we're finally here. So on the 25
th, I'm going to be like 'we're finally here,' and I'm probably going to stay up to midnight for the first time this year and get this whole thing sorted out. I'm excited about it."
More from head coach Trevor Banks:
On playing the program's first full season of Division I soccer:
"I'm appreciative. To be fair, they entrusted in it to me. So I'm very appreciative. I'm excited, I'm humble about the situation and I'm also ready to see what these guys to do on the field. I think that's one of the best pieces to be able to say, that myself, Josh Clark,
Norris Howze and Charlie Latshaw put a team together in this very small amount of time. We brought in 32 new guys this year to mix in with some of the guys that were here last year, and we're just excited. So, for me, I'm just super appreciative of being given this opportunity."
On playing at SeatGeek Stadium and the opener against Northwestern:
"It's going to be intense, and it's going to be crazy. We want it that way. We want the intensity. We want the craziness. We want all of Chicagoland there. We want to be able to represent, especially representing the South Side of Chicago. We want to represent very well. That's why I was excited when we had the opportunity to have Northwestern on the schedule. To play a team out of Chicago, right out of the gate, and a very good team at that, we're excited about it."
"For me, playing at SeatGeek, in an MLS-caliber stadium, for our group, we're excited about it. We'll be able to have fans there, it's Youth and Faculty/Staff Appreciation Night, so hopefully everyone wants to see these two Chicago teams play, the north versus the south, and we're excited about it."
The Coaches:
Trevor Banks, Head Coach
Norris Howze, Assistant Coach
Joshua Clark, Assistant Coach/Recruiting Coordinator
Charlie Latshaw III, Assistant Coach
Trevor Banks was named head coach of the Chicago State men's soccer team on July 20, 2020. Banks, a United States Soccer Federation (USSF) "A-Senior" licensed coach, came to Chicago State from Brown University where he was the associate head coach (2017-20) and assistant coach (2016). During his time at Brown, Banks helped develop multiple award winners on and off the field, including three players selected to the United Soccer Coaches All-East Region Team, 19 All-Ivy selections, one named to the All-New England Freshman team, multiple Academic All-Ivy selections and one United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-America honoree.
In addition to his duties with the Bears, Banks was also the technical director and coach of the 2002 National Premier League team with Bruno United FC (a nonprofit youth soccer club based in Providence, RI, started by the Brown men's soccer program in 2002). In 2019, Banks and his 2002 Bruno team won the US Club Soccer Rhode Island State Championship and went on to make a run to the national finals of the US Club Soccer National Cup that same year.
Prior to his stint at Brown, Banks spent one season as an assistant coach at Villanova University (2015-16) where he helped with all aspects of the program, including recruiting. With Banks assistance in the recruiting efforts, Villanova brought in the first two (2016, 2017) top-20 ranked classes in program history. Additionally, he coached two players named to All-Big East teams, one named to the All-Big East Freshman team and one player named to the United Soccer Coaches All-Region Team as well as multiple All-Big East academic award recipients.
Banks began his coaching career at William Woods University (2009-10) which made its first appearance in the conference semifinals, losing to eventual champion Park University.
Following his stint at William Woods, Banks spent one season working with the defensive core at Barry University (2011) and helped the team post a GAA of 0.90. During that time, Barry ended the season ranked 13
th in the nation with a record of 12-3-6 (3-2-3 Conference), making an appearance in the conference finals and a run to the NCAA Division II Sweet 16.
Banks spent three years at the Merchant Marine Academy (2012-14) and helped coach the Mariners to a record of 24-23-3 (13-9 Conference), a goals against average (GAA) of .87, 17 shutouts and two appearances in the Landmark Conference playoffs. During that time, he also worked with the Long Island Rough Riders of the USL 2 (2012-14). With the Rough Riders, Banks was in charge of the goalkeeping corps, where, in 2014, Banks mentored goalkeeper Joe Martin to a GAA of .74 and six shutouts.
A native of Carencro, Louisiana, Banks played collegiate soccer at Kentucky Wesleyan College (2006-09) where he earned a degree in communications then continued his education, earning a master's degree in Athletic Administration from William Woods University (2010).
Norris Howze comes to Chicago State after a stint as an assistant coach at the University of Memphis, where he was hired in 2017. With Howze on staff, the Tigers reached new heights in 2019, as they won 10 matches for the first time since 2011. In addition, five players earned selections to all-conference teams. Before joining Memphis, he served as the director of operations at the University of Alabama at Birmingham where he was a student-athletes, playing for UAB from 2010-13 as defensive midfielder.
Joshua Clark, a native of Cambridge, New Zealand, played at Aldershot Town F.C. in Aldershot, Hampshire, England before moving to America. In the U.S., Clark served as the inaugural captain at Murray State College (Tishomingo, Oklahoma). He then transferred to William Woods University in Fulton, Missouri, where he was an integral part of the program's first conference title and national tournament appearance. After his senior season, he remained as a graduate assistant, helping with recruiting and training session design. William Woods earned a No. 22 national ranking. Clark then moved over to the University of Dayton, serving as an assistant coach in 2020 and the beginning of 2021, working with goalkeepers and defenders for a team that won the Atlantic 10 Conference Championship.
Charlie Latshaw joins Chicago State for his first season as assistant coach after previously coaching at both Ancilla College in Donaldson, Indiana and Holy Cross College of Notre Dame, in Notre Dame, Indiana. He currently serves as the Technical Director at Liverpool International Academy in Illinois. Prior to his time with Liverpool, Latshaw spent seven years at Sockers FC Chicago and at the MLS NEXT Academy in Palatine, Illinois, where he served as a head coach both in the Boys and Girls Development Academy.
Key Players:
Shaquan Reid, Sophomore, Back
Gaye Diadie, Freshman, Midfielder
Tahja Reynolds, Freshman, Center Back
Rashawn Kellman, Freshman, Center Back
Calwayne Allen, Junior, Midfielder
Niall Reid-Stephen, Freshman, Forward
Antonio Jose Rezende Borges Leal, Freshman, Forward
Toluwalase Oladeinbo, Freshman, Forward
"One of the key returners is
Shaquan Reid. He should be in our back line this year. I'm super excited about him. He's a very good kid, he showed that last year. He was a leader with our group last year. Now he doesn't have to do it by himself that much this year, which is great."
More from Rashawn Kellman and Tahja Reynolds:
"We have some pretty solid individuals that are coming in,
Gaye Diadie, who will be leading our team this year. He's a grad transfer from Georgia Southern. He should make an immediate impact. We have two center backs,
Tahja Reynolds and
Rashawn Kellman, both junior college All-Americans, both guys who worked to get to where they are today. They remind me of myself as kids and just worked to get these opportunities that are in front of them. Both had multiple other choices and wanted to be at Chicago State and be part of our team."
"
Calwayne Allen, who is an under-20 Jamaican National Team captain, is a kid who is going to come in and make an immediate impact. He's going to be very good for us.
Niall Reid-Stephen just got done playing in a Gold Cup. I'm super-excited about Niall and ready for him to showcase his ability.
Antonio Jose Rezende Borges Leal and
Toluwalase Oladeinbo, those two guys are very important to this group as we move forward, we're excited about this group, we've just need to put it together now."
International Experience:
"I think immediate notoriety, but also immediate pressure for them to perform right away. These guys, if they just remember to take it day by day, they'll be fine. It automatically shows that we can have those types of individuals that do attend Chicago State, and that's the exciting part. If those guys do well here, there's going to be more that continue come through the pipeline, and that's what I'm excited about."
Goalkeeper Competition:
"That's a good one. It's a fight right now. We have two guys who are very good goalkeepers, that's
Marco Seyfert and
Joe Bowels. Both transferred in, Joe is coming in to fight and Marco is coming in to fight. They're both guys who I believe could easily step in and start for us. We have no idea who is number-one, but we're working through that situation. It's going to be a fight, in goal, for sure, but I'm excited to watch it and see how it all develops. I know both of those guys are true professionals and no matter what, whoever's in goal, the other one's going to support them. It's an exciting piece to get it all going."
Identity of this year's team team:
"Attitude, commitment, effort, pace. It's all about that. You're going to watch us put 100 percent effort into everything we do. The attitude on the field is going to be great and their commitment to what we're trying to do, how we're trying to play is going to be there and that's what I'm excited to showcase within this group."
