Players

With Joe Warren's retirement, competition is wide open for the starting role in the Stars net, and Virginia native Matt VanOekel will be hoping it's his time to shine. VanOekel has followed a familiar career arc for goalkeepers in Minnesota, serving the past few seasons as the back up to an established veteran, backing up Nic Platter for the Minnesota Thunder in 2009 and Warren in 2010 and 2011.

At 6-foot-4, VanOekel is a prominent figure in goal. The Rutgers graduate and Chesapeake, Va., native signed with the Stars in April after Louis Crayton went down with a torn knee ligament.

Van Oekel has played the entirety of his professional career in Minnesota. He impressed the Minnesota Thunder during an open tryout in 2008 and joined the team for the 2008 and 2009 seasons. He made his professional debut on Sept. 13, 2009, against the Montreal Impact, earning a 1-1 draw on the road.

After one year of college soccer at Longwood University in Farmville, Va., Van Oekel transferred to Rutgers University in Piscataway, N.J. Van Oekel played 47 games for Rutgers, winning 20 games.