Lincoln Plews
Sports Editor
It’s not easy to fill a gap left by the graduation of eight seniors, but that’s exactly what the men’s soccer team must do this year to succeed.
Last season the Scots finished 5-10-1 overall, but did end the season 3-1 in their last four games, all against conference opponents. The Scots hope that this will be a transformative season for the soccer program as a whole.
“My expectations for this team are the highest in the time I have been here because we are finally reaching the summit of where we want to be, and this will be the breakthrough season that will push us forward for years to come,” said midfielder Zach Jergan ‘15.
The first obstacle to overcome will be the loss of leading goal-scorer and offensive instigator George Skelly ’14. Still, the team is confident that others will step up to fill Skelly’s role.
“We will miss the seniors from last year, but we have the talent on the team to replace them,” said midfielder Luke Collier ’15.
“Phil Charnley and LJ Hunt are two key people who are going to be looked towards to fill the gap of the goals scored by George,” said Collier. Charnley was second on the team in goals last year, and is expected to contribute heavily once again this season.
Another interesting decision facing Coach Graham Ford, who is now in his 20th season with the Scots, will be who to play as goalkeeper. Having graduated both keepers to receive playing time last year (starter Matt Canter ’14 and back-up Aaron McKee ’14), Ford must find someone new to fill the net.
Daniel Quinn ’16 and Andrew Beck ’17 are returning from last year’s squad, but will compete with freshmen Alex Molinari ’18 and Scot Stacho ’18 for the spot.
Further, Collier says strong team chemistry, which was aided by a preseason trip to England, and the depth of this year’s squad allows them to play consistently at a high level.
“We have a very deep squad this year, so we will be able to make subs to stay fresh but will not have to sacrifice our level of play,” said Collier.
Jergan also emphasized the team’s depth. “Although the squad as a whole only has three seniors, there is more experience from top to bottom than ever before in my time here,” said Jergan.
The Scots will play two games in Marietta, Ohio this weekend before beginning a four game home-stand, starting with Bluffton University on Sept. 3. The first conference game will be at home against Ohio Wesleyan University on Sept. 27 in the scenic John P. Papp Stadum.