To start building a successful team, any program needs to have the numbers to do so. That was the problem a season ago for the Mountie boys soccer team. South went 4-13 a year ago, but now coming into 2023 head coach Stephanie Kennedy has numbers and she’s hoping that is what sets the table for a successful season. Along with the return of nearly every single player from last year’s team there’s plenty of reasons to believe that the Mounties can turn things around.
“I am very excited to have this group of athletes back again,” Kennedy said. “It’s great to have players continuously working together in the fall but also many of them play with MC United in the spring. Having that time together on the pitch translates to being able to know how each on of their teammates plays the game. I look forward to seeing how they have grown together once again this year especially with some of our main starters returning.”
The Mounties will have their top two goal scorers from a year ago back in the junior duo of Hunter Gray and Tyler Petroski. Senior Logan Link will help anchor the Mountie defense along with junior Lucas Oppy.
A year ago the Mounties showed flashes in games of what they could be if the team put a full 80 minutes together. That was something that Kennedy was preaching to her team all of last year and something that will once again be a focus for this season.
“For us as a team I believe that putting together a full 80 minutes goes a long way when it comes to the personnel that we have from our starters to those that will be coming off the bench,” Kennedy said. “We didn’t have the luxury of having subs last year and I think that will be very beneficial when it comes to play that full 80. It will give our starters a chance to come off the field because the expectations is that you will be going 110%. Every one of our players is valuable in that way to give us that opportunity to play and give as much as we can while we are on the pitch.”
The Mounties already have a pair of games under their belt as they opened up the season on Monday against Sheridan and competed against Lafayette Central Catholic on Tuesday.
