CAPTAIN'S JOURNAL

Once the season begins in early August and through the completion of the post season you will be able to get a weekly report from one of our captains.  This will give you a different perspective and better understanding of the day to day challenges during the season from a player's point of view.  We will try to get these reports on the web by 12:00 Noon each Monday whenever
 possible.   

     2007 Season           

#15

Captains Journal  (Coastal and Presbyterian)

This was a tough week of practice and games. Our first game was Coastal Carolina, and this was a hard fought game that came down to the last minute. We played a good brand of soccer, but it was just not the result we wanted basically giving them two goals on two of our mistakes. Defensively we were pretty good but we need better communication on the field between all the positions to get to the true team defense we want. Going forward we created more then enough chances to win the game and to score first, but as the story goes on we cannot finish in front of the net. As we always say once we start finishing we will put away teams earlier, and will give us a break defensively as a team.

Also this week we had one last regular season game to say goodbye to our seniors and put them out on a high note although we know the best way to do that is to win the championship. We again were great going forward, and created a lot of chances against a very hard working team. We were able to put away two in the run of play and a penalty kick that was well deserved. Wise, Revivo, and Saidi got on the scoring sheet with good goals and assists. Although we showed better tenacity in front of the net, there were still two chances during the game where there was an open net or a sitter and we missed. This was a good game to build on with a shutout and good defense before we go into the conference tournament

This week is the conference tournament where we can basically hit the restart button and all of our records go away. It does not matter who finished first or last because if you lose now you are done. We seem to have the advantage of playing at home, but as a team we have been disappointed in our fans this year compared to the last. We hope that now that the tourney is here that we will have our fans out there for every game because if you don’t have the fans there it doesn’t matter if you are playing across the nation or here. We need all of our fans out there. It is a much different atmosphere with a lot of people, and it will give us the extra push we need to win this thing.

#14

Captains Journal: (UNC- Asheville and Stetson) 

This was a pretty tough week for us in which we had two games that tested our character individually and as a team. We played both of our games into overtimes, winning one and tying one.  

Against Asheville we came out a little slow coming from a week off going down a goal pretty early into the game. Being down a goal in the first half and knowing we didn’t play near our potential brought us out fired up for the second half. There was a different team on the field in the second half and we scored in the 54^th minute of the second half. We continued to dominate the game, but could not put anything away until the first overtime. It was a good win for us, and we proved we can play through adversity, but again and again this year we talk about our finishing. This game could have been over very early, but we kept Asheville in it and gave them a hope and a team like that is very dangerous in that situation, as they showed when they beat Clemson. Our finishing needs to continue to get better and better, and we really need concentration in front of the net. We know everyone in our attack can score, it is now time to step up and put our chances away early. Revivo scored two nice goals, and we did enough to get out of there with a mandatory conference win.  

Three days later we made the long trip down to Deland to play Stetson. This is a very improved team from years past. This was our second time being in over time in 4 days, but you can tell our fitness has paid off as they were cramping and we were still running. We were down 2-1 late in the second half and again our character was tested. We pushed some numbers forward out of the back and Carton put in a clutch goal with less then 30 seconds left on the clock. It was a textbook finish, and gave us momentum into the overtime, which we dominated and had many chances that nearly finished the game off.

Again in this game we could have put this game away in the first 6 minutes where we had two 1 vs 1’s and a few shots. If we can put these away early in more games we will be a very dangerous team. This goes back to the concentration issue in our attack. 

Defensively we continue to play well, but if we want to be a team that competes in the conference and NCAA tournament we will need to erase that one or two mistakes that may lead to goals. We do not give up many goals, but we are a team that could have more shutouts. Our defensive starting from the forwards can be stronger, and with the midfield we have our good defense can be turned into effective counter attacks with our speed up top.  

We have a huge game against Coastal on Wednesday that will ultimately decide the seeding for the tourney. We follow that with a inconsistent Presbyterian team for SENIOR DAY. Come out and support us for our important match against Coastal and support our seniors on Sunday at 2:00 PM.

#13

Captains Journal (Week-off)

With our cancellation of the Elon game this now leaves us on one of our biggest breaks of the year coming to 9 days until Wednesday’s game against UNC-Asheville. This obviously has its pros and cons. The pros being we get our injured players better and we can prepare all week for an important conference game. The cons are simply that we have not played and we can lose some of our game fitness. For an update on injuries, Gilkerson is back to full since getting hit in the hip. Henry has begun to practice, but is still a little slow and will probably be a game time decision, and Matt has not been at full practice in awhile but may actually try and go today for our pregame practice. 

As far as UNC Asheville goes they do not have the best record in or out of conference, but no matter what we need a result. If we tie or lose we will be out of the race for regular season champs. We have had a good week at practice and we know what is on the line and the consequences we will have if we do not put a win up. Asheville is 0-5 in conference play but has also beaten Clemson this year so we will not know what team will show up to play us, but we do know that no matter what shows up we must show up and play for the full 90 and get after them early and often. We need to be ready starting with warm ups to get a win, and do it by playing our brand of soccer and not down to the level of our opponent. Every game we play we will probably have just as much or better talent then the other team and it is just up to us to put in the work as individuals and a team to win.

 #12

Captains Journal: (Radford) 

This was a long week of practice with only one game at the end of the week. We were coming off a tough tie at VMI that we really needed to win. It did not put us out of the race, but we will be depending on others for some help in the last of our conference games. Well, we got the job done. We did not play our best in the first half, but in the second half we picked it up another level and started to play our brand of soccer. We won 2-0, and it was a result we needed badly to give ourselves a chance for the regular season title. We were short Miquel and Bruce because of red cards, and Henry and Matt to injury. Also, Glikerson went down later in the game, but should be good for Elon.  

Offensively, we showed more of a killer instinct then we have throughout the year. We were able to basically kill our opponents off with the second goal as it took most of the life out of their attack and hope. We were good going forward and very good in possession, but we still did not finish a few chances that should have been goals. We need to build on this result and get some consistency going on the score sheet. 

Defensively, we had a great team effort. Our forwards and midfielders worked very hard to get back and cover for our backs going forward. This team effort is going to limit the chances of our opponents. It is cliché to say that we need to play for each other, but it is simple as that. If we are willing to work for each other and erase each others mistakes by doing that little extra running we will be a very tough team to break down. Every game we have become better defensively as a unit even with a lot of different people playing in new positions.  

Also, we had a few subs step up and put in good minutes against Radford which will prove beneficial as we get closer to the tournament already pretty banged up. We play Elon on Wednesday, and then we will have another week break before we return home for UNC Asheville.

#11

Captains Journal: (Brevard and VMI) 

This week was a tough week for us even though we had a big win against Brevard. We played Brevard on Tuesday in which we won 9-1. Yes, we scored a lot of goals, but that was not really the best thing that came out of that game. The biggest plus to take from that game is that everyone got to play, and by the end of the game we only had one or two starters left in the game. Miquel had a big night with four goals and Saidi was the next best with three. Defensively we did not have much pressure, but the seldom pressure we did have we dealt with well.

The big game this week was against VMI. They might not look good on paper, but this is the hardest working team we will play all year. They worked for everything, and they wanted the game very badly. This is by far the best VMI team since we have been here. We created chances early and often, but the same story of us not being able to put one away or having that killer instinct came back to kill us. Going forward we were very good until we got inside the eighteen. We had nineteen shots without a goal, but realistically we needed to have more shots then that. A lot of times we tried playing the extra pass that was not necessary. We are still looking for someone to step up and show that killer instinct in front of goal because there is no doubt that we can score goals.  

Defensively the whole team worked their butts off. We played down a man for almost eighty minutes, and we kept on fighting to win the ball back. Even a man down we gave away only a few chances, and we were very proud with the way we played when we didn’t have the ball. We need to carry this effort over to our next game and act like we are a man down in every game. There is something in your brain that clicks on when you go a man down telling you that you have to work harder and smarter. We need to click that on even when we are even or up a man. Another plus defensively is that we got the shutout. 

This next week we only have one game, but it is a conference game. A very important one. We play Radford at home next Sunday. We need to win the next three conference games to even give ourselves a chance at the top seed, and hope for other teams to trip up along the way.

 

#10

Captains Journal: (College Of Charleston) 

This week for the team was a chance to get back on track. The loss to Liberty hurt all of us in some way, and we showed up ready to play against Charleston. They are a good, solid team out of a good conference in the SOCON.  They were ranked 5th in the South Region. Much like us, it is rare that they lose at home.

There were a lot of great things that came out of the game on Friday. It was definitely the best effort as a team that we have showed all year. It was a complete 180 from our game against Liberty, and if we keep on playing with the intensity that we showed this Friday we will be tough team to beat the rest of this year. Our offense was good going forward despite not having Revivo on the pitch because of an  injury. Miquel stepped up his play, and snagged our first goal. There were still a few more chances we had where we did not show the killer instinct we need to have, but overall going forward we were pretty smooth and played good soccer. 

Defensively it was a good game from the forwards to the backs. We defended as a team very well throughout the whole 100 minutes. Our forwards got back when we needed them, our midfielders battled first and second balls for the whole game, and our backs were killing off attacks better then we have this whole year. C of C was a good team going forward, and if we would not have been defending as a team we would have been broken down very easily. We were still not perfect though. The one area we still need to improve on is where and when we foul. We gave up a lot of fouls 30 yards in when the attacker had his back to goal, there is no need for a foul there and we need to clean that up quick. That was where there one goal was scored during the game.

This week we have Brevard, a  Division II team and conference opponent VMI. VMI is an important game in that we need to get back on a winning streak in the Big South with only 4 games left in conference play.

#9

Captains Journal  (High Point and Liberty)

This was a tough week for us with two huge conference games. We beat High Point 2-1, and lost to Liberty 0-1 in a battle. Both games were away for us, and we will continue to be on the road for our next conference match up against VMI.

High Point was a good game for us. We were missing Otto in the back and Matt in the midfield, but the players that came on for them played well. After the first 20 minutes of the High Point game we settled down and played our game. High Point is better than we thought, and they brought it to us in the beginning. They have a good attack that we were able to slow down enough to get a win. Defensively, except for one or two miscommunications, we were solid. Going forward, as always, we were good and created plenty of opportunities, and Revivo stepped up and put two good shots in the back of the net. We still had many chances that need to be finished in every game to put teams out of reach. We have talked about it all season having that killer instinct of putting away teams, and we have yet to step up and do that since the USC Upstate game.

Against Liberty, not having that instinct cost us a game. We played well, but it was again the story of not being able to put away our opportunities. Otto was back for this game, but Matt is still out. Defensively we gave away very few opportunities limiting to very few scoring chances. The forwards and midfielders also defended well in this game. Going forward as a team we were good, but need to string more passes together then we did. Our game is keeping it on the floor, and we went away from that for a period during the game. We did everything but score in this game, but sometimes this happens to a team. We have full confidence that we will come out of this, and when November rolls around we will have that killer instinct when it counts.

We have a few days to regroup then we go to Charleston to play a very good team in C of C. C of C was Liberty’s only loss so they will be a good team. They come out of the Socon where good soccer is being played this year. This is our only game this week before hosting our next home game next week.

#8

Captains Journal: (App State) 

Our only game this week was against App State. We ended up with a tie, but for most of the game we were taking it to them. We feel this is one of our most complete games if not the most complete of the year. Defensively we gave up few chances, and the ones we did we cleaned up well. We could still be better as a team about where we foul though. We need our fouls to be around mid-field instead of 35 yards and in. Mike “Money” McCullion also stepped up in a big game and played well. Again this was a good game overall defensively, and a good battle to get us ready in the back line for High Point. 

Offensively, despite the score, we were pretty solid. There were a lot of good combinations played through the midfield and up top along with some good individual efforts to create scoring chances. We now just need to step up and start putting those chances away. We know we can score we just need to go back to basics and start putting the easier chances away. We need some key players in Revivo, Saidi, Stephen, Sean, Grant, Miguel to step up and put away their chances. Once we establish this killer instinct among our team I believe we will start putting away these chances. In practices there has been a lot of finishing going on to help promote this killer instinct.

We play High Point and Liberty this week. They both will be quality teams, but no matter how good their record says they are we know and expect our opponent’s best game inside the Big South. In the Big South we are at the top right now with the target on our back. This first week we can make a big statement with two wins and being on top of the table. High Point will be a young team with a lot of heart coming off two wins, and Liberty who is also ranked in our region will be a very good team that we need to put away early. As far as injuries, Sconicki and Mitro should both be back for this week’s game.

#7

Captain’s Journal: (Georgia Southern and Gardner Webb)

We finally had a few home games this weekend for the Wingate Inn Classic. We played two good teams that are struggling through the beginning of this year. Both are probably better then their records show right now. The Georgia Southern game got cancelled while we were winning, but we got a win from our second game against Gardner Webb. 

The Georgia Southern game was a decent game for us, and even though it did not count still gave us some experience for the 50 or so minutes that we played. Our defense played well, and had a shutout at the time. In the back we just need to keep plugging along and locking it up back there. We were good going forward out of the back when we kept it. We need to focus on relaxing and playing to our strengths and not playing so direct. When we keep the ball on the ground and play we are a very hard to team to defend. The way the game was heading, it could have ended more than 2-0.  

Against Gardner Webb we started off slow, and against better teams we play this year and in the tournament could prove to be costly. We need to be playing our best soccer from the beginning of each game not 15-20 minutes in. Going forward we were great for the last 70 minutes. There were a few chances that need to be finished that were not but for the most part we looked our best, again, when we kept it on the ground and played. Defensively, after the first 15 minutes we were very solid. It is again going to be important to be that same solid defense starting in the first minute.  

We only have one game this week. On Wednesday we face off against App State. We owe them from last year, and it should be a good game for us. We will see what we are made of this year, and a chance offensively to show our killer instinct. We have yet to show it this year, and this would be a good time to show it.

#6

Captains Journal: (George Washington and Longwood) 

We were at Longwood this weekend for a tournament. We played two very good teams that are both ranked in their regions, and came out with two solid wins. It was not easy, and as a team we are happy with the way we overcame some adversity and stuck it out and got two wins.

Against George Washington our offense got out on the right step again scoring two early. The problem was that after we scored that second goal early we became complacent as a team and did not have the killer instinct to get one or two more to finish the game in the first half. This is something throughout the year that we need to start taking pride in, and put away teams. Our defensive effort was not the best in the first have versus GW, but we were happy with the way we came out in the second half realizing we weren’t playing our best game and worked our tails off to finish out that game. This was not our best performance of the season, but this is going to happen sometimes and it is how you overcome that. We overcame it with a win, and we definitely grew as a team on Friday.  

As far as how we played it was a complete 180 against Longwood. Offensively we worked very hard and had a good amount of opportunities. Saidi had a good goal and Revivo worked and worked for 90 minutes. We still need to finish more of our chances, and we need to get more players adding to the score sheet. Defensively, this was one of our best performances as a team. Longwood had very few opportunities with only a few shots. Today with the midfielders and forwards defending well it made it hard for Longwood to string passes forcing them to go long where our back four held off the pressure for 90 minutes. One negative is that we gave up a lot of bad fouls 40 yards and in, and as the season goes on this could come back to hurt us. We need to be smarter about where and when we foul.  

We are finally home for a 3 game stand. We play Georgia Southern on Friday at 7:30 PM and Gardner Webb at 2:30 PM. I hope to see everyone out their supporting us. Our goal again after this weekend is to be 5-1 and add two more shutouts defensively.

#5

Captains Journal: (USC Upstate and Binghamton)

We opened up our regular season against USC Upstate. Our offense was very good with Revivo putting away his opportunities and getting four and a nice ball from Matt for Saidi’s first goal of the season. We know we can score and create offense, but our defense is something we take great pride in. It was a good start for our team defensively with a shutout. We were happy with the way we played against this team giving them few opportunities and the ones that they got we shut down. Overall it was a good performance .  

The Binghamton game was a little bit of a different story. I will quote Gaffer here, “We did everything we could to win the game.” Our offense was good and we thought for a team that packed it in we broke them down a good amount. We had many chances at goal and were just unlucky at times and at times we just need to have more tenacity as a team to put things away. We tripled their shot count, but could just not get one over the line on Sunday. At times this is going to happen to us. People will play us different then they play anyone else, and we as a team need to use this as a learning experience on how to go at the next team that plays this system.  

Defensively against Binghamton we were still pretty strong. There were two times in this game where we let the ball bounce on long balls trying to played over our back four, and we need to fix that. The goal was a mix up between who was marking who, and I think we have that figured out and settled for the next time that situation comes around. It was still a solid performance by our defense, and it is something we can continue to build on as a back 4. Positive things we can take away from this game is that we worked our tails off. We went after them, and did not stop until the horn sounded. We worked as a team, and if we continue to do this and put out that same effort we will win games because not every game are we going to have a parade of shots like that and not  have one or two fall our way.  

We are headed to Longwood to play on Friday and Sunday against two very good squads that are both ranked in their regions. Our goal for this weekend is to return to our home field 3-1 with two more shutouts.

#4

Captains Journal: (Last Preseason Game)         

Training again this week has been very competitive. It was a long week for the players ended with a game that was a good measuring stick to see where we are as a team and who is going to able to play and start this year. This week there was a lot of focus on our attack and set plays. This was the last week to show coaches what you are made of and what you can bring to the table because now if a goal goes in it counts. We don’t like goals scored on us so there was a lot of stress on players knowing if they did not show something this week you will not see much of the field. It was a good week of practice and we got a lot done leading up to the UNCG game and now headed towards our opener up at Radford.

The UNCG game was a good game to figure out where we stand as a team and as individuals. Of course we wanted to win last night, any real player wants to, but it still was a preseason game. We did not show the heart we usually show in the first half of this game and when we had two lapses we got punished. The team turned it around in the second half with a few changes and showed incredible heart. Otto and Carton both showed some great versatility being switched up and playing very well. Once Otto was in the back UNCG did basically nothing when he was teamed up with Johnny in the second half, and it allowed Carton to be creative on the ball in the middle like he likes to be.  

Going forward we looked good we just need to finish the opportunities that we create. We need to shoot more, and not wait for a perfect shot. The attack was there, and a lot of different people contributed going forward. We were able to change our speeds of play when we needed to, and as that gets better and we can attack faster and faster we will be even scarier going forward. Almost everyone got some good minutes last night, and it was good to see some people get some valuable minutes. The team after last night still has optimism. We know we can play better, but at the same time we know there are a lot of positives from last night. We know on September 1 at 1:00 PM that we better step it up a notch.  I hope to see some of our fans up at Radford for at least one of the games.

#3

Captains Journal: (Preseason and First Preseason Game) 

This was the first week of the year that the coaches could step in to run practices. For soccer teams with newcomers a week is not a very long time to prepare for a game. Preseason was also shorter this year making it even a more critical time for the players and coaches. For the players as an individual it’s to show the coaches what they can bring to the table and for the players as a team to bond through hard training sessions and become a “team”. If that did not happen this week like we believe it did then we could have struggled through the next month. This week the team took great strides in learning the system and what is expected of each player. We did so without any new injuries, and we only have one injury in Doug.  

After the game last night the team is feeling very optimistic. We know it was nowhere near to perfect or to where we think we can be, but it was a step in the right direction. Our defense was solid except for a few miscues that were taken care of. Most importantly we worked as unit on defense with all 11 players and got the shutout. We have always had very great pride in not allowing goals and that was very apparent last night. Going forward we were still a threat, and that threat will only continue to grow the more we practice and the more games we play. Both of our goals were good goals, and there were other opportunities to score that later in the year we are going to need to finish to be a good team.  

Practice this past week and this upcoming week is going to be very competitive. Now that players have a feeling where they fall in the line up it is going to be up to every player to make each other earn what they get. If they do not earn it, it will be gone before they know it. Next week will be a greater task playing away at UNC Greensboro. The team is very anxious to play games after so many practices the last two weeks, and continue to look forward to our next opponent without looking over anyone. Last night we started in the right direction and we hope to keep moving in that direction with the next game before our opener in Radford. We want to thank the fans for coming out last night and we hope you continue to come support us. It was a great atmosphere and it really gets us pumped to play for you.  

#2 

Captain’s Journal: (Captains Week August 5-11)

 This year the team came back on the 5^th to kick off another week of Captains training. We use this week to do some team building and get to know each other. We started off with a meeting on Sunday night where we laid down the new team rules and the expectations for the upcoming season. We had a very productive meeting with a lot of people talking about what this season means to them. When you put all the thoughts from the meeting together we were all pretty much saying the same thing: that this is the best talent we have had as a team, and that we do not want to end this season short of our goals.

The first morning of training we ran a untimed two mile followed up on Tuesday by a timed two mile and it was very apparent that people came prepared to win their spot on the field, and the attitude to win games. The two mile kicked off a long week for the team. We had 3-a-days all the way through Friday in temperatures that some of us have never seen before. It was very hot, but everyone came out and completed the task at hand for each practice. In the mornings, it was always some sort of conditioning, sprint work or distance run. In the afternoons we did a lot of technical work with the ball and finishing drills, at nights we played to goal in a variety of games.

This week we believe was a success. We believe the newcomers got to know the style of the team and how hard we work. We did come away with one new injury, but it was not bad and he should be back on the field soon. By the end of the week, though, Otto and Revivo began to play a little so that is a good sign in their recovery. In the past few years it has become cliché to say this is the best team we have had yet, but I believe the people we put on the field this year will be the most talented team Winthrop has ever had. I believe the depth of this team is very good, and through preseason next week we will make Gaffer and Dan’s job of picking a team very difficult. This week was a good start to putting ourselves back into the Big South Championship Game on Novemeber 18^th and a bid to the NCAA’s once again. This will be a season to watch for Eagle fans.  

#1     

Captains Journal (Spring Review and Heading Into Pre-Season)

This past spring was a good way to back up our fall season. After winning the Big South Conference Championship, and losing a few players to graduation the team fought through a good spring season. We could have been better at times, but we think we found out a lot about ourselves as a team. Every game played this spring the team started with a different mix of players in a few different formations. Also, our back line adjusted between three and four in the back. Losing a few defenders after this fall, it gave the backs a time to adjust to new players that may step in. As always there was a great pride as a team taken in our defense during the spring and that will continue into the fall. Everyone is eager to get back on the field in the fall to make another run at the Conference Championships and NCAA’s. This will start with our defense as a team when we come back for pre-season, and it will be important that we come back as fit possible.  

Offensively, we will see almost everyone returning along with a lot of recruits in these positions to give us a good mix of experience and youth. Every player competing for these positions brings a lot of ability to the field and will constantly be fighting for starting positions throughout the year. We have always proven that we can score goals and score them often, and this spring we scored plenty of goals. Of course this will play a vital role in our success in the fall. Our attack is full of speed and skillful players, and with a summer fitness and weight schedule it will be up to each player to decide whether he wants to help next fall. Each year since we have been here the team continues to have a stronger chemistry then the last. It is a great feeling to come back in the fall and see everyone, and the newcomers will quickly see how important chemistry is to us. 

This team in the fall and spring has shown a lot of potential and we will live up to every bit of it next fall. As captains, we know that effective leadership must be in place, and we know that we our responsible to keep the team on track on and off the field. We believe that we know what it takes to lead this team back to the Conference Championship plus more. We are very motivated to accomplish this goal. Beyond the captains though the experience we have next year is some of the best we have ever had, and our seniors will play a vital role leading by example. We know this team will be back on top where we belong next year.

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2006 Season

#13

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#12

 Regular Season Over… It is All Ahead of us Now…

 

First and foremost, thanks to all the Winthrop Soccer fans who have supported us this year.  This year has undoubtedly been one of the best years in terms of attendance and support.  We appreciate everyone who came out this year.  And a special thanks, all the parents who came out (and those who couldn’t make it) to see their senior sons play in their last home game on Sunday. 

In the past week we continued on the roller coaster ride we have been on the since the Clemson game.  On Wednesday, we lost to big rival Coastal.  Although many who saw the game would agree we had the majority of possession, Coastal had the majority of the heart.  This Coastal game reminded me of the two games we played against Coastal in the 2002 season.  Only this time around the roles were reversed.  In 2002, Coastal came into both games as one of the top teams in the country and playing very good soccer.  We came into those games big underdogs.  It was the fight in those dogs that ultimately won those games for Winthrop.  Last Wednesday, it was Winthrop coming into the game as the favorite, and Coastal the underdog.  And just like in 2002, the underdog won the fight.  We may have played better soccer, but we did not match their will to win the game.  Ultimately two costly mistakes, led to two goals for Coastal.  Missed chance and missed chance resulted in a single goal for us.  Unfortunately the winning goal came of the head of one our own players, but realistically we should have never been the position to lose the game in overtime.  After this loss it is hard for me to think of us as the favorite in the tournament.  To my recollection we haven’t beaten Coastal since the 2002 Championship, and until we do they have to be the favorite. 

Sunday was senior day, and chance for the seniors to play one last time in front of the home crowd.  While the style of play may not have been what fans have come to know as a Winthrop style, it was still effective.  Just as Coastal and the last 10 teams before them, Flagler sat in with 11 players behind the ball.  On Sunday, instead on running blindly at a brick wall, WE HELD POSSESSION.  The time of possession must have been over 80% in our favor.  Flagler had very little possession in our half, and even fewer scoring chances.  Some had said the effort wasn’t there.  And compared to the Clemson game, it wasn’t.  But for my money, I felt we played a much smarter game, and controlled the flow from start to finish.  Come tournament time, we will need to play this possession style and couple it with an effort that will run our competition of the field.  Otherwise, we will open ourselves up for an early exit.  Just as education is the equalizer of all men, the conference tournament is the equalizer of all teams.  Everything up to this point is out the window, and all that matters is the next 90 minutes. 

We have finished the regular season with a record of 12-3-3.  We finished 4^th nationally in scoring.  Kenga leads the nation in assists.  Saidi is fourth nationally in points per game.  Revivo is among national leaders in two categories.  We finished number one in conference, and enter the tournament with the number one seed.  On paper we are a hands down favorite.  But just as education is the equalizer of all men, the conference tournament is the equalizer of all teams.  Everything up to this point is out the window, and all that matters is the next 90 minutes.  For seniors, the next 90 minutes may be your last… 

Team Captains – Will Nova and Dustin Bybee

***

#11

Rollercoaster of Performance    

Over the last three games there has been a roller coaster of performances. Clemson, who most would say it was the game of the year, proved that we can compete with anyone. We dominated the game and again just came out unlucky. We had two lapses of concentration on the field and Clemson took full advantages of them by burying the ball in the back of the net. We out shot them and out played them.  As their head coach said, Winthrop is one of the best teams going forward that we have played all year. Winthrop is a force to be reckoned with and we proved it that Wednesday night. By no means are the boys satisfied with that result because we know who the better team was that night and with as many posts as we hit and the number of close chances we had we should have won that game. Assuming we play up to our potential and are able to win the conference tournament we might meet up with them again, but before concentrating on that we have a lot of work to do.

Now with that said we traveled to Birmingham Southern and had one of the worst performances of the year.  As a team we were not prepared. Whether it was the long trip down there, fatigue, but whatever the reason we did not show up to play like we did against Clemson. The first 45 min. were especially bad, just like almost every team we have played they just packed it in. They are able to get 11 men behind the ball at all times, and for the first time this year we were held to 0 shots in the first half. As a team we have to realize that everybody knows our ability to score and the dangers we posses. We have to come out hard and go right down their throats from the whistle, but luckily we picked it up in the second half a finished two great chances to win the game 2-0.

            Radford has always been a tough place to play, and this year did not prove otherwise. Radford came out strong and put a lot of pressure on us from the beginning. We started slow again and it took us awhile to get into our element. We created some great chances in the first half including a pk, and some other great shots from within the six yard box, but again we were just unable to capitalize on them. They struck first and scored their goal in the 58^th minute. Again, this goal was given to them because of a mental error by our team. We pushed hard and created what seemed like a million chances and somehow, somewhere their keeper would fly out of no where and get a finger on it. We eventually evened the score when Otto headed home a ball from Kenga’s corner kick. The rest of the game and into overtime was a battle but neither team was able to finish it off so the game ended in a 1-1 tie.

            Not that we are content with tying but in this case it’s what we needed to clench the conference regular season championship. We have one more conference game against our biggest rivalry – Coastal. Things have never set well between the two teams and it’s always a battle, but this year might be a little payback. We lost to them last year in overtime of the conference final. We have definitely not forgotten that and it should show on Wednesday’s game.

            The bottom line is, not every game is against Clemson and we are not going to have 1800 + screaming amazing fans there every game, but if we play with the heart, passion, intensity and team unity we showed on that Oct. 11^th evening then there is potential to go very far this year, and accomplish more than ever in Winthrop Soccer history.

 Team Captains – Dustin Bybee, Will Nova

***

#10

 Good Results in Conference, But Good Enough?

 First, I would like to say sorry about the lateness of this report, but school duties came first this week.  Last week was good for two things: (1) We got two wins to put us in the driver's seat for conference standings, and (2) It put us one week closer to the Conference Tournament (What I like to call the “Most Wonderful Time of the Year”)… 

Both games last week saw us dominate the flow of play but fail to put the game out of reach.  VMI and UNC Asheville tested our grit and our patience.  Playing either of these teams down the road in the tournament will be a challenge.   We know we must do a better job of breaking teams done.  I feel like a broken record each week, but fortunately we are making progress and still winning. 

Everything we have done so far goes out the window without a good run and the end of the year.  Currently we are 10-1-2, second in the nation in scoring, lead the conference in almost every category (offensive and defensive), and to add to that we have Saidi leading the world in scoring, Revivo close behind, Kenga leading the nation in assists, and Mitrovich back in the top 25 for goals-against-average.  All indications look as though we are having a helluva year… And thus far, we are.  And we know it.  But what is even more important is… IT ISN'T ENOUGH!!!  We are hungrier than ever.  We know what lies ahead and we are ready to fight for it. 

The disappointment of the past two years are in the back of everyone’s minds.  The heartache of last year’s Conference tournament run is not lost on anyone.  The frustration of last year’s overtime loss to Clemson is still burning inside of all of us.  In the next 3-4 weeks we will find out what these player’s, these coaches, and this program is made of.  And it all starts Wednesday night with Clemson.  We have a very unique opportunity to play such a highly touted team in front of a home crowd.  Let’s hope… no, let’s pray… no, let’s demand we don’t waste it.  Behind the enchantment and hoopla of tonight’s game sits two teams poised to play the beautiful game.  Lets not forget that this game will be won just as any other game is won, with passion and skill (and in that order).  We have seen the skill this year in every game.  The passion has been there when we needed it also.  We need it tonight and for the rest of the season.

We hope to seen a huge crowd there Wednesday night.  We know we will.  Thanks in advance for you screaming, hollering, and chanting.  EAGLES on three, 1, 2, 3…

Team Captains – Will Nova and Dustin Bybee

***

#9

Tough Week, One Win One Tie

Last week was a very tough week. Coming off an uplifting win against Liberty, we had a mid-week game vs. High Point.  And High Point came in to town ready to play.  Any less of a team would have rolled over, but this is conference play.  Every game can go either way.  High Point came in and took it to us right off the bat.  Luckily, by the end of the game we where able to pull out a victory, even if it was by a narrow margin.  

This past weekend we traveled to Ga. Southern.  Everything in this game promised to make it a very entertaining game.  Both teams have winning records…  Both teams ranked in their respective regions...  New soccer complex… beautiful weather…  Unfortunately, neither team played up to the standard on Saturday.  However, as always there are excuses.   The new field was narrow and hard and made for difficult ball control.  And the game was played in the early afternoon, which always dulls the college game.  But just like other excuses, these stink too.  The majority of the game was a stalemate, going back and forth without a lot of scoring chances created.  Towards the end of the game more chances were created on both ends due to fatigue.  We used two and half subs to Ga. Southern’s eight.  

Truth is, we were the better team.  We have better players in every position.  Faster, stronger, bigger and better.  But apparently, not smarter, or at least not on Saturday.  Georgia Southern played a system that we have seen many times already this year, and undoubtedly we will see many more times.  The best way to stop a speeding car is with a road block.  We, the “speeding car”, have had lots of success running at teams and scoring lots of goals.  Ga. Southern, the “road block”, clogged their defensive third, playing a 4-5-1 or 5-4-1 or some variation for most of the game and effectively stopped our penetration.  Just like High Point, App. State, and Jacksonville, Ga Southern did a good job of stopping our forward movement by sitting in and relying on counter-attacks, which is how they scored with 3 minutes left to play.  Obviously this is no longer a secret for opposing teams.  We must learn how to break teams down in more than one way.  The fear is that we have become too predictable in our play.  One characteristic of a great team is adaptability.  A good team can win by doing one good thing over and over.  A great team can win over and over again by doing the right things.  If we can adapt to each game, the Liberty outcome can be repeated in many game. 

Adapting to the game shouldn’t be too difficult.  We have a lot of talented players, 23 to be exact, all who have played in and been successful in numerous styles of play.  We have the players for a run and gun style and the players for a Dutch-style possession game.  Either way, our adaptability will prove to be the key to rest of the season, especially in conference play.  This week will be a great test to our adaptability.  UNC Asheville is a very well coached side. And they are coming off a big conference win over the weekend.  VMI is always the hardest working team we play all year, and this year will be no different.  Hopefully we can get good results and be on the right track as we head into the gauntlet of out-of-conference #2 ranked Clemson, and in-conference road games at Birmingham Southern, at Radford, and at Coastal.   

Thanks to all the fans who showed up in Rock Hill this past Wednesday and Statesboro on Saturday.  You have no idea how much we appreciate your support. 

Team Captains – Will Nova and Dustin Bybee

***

#8

Gaff Caught Smiling… We must’ve done something right…

A game like that is what college soccer is all about.  In the past five years, I have to say that beating Liberty 8-1 is the greatest single-game accomplishment, second only to the conference championship in 2002 and just ahead of beating Radford 7-6 that same year, scoring all 7 in the second half.  Us captains are the only ones who have been around long enough to remember the other two games, so for all intensive purposes this game should mark the biggest win for everyone else on the team.  Many of the players may be too young to realize just how big a win that was.  You can ask any former players from the years before 2004, and they will tell you that there single biggest regret was not beating Liberty in their four or five years. What’s more encouraging, this was a good Liberty team.  They came into the game at 2-1 and first in the conference standings.  They have two of the top players in college soccer. And they were coming off a big home win against Coastal.  While we don’t feel we saw the best game Liberty had to offer, we still feel as though we controlled the game from the start.   

The key to this win had to be the finishing.  In previous games we handicapped ourselves by not putting teams away early.  Four goals by halftime took care that.  We scored the eight goals on something like 13 shots, that is just a good night.  We got big production from our points leaders, 8 points from Saidi (4 goals), 4 from both Kenga and Vivo (goal and 2 assists each), and 2 points from Freshman Skonicki (2 assists).  You really can’t ask for much more out of those guys.  We also got big minutes and big finishes from the reserves in the second half.  Harbin and Ted Bartels put the cap on a very entertaining night with their goals.   

There isn’t much to criticize, aside from a lapse in the early going which resulted in Liberty’s lone goal we played well all over the pitch.  The new-look defense stepped up to the occasion to make up for the absences of Bybee and Gilk.  Ben Kieffner is quickly showing that he is more than capable back there, which is very promising as it looks like injuries may play a big role in the remainder of the season.  Otto slipped into the back line and played like he has been there his whole life.  Henry and Ollie were stalwart as always, keeping Liberty’s big guns off target all night. Big props must also go out to Big Andy, Killebrew, and Cusick for their part in keeping a clean sheet in the second half.  This was the best performance from Stephen all year, he completely dictated the flow of the game while he was in.   And enough can’t be said about the 1-2 punch of Vivo and Saidi up top.  Before the game we told the boys we needed a big effort from everyone that stepped on the field, and we got it. 

Heading in to next week, we are looking to keep this pace going against High Point on Wednesday and then in a non-conference match up with Georgia Southern at week’s end.  It is always a spirited match up when we play High Point, and we are looking forward to playing well in front of the home crowd for one more game during this home stand.  The result against Georgia Southern last year wasn’t indicative of the caliber team they are, so we anticipate a hard fought match there as well.  The good ole Georgia heat always brings another variable to the equation.   

Thanks to all the Eagle faithful for another big attendance number this weekend.  We would also like to give a special thanks to all the youth soccer teams that attended the game.  We hope you enjoyed it as much as we did.  See you Wednesday… 

Team Captains – Will Nova and Dustin Bybee

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#7

CAPTAIN'S REPORT (Tie And A Win Gets Us Ranked) 

I want to start out by thanking all of our fans who came out to support us this weekend. In the five years I have been here this has definitely been the most consistent and active crowds we have had. I also want to apologize for the delay in the report this week. I know we have many fans that enjoy this column and like hearing what the boys have to say.  

Despite the energy of the crowd we did not have our best showings this weekend. We did indeed play with heart and determination, but lacked on the concentration end. There were many mistakes on both ends of the field this weekend. Friday’s game proved to be the first “break” in the defense. Three goals against is absolutely unacceptable, but the fact we rallied back to tie the game after being down shows the determination of the team to work for each other.  

Our concentration level seemed to pick in the first half of Saturday’s game, but then went out the door with about 25 minutes left in the game. Our hard work and determination got us through the game with a 2 to 1 victory. There were some players who really stepped up for us this weekend. I especially wanted to commend Ben Kieffner who I thought played exceptionally well on Friday and Saturday.

With that in the past, the only thing we should be concentrating on is this weekend’s battle with Liberty. With them beating coastal it leaves everything wide open. This is our first conference game and our most important game of the season so far. Defensively we should be thinking one thing – CLEAN SHEET, we have to get back to the shutouts, and offensively we have to finish every chance we create. If they give us an inch we have to take a mile. The season really starts now… no more excuses, the should of, could of, and would of means nothing now. Bottom line is we just have to get it done. This will be a physical and mental battle to remember. I am confident that we will have the support of our fans to help us “welcome” Liberty to our Eagle Field.  We are happy to finally be ranked at this point in the season.  I think the App. St. loss made our climb more difficult and longer. 

***

#6

CAPTAIN'S REPORT  (One Step Back, Two Steps Forward)

This past weekend at the Adidas Gamecock Classic was a tale of two games.  The first was possibly the worst performance in our tenure at Winthrop (and I do mean “tenure” because we have been here that long).  Five words come to mind; Heart, Passion, Commitment, Determination, and Will.  We had none of these. Aside from a brief period in the second half in which we were able to pick out a goal, we lacked almost everything to pull out a win against Alabama A&M.  Thankfully the soccer gods decided it wasn’t our day to go down in complete embarrassment.  We were very lucky to pull out a win against a feisty and crafty Alabama A&M team.  We didn’t get what we needed from a good majority of our starters on Friday.  But if there was one positive, it was we played collected defense.  Mitro, Gilk , and Henry are quickly becoming experienced veterans of the Eagle defense.  Alongside seniors Bybee and Denaldo, the defense is setting the tone for the season and playing at a very high level.

After a real ass-chewing from Gaff and Dan, the boys collected themselves for a spirited training session on Saturday.  The team showed that they had a lot of fight left.  The reserves are bringing the level of practice up and pushing the starters for positions and field time.  David Harbin pushed himself all week, and played with a lot of energy on Friday, ultimately earning him a spot in the starting 11 against Temple. 

The difference between the Alabama A&M and Temple games was night and day.  It seemed as if we were a completely different team on Sunday against Temple.  Warm-up was crisp and uplifting and game was more of the same.  The heart was there. The passion and commitment was all over the field. And the determination and will resulted in two goals and shutout to boot.  This was the first time this year that players left everything on the field.  Bybee even left his breakfast out there... Temple was a solid team, but they were possibly affected by the heat and playing against the high energy pace we brought to the stadium on Sunday.  Gaffer was also able to get some valuable minutes from guys off the bench. Possibly not soon enough though, as Sean received two yellow cards, removing him from the remainder of that game and Friday’s match vs. Jacksonville.  Ollie also picked up an ankle injury and may be out for a few days.

Looking at the big picture, it is good to look at the win column and see 5 checks in 6 road matches.  It is also very comforting to note that the two winning goals from the weekend came from the backline, Henry and Bybee respectively.  Congratulations to both as each scored their first collegiate goal.  We are very excited and somewhat relieved to be playing in front of the home crowd this weekend.  The past three weekends of traveling has taken a toll on some of the boys.  Congrats to Mitro, Bybee, Henry, and Otto on their selections to the All-Tournament Team, and an extra congrats to Mitro for being named Defensive MVP for the tournament.  All attention is now on winning this weekend on our home turf.  We look forward to seeing big Eagle crowds, and giving them a two great games to watch.

Big thanks to all the Eagle-faithful who followed us to Columbia this weekend.

Captains- Will Nova and Dustin Bybee

***

#5

CAPTAIN'S JOURNAL (Streak Snapped… Lets See What We Are Made Of…)

This past weekend may prove to be a defining moment in our 2006 season. There are two paths we can take from here.  One, we can let this very disappointing loss consume us and leave the remaining games up to fate.  Or two, we can learn from our mistakes, get heads on straight and take this season by the horns.  No matter how poorly we played in the final game of the Broyhill Classic in Boone, there is no way we should have lost that game.  The amount of talent we had on the field and on the bench should (no must) be able to come through with a victory in games like these.  Don’t misunderstand; Appalachian State is very good team, much improved from last year, and currently playing a high level of soccer.  But we must do better than a 1-0 loss, off of a free-kick.  After 14 goals in the first three games of the season, we must learn how to finish off this type of higher level competition.  Not a single player in our locker room is satisfied with a 1-0 loss.  We must demand better from ourselves.   

Appalachian State for all intensive purposes was our first real test on the season.  We failed, period.  Now it is time to focus on the next test, Alabama A&M.  As Gaff says, “The first loss is the hardest to take.”  It was hard.  This team isn’t very different from the team that went undefeated in the spring.  So for a lot of us, this is our first loss since the conference championship last November.  It is important for us to rebound from this and take care of business next weekend.  Playing in these early season tournaments provides us with great experience that is used to prepare for the conference tournament.  Just like these tournaments, in the conference tournament we will play games either on back-to-back days or on one days rest.  When playing in this type of atmosphere, everyone must be switched on for two full games.  Fitness plays a large role in this.  Every player must be fit enough to play 90 minutes and then turnaround and do it again with little rest in between.  We have prepared ourselves well up to this point, but we must think that this loss proves we aren’t where we need to be.  Luckily, it is still very early on in the season.  We have plenty of time to get this straight.  And there seems to be no better time than next weekend to start straightening out.

Not all was bad this weekend. The Sunday game vs. App State had good moments.  In the first half we created many chances.  While App State played in a difficult formation, we seemed to be able to break them down and get many chances from our wing play.  The defense played well most of the game, not allowing too many good looks for the opposing strikers.  Our inability to capitalize on our chances early ended up hurting us in the end.  We know the goals will return for us, we just need to keep working for them.  Friday afternoon’s game was a hard fought match on a tough playing surface.  The team showed great effort and composure in the second half to put Wofford away.  Congrats to Saidi, Vivo, and Gilk on there all-tournament selections.

 

Thanks to all the fans that traveled to Boone this past weekend.  We truly appreciate your continued support and hope to see Eagle fans in full force this coming weekend at the Adidas Gamecock Classic.

 

Team Captains – Will Nova and Dustin Bybee

***

#4

CAPTAIN'S JOURNAL (Week One in the Books)

The first weekend of the season was nothing short of a goal-fest.  Right now we are playing very entertaining soccer. 

Offensively, it is hard to find something to critique. “10 goal in two games, and 15 in four”, doesn’t have much of a downside.  The only negative thing to say is, it could have been more, much more.  Revivo ended the weekend with 2 goals and 2 assists, freshman Matt Skonicki finished 3 goals in his first collegiate game, and Saidi scored two goals and added two assists in the a single game.  The forwards are doing there job and doing it well… Otto also added 2 spectacular goals.  The midfield is also doing a good job of controlling the game from start to finish.  We have put ourselves in the situation where it will be difficult to improve upon our current offense streak, but it is the goal of the team to maintain this level and keep it going into conference play.  We are excited to perform well in these next two weekend tournaments and return home to give the Winthrop fans something to more to cheer about.

Defensively, the team looks very sharp and determined to keep ball out of our net.  Mitro and Andy both looked to be in top form to keep the opponents to only one goal over the weekend.  The back four are playing at a very high level right now.  The experience the back four is bringing to the game is going to be a huge part of our continued success.

We do not believe we have peaked, and no one should believe it either.  Hopefully as the season moves along we will be able to improve marginally each game.  We try to build upon each game, cutting down on mental mistakes and improving the team chemistry.  This weekend, we will be put to another test.  Wofford is always a tough, physical match.  We feel we have prepared ourselves to handle games like these.  Practice this week will be very physically demanding, as the competition level will be raised this week.  App. State is also a very good team.  Every year we play them, the game is very entertaining.  And playing them on the final day of their tournament should make this game no different. 

Thanks to all the fans that traveled to Boiling Springs this past weekend and CN 2 Sports.

Team Captains – Will Nova and Dustin Bybee

  ***

#3

CAPTAIN'S JOURNAL  (Preseason Over, Real Stuff Just Beginning)

Over the past three weeks, the team was pushed nearly 50 practice sessions.  These weeks have tested our endurance, our commitment, and our determination.  While it has been one of the toughest pre-seasons in recent years, we believe it will prove to be beneficial.  Every player is in good shape physically, every player is in the right place mentally, and probably what is most important, every player is healthy.  Minus a few sprained ankles and blisters, each player is in perfect health, and should be available for the season’s opening weekend at the JAKO Classic at Gardner-Webb University. 

Looking back at the first two exhibitions vs. Charlotte and Queens, the team feels very optimistic.  While neither performance was by any means perfect, each game showed moments of good, if not great soccer.  We can only hope to build on these moments and put it together for two full games this weekend.  It was encouraging to see younger players like Revivo and Skonicki step up play large roles in the first two exhibitions.  Going forward, we definitely need much more out of our experienced players to be successful.  Over the first two exhibitions we have demonstrated that we are very capable of possessing the ball.  Our trouble has come in our final ball and our off-the-ball runs in the final third.  Even though, we haven’t been executing as we would like offensively it is tough to discount that we have scored 5 goals in two games.  Once we start executing the way we know, it will be fun to watch, not only for fans but for us as players as well. 

Practice has been very competitive this week.  The team looks to be hungry for the first weekend of the season, and perhaps a little payback for last year’s home loss to Gardner-Webb.  Each opponent this weekend serves as a new threat, and anyone would be foolish to think that either  game will be anything less that a battle from start to finish.  North Florida has a big recruiting class and promises to be a very different team from last year.  Gardner-Webb is coming of a very impressive year and a great result against UNC Chapel Hill is an exhibition.  All in all, we look to start his season off on the right foot and headed in the right direction.  We hope to see lots of Eagle fans in Boiling Springs, NC this weekend.  And we would like to add a big THANK YOU to the large number of fans who attended the exhibition match against Queens.  You provided for a great soccer atmosphere and we hope to see you in a few weeks when we return home for the Wingate Inn Classic.

 Captains- Will Nova and Dustin Bybee

***
#2

CAPTAIN'S JOURNAL (Open Field Training August 2-8)

Each year, the team comes back a week early for Open Field Training.  During this week, coaches are not allowed to be present in accordance with NCAA rules.  Open Field Training is run by the captains.  We start off every year with a team meeting the night before Open Field Training.  This year, at the meeting we laid down team rules and expectations for the upcoming season.  These rules will play a big role in our on and off field attitude and activities this season. 

On the first day of Open Field Training, we ran a timed 2-mile.  It was apparent that the majority of the team was fit and had been training all summer.  The 2-mile run began what was a long week of conditioning and fitness.  We alternated going with two and three practices a day.  Every morning session was a fitness or conditioning session, while in evening session we played in a game-like atmosphere.  On days when we did three sessions the middle session was a technical session in heat.  It is important for us to get used to the heat early so we are accustomed to it for the first part of the season.

Overall Open Field Training was successful.  We were able to get through this week with no new injuries.  Players who came in not as fit as expected got the chance to get fit, and those who were already fit improved there overall level.  As we go into preseason, the team looks very sharp and even more determined.  It is obvious that this team has more depth than any team in the past four years.  This will provide for competitive practices throughout the season.  The goal of every player on this team should be to make Gaffer’s job of picking a squad as difficult as possible.  The returning players seem to have picked up right were they left off in the unbeaten spring season, and the new players are fitting in nicely.  The team is working hard to put ourselves in the position to be playing on November 5^th, for the Conference Championship and ultimately for a spot in the 2006 College Cup.  All in all it should be an enjoyable season for Eagle fans. 

Team Captain’s – Will Nova and Dustin Bybee

 

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#1

CAPTAIN'S JOURNAL (Spring Re-Cap And Heading Into Pre-Season)

“Encouraging Spring To Turn Into Results This Fall”

This past spring was very encouraging for our team.  After losing a disappointing Big South Conference Championship game to Coastal and losing some impact players to ending eligibility, the team bounced back to go undefeated in the spring season.   Each game this spring saw a new line up or a new formation.  In each in game, the 11 players on the field rose to the occasion to get the job done.  Only giving up 2 goals all Spring, is a great testament to how far our team defense has come.  Leadership in the back line has always been a key to our success over the past years, dating back to our championship run in 2002.  Next fall will be no different.   Our defense looked as impressive as ever this spring, and the team seems to have an air confidence in defending our goal that will hopefully turn into positive results in the fall.  Everyone is looking forward to making a run at the Conference Championship next fall.  And we all know that run will start with the defense coming back from the long summer as mentally and physically fit as possible.

On the offensive side of the ball it is interesting to point out we have a good mix of experience and youth.  Each player competing for positions in the midfield and up top brings a lot of ability to our team.  We have proven time and time again that we can score and score often.  This spring we were able to put teams away early, with quick goals and solid defending.  This will be a big key to our success in the fall. Our potent attack is very dependent on the level of fitness from our returners as well as the newcomers.  With a summer weight training and fitness training schedule in our hands as we leave for summer, it will be up to the determination of each player to make up his mind on whether he wants to contribute next year.  This team has more camaraderie and chemistry than any team since 2002, and more potential than any team Winthrop has ever seen.  And we will live up to that potential. 

Effective leadership is another thing that must be in place in the fall.  As captains, we understand our responsibility to keep the team on track both on and off the field.  Over the past four years we have seen the best of times and the worst of times in this program.  We believe we know what it takes to lead this program back to the conference championship and beyond.  Furthermore, we are determined to do just that.   And we believe that this team, this fall, will be our stage to return the program to where it deservedly belongs.  It is time for us to forget the “would’ve, could’ve, should’ve” of the past two years and just GET IT DONE this fall.

          Team Captains – Will Nova and Dustin Bybee