The start of a new semester brings a renewed hope for new and returning students. Everyone wants to start the school year off on the right foot. The same can be said for the men and women’s soccer team.Both teams enter the new season with changes in the roster as well as the backroom staff.
Ed Vucinic enters his 14th season as head coach of the men’s soccer team and will look to improve upon last year’s record. The team ended last season with a record of 5 wins, 10 losses, and 4 draws.
Like any collegiate side, he faces a tough task as he tries to integrate new players into the team as well as finding players to step up to the roles left by graduating seniors. Vucinic faces another issue off the field as one of his assistant coaches, Matthew Ball, is no longer part of the staff. Agustin Herrera takes over the helm alongside newcomer, James Kline.
Vucinic’s team began the season with a split on the road. They fell to No. (2) University of Rio Grande by a score of 2-0 and beat Shawnee State University by that same score. Both goals were scored in the first-half by freshman, Caden Patten.
The team’s home opener was on Saturday, August 26th as they took on Lindenwood University- Belleville. Junior midfielder, Danny Lopez, scored Saint Xavier’s lone goal off a missed penalty that redirected back to Lopez.
That was all Saint Xavier would need as they were able to stifle Lindenwood’s attack. Key saves by SXU keeper Frank Valle helped maintain the team’s clean sheet.
The win improves their record to 2-1-0. Their next game is August 30th as they head back on the road to face Aquinas College.
The women’s team enters their season with similar issues and goals.Coached by Evan Strehlau, the team finished last season with a record of 5 wins, 13 losses, and 1 draw. He enters his sixth season as head coach.
However, as opposed to Vucinic, Strehlau faces a higher rate of turnover in his squad as opposed to last season. He had twelve players depart along with manager, Leah Koontz.
While he has a smaller squad than last season, it could very well be a blessing in disguise with a smaller squad comes different dynamics. The odds of the team developing a sense of unity and cohesiveness increases.
How Coach Strehlau handles the changes in player personnel will undoubtedly have an impact in how his team does throughout the season. Strehlau and his team opened the season at home on Friday, August 25th against Chicago State University.
The game itself was hard-fought with neither side truly imposing themselves. They went into half-time tied at zero.However, Chicago State got a 49th minute goal from senior forward, Sara Marcotte, and held on for the rest of the game to earn a 1-0 victory.
Marcotte was a real thorn in the side for SXU. She used her height as an advantage and imposed herself on Saint Xavier’s defender. What made it even more astonishing was she fought people off while wearing a cast on her right arm.
On the Saint Xavier side, junior keeper, Carly Bledsoe, was the player of the match. She kept her team in the game by making a total of ten saves including a couple one-on-ones.
She was a leader out on the pitch. Besides keeping her team in the game, she was constantly shouting instructions to her defense and pushing her team to try to get an equalizer.
Strehlau and his team will look to get things back on track as they resume their homestand on Wednesday, August 30th as they play Bethel College.
Ernesto Hernandez
Sports Reporter
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