Falcons soccer on the right track

By publication time, both the women and men's soccer teams will have named their teams for the upcoming season. That comes after over a week of tryouts for both squads.

The men's side, coached by Paul D'Hollander, is hoping to build on last years record which saw the team lose only a single match during the regular season.

“What we need to do this year is finish teams off and be more consistent,” D'Hollander said. “When we have a team down by a goal, score that extra goal to put the game away.”

For the Falcons this may be their biggest focus this season. Last year the squad tied four games, and when it comes down to the wire every point is needed to not just make the playoffs, but to win home field advantage. And for a team that lost their final playoff game last year on the road, that's a big deal.

“We also want to host a playoff game,” D'Hollander explained, “That means that we really have to finish either first or second to get that home field. Last year in the playoffs we went on the road and we lost four to three in the last ten minutes, so that home field is important.”

As for the squad itself, more than half of last year's team is expected to rejoin D'Hollander on the field this fall, and the coach believes that the team looks to be on the right track with the amount of new talent hoping to make the cut.

“There really are some quality players with lots of skill, good attitudes and great soccer pedigreesfrom local teams,” D'Hollander said. “Looking at them here, and compared to the past couple years, this core group trying out in the first week of camp is the best we've seen in years.”