By Patrick Tintle
Assistant Sports Editor
After wrapping up the preseason schedule with three exhibition games, the men’s soccer team is being evaluated before the start of regular season play. The team, which went 2-1 in the preseason, has seen a change of atmosphere in the clubhouse, according to Coach Mel Mahler.
“We lost a fair amount of quality players,” Mahler said. “There were five that had played pretty much every match for us for four years. We can’t replace them.”
With new faces taking the field, Mahler understands that adjustments must be made to ensure that the team stays competitive throughout the season.
“We’re a different team now,” Mahler said. “That’s what we are coming to understand. The new guys coming in, we ask them just to play. Play how you like to play, and then, we’ll tweak it from there.”
Upperclassmen on the team who had only served in bench roles previously will now have to step up and set an example for the new recruits, according to Mahler. Mahler saw the combination of freshmen and new transfer students work well through the preseason schedule.
“We’ve been pleased,” Mahler said. “We’ve done some good stuff, and we’ve done some bad stuff, but that’s to be expected. They (freshmen and transfers) have been playing significant roles for us, and they need to play significant roles.”
The three preseason games, in which the Bonnies faced Rochester, Houghton and Le Moyne, allowed Mahler to evaluate which returning players will play a key role in the team’s effort to return to the Atlantic 10 playoffs.
“Starting at goal, Jeremy Figler (redshirt senior), we’re going to rely on him a lot this year,” Mahler said. “He’s going to have to come up big at times. Eric Smolarek, a fifth year senior, has done a real good job from the standpoint of demonstrating to the guys how we need to train and how we need to work. He brings a lot of experience to the field.”
Mahler stated that the balance between the young players and seniors will be a learning experience for both sides alike.
“I think we have good leadership,” Mahler said. “I’m really excited about how our seniors have embraced the responsibility, how they have learned from past years; they’ve seen good leadership skills, and they’ve seen bad leadership skills. For our new guys coming in, I think they (seniors) are great role models.”
The Bonnies will start their season against Delaware at home on September 7 at 1:00pm. The Blue Hens, who went an overall 14-5-1 last season, will remain a challenge for the Bonnies, who lost 3-0 in their last match against Delaware.
“Delaware’s a top-25 program,” Mahler said. “They took it to us last year. They’re an excellent team, and it’s going to be a real challenge for us.”
Mahler is not worried about facing stiff competition early on in the season.
“We feel good about it,” Mahler said. “We want to play against good teams because that measures us and where we need to go. We’re excited to get on the field.”
Playing non-conference teams is an important stretch of the season, according to Mahler. The ability to examine his team in depth before facing A-10 rivals weighs heavy in the long run.
“They’re very important,” Mahler said. “Non-conference games help us figure out our strengths and our weaknesses and how to get us to the A-10s. That’s what it’s all about: getting into the top eight teams and getting into the postseason.”
