Men’s soccer looks ahead to conference play

Photo by Josiah Garber

Sophomore forward Darren Stauffer controls the ball during a 3-0 win on Saturday against Emory & Henry.

The first three weeks of September have been successful ones for the men’s soccer team. They hope to continue their succes when the schedule includes more opponents from Old Dominion Athletic Comference schools.

"We’d like to finish top four in ODAC and host a first round game,’ said head coach Roger Mast.

Mast’s long range goals are indicative of his teams play in recent games. The team improved to 4-1-1 with a 3-0 victory over conference opponent Emory & Henry on Saturday.

Mast is emphatic that the Royals’ long term goals are not only attainable, but expected “if the team takes care of business today and gives 100 percent throughout practice and games.”

The Royals defense has been a huge part of the team’s success. The Royals have only allowed three goals and sophomore goalkeeper Tim Koehn has already posted three shutouts this season. Solid defense has also allowed the Royals to focus on the attack. Junior captain Clayton Suydam leads in scoring with four goals, followed by Darren Stauffer, Aaron Moorefield, Andrew Jenner, Nathan Mishler, Michael Stauffer, and senior captain, Kurt Holsopple, each scoring one goal.

The broad scoring talent makes the team harder for its opponents to defend. Being persistent and relentlessly attacking the goal are key elements to the Royals’ strategy. This kind of mentality is nothing new to the men’s team.

Mast reports that team members have a high work ethic and that they are willing and ready to get the job done not only in-season but during the off-season and summer workouts. The Royals have 13 returning players and have added nine freshmen to its roster.

Tough competition awaits the men’s team when they visit Roanoke, ranked 24th in Division III national competition, on Sept. 27. Three days later the team has another demanding game when they meet up with the Mary Washington College Eagles, ranked 7th in the South Region, at home on Sept. 30 at 4 p.m.

Before they can worry about Roanoke and Mary Washington, the Royals must get set to travel to Washington and Lee (3-0 overall) on the 24th for another ODAC game. With strong leadership in Holsopple and Suydam, and a “get the job done” attitude from the entire team, this year’s men’s soccer team poses a serious threat to ODAC competitors. It is hopeful that the hard work and perseverance that the team has put forth thus far will carry them beyond regular season play and will lead them to a successful ODAC placing.