Men's Soccer Aims for ODAC on New Turf
Sohpomore Patrick Ressler (right) plays the ball against Lynchberg College's Brian Cocchiola Tuesday night.
"The team is composed of a lot of fun and hard working guys. The work ethic on the team is great," says sophomore Patrick Ressler of the men's soccer team.
The team is currently 5-3-2. They were originally ranked sixth in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference and are 1-1-1 in conference play.
Seniors Nathan Mishler and Andrew Moore, with junior Ben Yoder, lead the team this year. 26 players make up the team: seven freshman, ten sophomores, five juniors, and four seniors. When asked about his teammates, Patrick responded, "Most people on the team are really friendly and outgoing. I think we have the potential to be [good]. It's about how well we perform and where our focus and dedication is."
Roger Mast coaches the team for their 2006 season, which will be his 16th year as head coach. He has compiled a record of 151-122-20 in his previous 15 seasons and was honored as ODAC Coach of the Year in 1996 and 1998 when the Royals won the conference championships. In 1998 he was also honored as the Virginia State Coach of the Year from the Virginia Sports Information Directors. In 1999 he was State Coach of the Year by the Laura Mapp College Coaches.
Assistant coaches for the season are Sheldon Rice, Jason Good, and Sal Romero. Rice is currently in his fourth season. Good has worked with the team for what will be his second season and this is Romero's first year with the team.
The new turf field allowed the team to host teams such as Goshen and Lynchburg, both exciting games. "We appreciate the support that everyone has shown so far this year because the crowd has made it such an enjoyable experience," mentioned Patrick.
The team's next game is on Saturday Sept. 30, at 4:00 p.m. against Bethany out on the turf.
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