Second-year head coach Roberto Giannini knows the Wabash soccer team will face some challenges early in the 2007 season. The early signs show, however, show him that the team is ready to take some big steps this year.
"There is a new energy around this team, almost like a rebirth of the team" Giannini said. "I am very excited to see if the success of off-season workouts and summer training by the players continues through the early portion of the season.
"Our freshman brought good energy to the team, and our returning players are dedicated and committed to success. There is a good chemistry and balance within this team."
Three returning All-North Coast Athletic Conference players have sparked that commitment. Gary Simkus, the leading scorer from the 2005 and 2006 teams, is one of five seniors hoping to put Wabash in the conference playoffs for the first time since joining the league in 1999. Simkus earned Second Team All-NCAC honors after scoring nine goals and one assist in 2006. Joining Simkus as a Second Team All-NCAC selection last year was forward George Padgitt. A two-time All-NCAC player entering his junior season, Padgitt picked up six goals and one assist in last year. Junior Jon Funston was an Honorable Mention pick as a defender in 2006. He started 16 times and tallied two assists.
Senior goalkeeper Jon Miller started six games last year with a .750 save percentage. He recorded 54 saves in 11 total appearances in net for the Little Giants. Matt Potasnik played in 14 games as a junior defender last season, tallying one assist and one shot on goal. Two other seniors also hope to help the Little Giants on the pitch this season. Blaken Wamsley returns to the pitch after a year’s absence, and fourth-year player Dan Storey hopes to overcome a preseason ankle injury to earn a spot in the starting lineup.
That senior leadership will be important to a team that features ten freshmen or first-year players on a roster totaling 23 men.
Giannini hopes hard work, leadership, and passion lead to victories throughout the 2007 season. He has changed the team’s preseason training structure to continue the development of that mixture.
"We had exit meetings with last year’s seniors and discussions with the returning players this season," he said. "Almost to a man they felt that the chemistry was missing, that we need more of a sense of unity. The players suggested more extracurricular activities not necessarily related to soccer.
"After the initial training and fitness day we took a canoe trip down Sugar Creek. At least as much as we could with the creek as low as it is. But even that part was good for team building. Guys had fun, they had to communicate about rocks and low points in the stream, and had to carry the canoe over many low spots. After our workout Saturday we will head to The Dunes in northwest Indiana to relax after a solid week of training."
Giannini and the rest of the team will learn the early returns of their training and team-building exercises. Wabash opens the 2007 season against rival DePauw University on Friday, August 31 at 5:30 p.m. at Mud Hollow Field.
Photos
Main soccer page - Leading scorer Gary Simkus returns for his final season in a Wabash soccer uniform.
Top right - Head Coach Roberto Giannini begins his second season at Wabash.
Middle left - Jon Funston earned All-Conference honors as a defender in 2006.
Bottom right - George Padgitt is one of three returning All-NCAC players for the Little Giants.